Chapter 24 Solid and Hazardous Waste Solid Waste

Chapter 24 Solid and Hazardous Waste

Solid Waste US produces most per capita solid waste = 4. 4 lbs person per day 229 million tons per year (and increasing per year!)

Solid Waste Types of Solid Waste

Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Waste

Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Waste Sanitary Landfills

Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Wastes Sanitary Landfills Problems Associated with Sanitary Landfills • Methane gas production • Surface water / ground water contamination • Not a long-term remedy • Even when closed, considerable cost

Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Wastes Sanitary Landfills The Special Problem of Plastic • Shear amount is staggering • Do not readily breakdown

Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Wastes Sanitary Landfills The Special Problem of Tires • Made from materials that cannot be recycled • Can be incinerated

Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Wastes Incineration CO 2 emissions per kwatt-hour of electricity production

Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Waste Incineration Types of incinerators • Mass burn • Modular • Refuse-derived

Solid Waste Mass burn incinerator

Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Waste Incineration Problems Associated with Incineration • Always some air pollution • Produce large amounts of ash • Site selection often controversial

Solid Waste Disposal of Solid Waste Composting • Reduces yard waste in landfills • Can be sold or distributed to community

Waste Prevention Three goals: 1) Reduce 2) Reuse 3) Recycle

Waste Prevention Reducing the Amount of Waste: Source Reduction • Pollution Prevention Act (1990) • Dematerialization

Waste Prevention Reusing Products • Refilling glass beverage bottles • What are some other products that can easily be reused or ways that you reuse products?

Waste Prevention Recycling Material Solid waste produced by average family of four in one year in US

Waste Prevention Recycling Material • Paper • Glassphalt

Waste Prevention Recycling Material • Paper • Glass • Aluminum

Waste Prevention Recycling Material • Paper • Glass • Aluminum • Metals Other Than Aluminum • Plastics

Waste Prevention Recycling Material • Paper • Glass • Aluminum • Metals Other Than Aluminum • Plastic • Tires

Waste Prevention Integrated Waste Management

Hazardous Waste Examples:

Hazardous Waste Types of Hazardous Waste • Dioxins • Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) • Radioactive material

Hazardous Waste Case-in-Point: Hanford Nuclear Reservation Drums of low-level nuclear waste

Hazardous Waste Management of Hazardous Waste • Chemical Accidents – National Response Center notified – Petroleum spills most common • Current Management Policies – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976, 1984) – Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (1980)

Hazardous Waste Management of Hazardous Waste • Cleaning Up Existing Toxic Waste: The Superfund Program Old toxic waste dump site Cleanup

Hazardous Waste Management of Hazardous Waste • Cleaning Up Existing Toxic Waste: The Superfund Program Superfund National Priorities List (2002) 1234 sites currently listed 259 removed from list 656 partially cleaned

Hazardous Waste Management of Hazardous Waste • The Biological Treatment of Hazardous Contaminants - Bioremediation - Phytoremediation

Hazardous Waste Management of Hazardous Waste • Managing the Toxic Waste We Are Producing Now 1) Source reduction 2) Conversion to less hazardous materials 3) Long-term storage

Hazardous Waste Hazardous waste landfill

Environmental Justice • Environmental Justice and Ethical Issues Rights of poor / disenfranchised vs. rights of rich & powerful • Mandating Environmental Justice at the Federal Level Federal agencies supposed to develop strategies to ensure nondiscrimination against poor and minorities.

Environmental Justice and International Waste Management Basel Convention Treaty (1989)

Changing Attitudes • US needs to move away from being a throwaway society. • There is a need to embrace voluntary simplicity. • What are some ways that you could demonstrate voluntary simplicity in your actions?