Solid and Hazardous Waste

1. Solid and Hazardous Waste Chapter 21

2. Electronic waste, e-waste: fastest growing solid waste problem Composition includes High-quality plastics Valuable metals Toxic and hazardous pollutants Shipped to other countries What happens in China? International Basel Convention Bans transferring hazardous wastes from developed countries to developing countries European Union Cradle-to-grave approach What should be done? Recycle E-cycle Reuse Prevention approach: remove the toxic materials Core Case Study: E-waste—An Exploding Problem

3. 21-1 What Are Solid Waste and Hazardous Waste, and Why Are They Problems? • Concept 21-1 Solid waste represents pollution and unnecessary waste of resources, and hazardous waste contributes to pollution, natural capital degradation, health problems, and premature deaths.

4. We Throw Away Huge Amounts of Useful Things and Hazardous Materials • Solid waste • Industrial solid from mining, oil, and natural gas production, agriculture, sewage sludge and industrial activities. • Municipal solid waste (MSW) garbage or trash (generated mostly by homes and workplaces.) • Hazardous or toxic waste 80–90% of hazardous wastes produced by developed countries • Organic compounds • Toxic heavy metals • Radioactive waste • Why reduce solid wastes? • ¾ of the materials are an unnecessary waste of the earth's resources • Huge amounts of air pollution, greenhouse gases, and water pollution

5. What Harmful Chemicals Are in Your Home?

6. Solid Waste in the United States • Leader in solid waste problem: • 98.5% of solid waste in US (and most developed countries) is Industrial • Mining 76%, agricultrue 13%, industry 9.5% • 1.5% MSW • 37% paper, 12% yard waste, 11% food waste, 10% plastic 8% metal • E-trash: Growing Problem • Leader in trash production, by weight, per person • Each day 4.5 lbs/person in US! • Recycling is helping

7. 21-2 How Should We Deal with Solid Waste? • Concept 21-2 A sustainable approach to solid waste is first to reduce it, then to reuse or recycle it, and finally to safely dispose of what is left. • Waste Management: high waste approach • Since making waste is fact of life; we must manage waste • Waste Reduction low waste approach • We must reuse, recycle, reduce • Integrated waste management • Uses a variety of strategies

8. Integrated Waste Management

9. Integrated Waste Management: Priorities for Dealing with Solid Waste

10. Waste reduction is based on Reduce Reuse Recycle Seven strategies: (1) Redesign manufacturing processes and products to use less material and energy (2) Redesign manufacturing processes to produce less waste and pollution (3) Develop products that are easy to repair, reuse, or recycle (4) Eliminate or reduce unnecessary packaging (5) Use fee-per-bag waste collection systems (6) Establish cradle-to grave responsibility (7) Restructure urban transportation systems We Can Cut Solid Wastes by Reducing, Reusing, and Recycling

11. 21-3 Why Is Reusing and Recycling Materials So Important? • Concept 21-3 Reusing items decreases the use of matter and energy resources and reduces pollution and natural capital degradation; recycling does so to a lesser degree. • Reuse: clean and use materials over and over READ CASE STUDY- P. 568 • Downside of reuse in developing countries • Poor people scavenge landfills are exposed to toxins, infectious diseases • Examples of reuse • Salvaging automobiles parts • Rechargeable batteries

12. There Are Two Types of Recycling • Primary, closed-loop recycling waste is recycled into new products of the same type (Al cans into new Al cans) • Secondary recycling (downcycling) - converting waste into different products (tires into mulch) • Types of wastes that can be recycled • Preconsumer: internal waste—made in manufacturing process • Postconsumer: external waste--generated by consumer use of products There is 25% more preconsumer waste--but both must be recycled!

13. We Can Mix or Separate Household Solid Wastes for Recycling • Materials-recovery facilities (MRFs) recyclables are separated by machine or people and leftovers are burned in waste-to energy plants. Ash is then landfilled Requires constant supply of trash (not the best idea?) • Source separation individuals separate recyclables which are then collected and sold to scrap dealers, compost plants, and manufacturers. ** Makes more sense than MRF because MRF wants lots of throughput waste • Pay-as-you-throw or Fee-per-bag • charges household/business for amount of waste-does not charge for materials separated for recycling

14. Composting Individual Municipal Benefits Successful program in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada READ case study-P. 571 Recycling Paper Production of paper versus recycled paper Energy use Water use Pollution Countries that are recycling Replacement of chlorine-based bleaching chemicals with H2O2 or O2 We Can Copy Nature and Recycle Biodegradable Solid Wastes

15. Case Study: Recycling Plastics • Plastics: composed of resins • Most containers discarded: 4% recycled • Litter: beaches, water • Significance? • Low plastic recycling rate • Hard to isolate one type of plastic • Low yields of plastic • Cheaper to make it new

16. Trade-Offs: Recycling, Advantages and Disadvantages

17. We Can Encourage Reuse and Recycling • What hinders reuse and recycling? • Poor Environmental Accounting: product costs during its life cycle are not included in determining market cost • Uneven Economic Playing Field: tax-breaks given to mining companies and industrial users of chemicals and less given to recycling/reuse industries, • Demand (and price) paid for recycled materials fluctuates because buying recycled goods is not a priority for most. • Encourage reuse and recycling • Government • Increase subsidies and tax breaks for using such products • Decrease subsidies and tax breaks for making items from virgin resources • Increase “fee-per-bag” waste collection • Laws to require recycling by companies

18. 21-4 The Advantages and Disadvantages of Burning or Burying Solid Waste • Concept 21-4 Technologies for burning and burying solid wastes are well developed, but burning contributes to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and buried wastes eventually contribute to pollution and land degradation.

