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Chapter 24 Solid and Hazardous Waste. Overview of Chapter 24. Solid Waste Types of Solid Waste Waste Prevention Reducing the Amount of Waste Reusing Products Recycling Materials Hazardous Waste Types of Hazardous Waste Management of Hazardous Waste Environmental Justice. Solid Waste.
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Overview of Chapter 24 • Solid Waste • Types of Solid Waste • Waste Prevention • Reducing the Amount of Waste • Reusing Products • Recycling Materials • Hazardous Waste • Types of Hazardous Waste • Management of Hazardous Waste • Environmental Justice
Solid Waste • US generates more solid waste per capita than any other country • 2.1kg per person per day • Types of Solid Waste • Municipal solid waste • Solid material discarded by homes, office buildings, retail stores, schools, hospitals, prisons, etc • Relatively small portion of solid waste produced • Non-municipal solid waste • Solid waste generated by industry, agriculture, and mining
Disposal of Solid Waste • Three methods • Sanitary Landfills • Incineration • Recycling
Sanitary Landfill • Compacting and burying waste under a shallow layer of soil • Most common method of disposal
Sanitary Landfill • Problems • Methane gas production by microorganisms • Contamination of surface water & ground water by leachate • Not a long-term remedy • Few new facilities being opened • Closing a full landfill is very expensive
Sanitary Landfill • Special Problem of Plastic • Much of plastic is from packaging • Chemically stable and do not readily break down and decompose • Special Problem of Tires • Cannot be melted and reused for tires • Made from materials that cannot be recycled • Can be incinerated or shredded
Incineration • Volume of solid waste reduced by 90% • Produces heat that can make steam to generate electricity • Produce less carbon emissions than fossil fuel power plants (right)
Incineration • Types of Incinerators • Mass burn (below) • Modular • Refuse-derived
Incinerator • Problems Associated with Incineration • Yields air pollution • Produce large amounts of ash • Site selection often controversial
Composting • Includes: • Food scraps • Sewage sludge • Agricultural manure • Yard waste • Reduces yard waste in landfills • Can be sold or distributed to community
Waste Prevention • Three Goals • (1) Reduce the amount of waste • (2) Reuse products • (3) Recycle materials
Reducing Waste • Purchase products with less packaging
Reducing Waste • Source reduction • Products are designed and manufactured in ways that decrease the volume of solid waste in the waste stream • Pollution Prevention Act (1990) • Dematerialization • Progressive decrease in the size and weight of a product as a result of technological improvements
Reusing Products • Refilling glass beverage bottles • Heavier glass that costs more • Japan recycles almost all bottles • Reused 20 times
Recycling Materials • Every ton of recycled paper saves: • 17 trees • 7000 gallons of water • 4100 kwatt-hrs of energy • 3 cubic yards of landfill space • Recycle • Glass bottles, newspapers, steel cans, plastic bottles, cardboard, office paper
Recycling • Recycling Paper • US recycles 50% • Many developed countries are higher • Recycling Glass • US recycles 25% • Costs less than new glass • Can be used to make glassphalt (right)
Recycling • Recycling Aluminum • Making new can from recycled one costs far less than making a brand new one
Recycling • Recycling Metals other than Aluminum • Lead, gold, iron, steel, silver and zinc • Metallic composition is often unknown • Makes recycling difficult • Recycling Plastic • Less than 20% is recycled • Less expensive to make from raw materials
Recycling • Recycling Tires • Few products are made from old tires • Playground equipment • Trashcans • Garden hose • Carpet • Roofing materials • 36% of tires are currently recycled to make other products
Hazardous Waste • Any discarded chemical that threatens human health or the environment • Reactive, corrosive, explosive or toxic chemicals • Types of Hazardous Waste • Dioxins • PCBs • Radioactive waste
Management of Hazardous Waste • Chemical accidents • National Response Center notified • Typically involves oil, gasoline or other petroleum spill • Current Management Policies • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976, 1984) • Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980)
Management of Hazardous Waste • Cleaning up existing hazardous waste: superfund program • 400,000 waste sites • Leaking chemical storage tanks and drums (right) • Pesticides dumps • Piles of mining wastes • Must be cleaned up
Management of Hazardous Waste • Superfund National Priorities List • 2006: 1558 sites on the list • States with the greatest number of sites • New Jersey (115) • California (93) • Pennsylvania (93) • New York (86) • Michigan (65)
Management of Hazardous Waste • Biological Treatment of Hazardous Chemicals • Bioremediation • Phytoremediation • Management the Waste we are Producing Now • (1) source reduction • (2) conversion to less hazardous materials • (3) long-term storage
Management of Hazardous Waste • Hazardous Waste Landfill
Environmental Justice • Environmental Justice and Ethical Issues • Right of every citizen, regardless of age, race, gender, social class, to adequate protection from environmental hazards • Fundamental human right • Grassroots campaign • Mandating environmental Justice- Federal Level
Environmental Justice • International Waste Management • Developed countries sometimes send their waste to developing countries • Less expensive than following laws within the country • Controversial aspect of waste management • Basel Convention (1989) • Restricts international transport of hazardous waste