Waste The Generation of Waste The US generates

Waste

The Generation of Waste • The US generates more than 10 billion metric tons of solid waste each year! • Solid Waste – any discarded solid materials – – – Junk mail, paper waste, cardboard Food waste Cans, bottles, plastics Diapers, clothing Packaging, containers, wrappers Appliances, cars

Not All Wastes Are Equal Biodegradable A material that can be broken down by biological processes (decomposers). Ex: plant & animal waste, newspaper, paper bags, cotton fiber, leather Nonbiodegradable A material that cannot be broken down by biological processes. Ex: polyester, plastic, glass, metal

Municipal Solid Waste • Wastes produced by households and businesses (AKA – waste made by all of us). Over 236 million tons of all US waste comes from municipal solid waste.

Solid Waste from Manufacturing, Mining, and Agriculture • These make up most of the rest of the total solid waste produced in the US. • Includes: scrap metal, plastics, paper, sludge, ash, leftover rock, crop waste, & manure. ** Are average people responsible for this waste?

Think Pair Share Where does your trash go when you throw it away?

Landfills • A permanent waste-disposal facility • Wastes are put in the ground • Wastes are covered each day with a layer of soil, plastic, or both.

Landfill Problems 1. Leachate – water that passes through the solid waste in a landfill, collecting dissolved chemicals from decomposing garbage. Ø Env. Prob. = leachate could flow into groundwater supplies & make drinking water unsafe to drink Ø Solution – monitoring wells & storage tanks that hold and treat waste water.

Landfill Problems 2. Methane Gas – flammable gas produced by decomposing organic (once living) waste. Ø Env. Prob. = methane could seep into the ground & into basements of homes up to 300 m away; which could be ignited and/or explode. Ø Solution – pumped out of landfill & used as fuel.

Landfills Now & Later • New landfills are required to have safeguards that reduce pollution problems. – Lined with clay & plastic – Leachate collection & treatment systems – Vent pipes for methane • We are running out of space for landfills

Think Pair Share • Imagine that all of the landfills are full and that no more land is available to build new landfills. – What would people do with their wastes? – How might this impact the environment? – How might this impact our society (economics, politics, etc. )

Incinerators • In 1999, the US had 102 operational incinerators that were capable of burning up to 94, 000 metric tons of municipal solid waste per day. • But, – Some of the waste should not be incinerated (paint, cleaners, batteries, etc. ) – Incinerated trash becomes ash that must be disposed. – Air pollution from toxic gases released during burning of some trash.

Reducing Solid Waste The 3 R’s – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle 1. Reduce Buy less - buy products that use less packaging or that last longer 2. Reuse Buy reusable – rechargable, refillable, etc. 3. Recycle Reusing materials or recovering valuable materials from waste or scrap

Recycling Benefits • Making products from recycled materials saves energy, water, and other resources. – 95% less energy is needed to produce aluminum from recycled aluminum than from ore. – 70% less energy is needed to make paper from recycled paper than from trees.

Composting • The process of allowing plant waste to decompose into a dark brown material that can be used in gardens to enrich soil.

Making Different Choices • Changing the materials we use could eliminate many of the wastes we create. Ex: juice boxes • Paper vs. Plastic?