19. Advantages reduce trash volume, less need for landfills, lo water pollution, quick and easy Disadvantages high cost, air pollution, produces toxic ash, encourages waste production, discourages recycling/reduction. Burning Solid Waste Has Advantages and Disadvantages Waste-to-energy incinerators: burn wastes to boil water to make steam for space heating or electricity production

20. Burying Solid Waste Has Advantages and Disadvantages • Open dumps • fields or holes in ground where garbage is deposited-may or may not be covered with soil—common in developing countries; rare in developed • Sanitary landfills • solid wastes spread out in layers, compacted and covered daily with clay or plastic foam—lined with clay/plastic to prevent leaching • Leachate: liquid collected and pumped out of landfill—sent to sewage treatment plant • Can emit greenhouse gasses—methane and CO2

21. Solutions: State-of-the-Art Sanitary Landfill

22. Trade-Offs: Sanitary Landfills, Advantages and Disadvantages

23. 21-5 How Should We Deal with Hazardous Waste? • Concept 21-5 A sustainable approach to hazardous waste is first to produce less of it, then to reuse or recycle it, then to convert it to less hazardous materials, and finally, to safely store what is left. • Integrated management of hazardous wastes • Produce less • Convert to less hazardous substances • Rest in long-term safe storage • Increased use for postconsumer hazardous waste

24. Case Study: Recycling E-Waste • 70% goes to China • Hazardous working conditions • Reduce toxic components in electronics • In 2007: only 10;155 of e-waste in US was recycled; up to 80% of that was shipped overseas to dismantle

25. We Can Detoxify Hazardous Wastes • Collect and then detoxify • Physical methods-: filter solids, distill liquids to separate, encapsulate in glass • Chemical methods: reactions convert hazardous materials to inert • Bioremediation: bacteria and enzymes used to destroy toxins • Phytoremediation: using natural or genetically engineered plants to absorb filter and remove contaminants from polluted soil and water. • Use Nanomagnets: remove small particles from waste • Incineration-burning • Using a plasma arc torch: high temp. torch decomposes waste into ions and atoms that be converted into non toxic materials.

26. We Can Store Some Forms of Hazardous Waste • Burial on land or long-term storage • Deep-well disposal-liquids pumped into dry, porous rock--limited number of sites available • Surface impoundments-ponds or pits lined with plastic into which hazardous liquid is poured. Water evaporates and concentrates the wastes. Some hazardous matter may evaporate or pond may overflow in storms • Secure hazardous landfills - monitored landfills designed to contain hazardous waste. Very expensive

27. Summary of Hazardous Waste Storage

28. Case Study: Hazardous Waste Regulation in the United States (1) • 1976: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) • EPA is to identify hazardous waste and set standards for their management by states • firms that store, treat, or dispose of more than 100 kg (220 lbs) of haz. wastes per month must have permit stating how they will be managed • permit holders must use a cradle-to-grave system to keep track of waste they transfer from point of generation (cradle) to disposal (grave) and submit proof of this to EPA

29. Case Study: Hazardous Waste Regulation in the United States (2) 1980: Comprehensive Environmental, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), or Superfund • identify abandoned hazardous waste dump sites, tanks, etc. • protect and, if necessary,clean up groundwater near sites and to clean up the sites.—“Polluter Pays” • if they can be found, responsible party must pay. • If not found, gov’t pays using fund paid for by taxes on oil and chemical companies • put worst sites that represent immediate and severe threat to human health on National Priorities list to be cleaned up • Pace of cleanup has slowed • Superfund is broke

30. 21-6 How Can We Make the Transition to a More Sustainable Low-Waste Society? • Concept 21-6 Shifting to a low-waste society requires individuals and businesses to reduce resource use and to reuse and recycle wastes at local, national, and global levels. Many people believe in NIMBY (we might have it, but I don’t want to deal with it) • “Not in my backyard” Some are saying we need to produce less waste • “Not in anyone’s backyard” • “Not on planet Earth”

31. We Can Make the Transition to Low-Waste Societies • Norway, Austria, and the Netherlands • Committed to reduce resource waste by 75% • East Hampton, NY, U.S. • Reduced solid waste by 85% • Follow guidelines to prevent pollution and reduce waste

32. International Treaties • 2000: global treaty to control 12 persistent organic pollutants (POPs) “dirty dozen” • goals: ban or phase out use of these chemicals and to detoxify or isolate stockpiles of them. • Compounds cited: DDT, other chlorine-containing persistent pesticides, PCBs, dioxins, furans. • Important treaty because it uses precautionary principle to manage and reduce risks from toxins

33. Animation: Economic types