Chapter 21 Quiz Show

_____% of our waste comes from from mining, oil & gas production, agriculture, industrial production (scrap metal, plastic, etc.)

98.5%

We are only ______% of the world's population yet we create _____% of the world's wastes

4.6% & 33%

Legal Definition of hazardous waste

1. Flammable2. Explosive & releases toxic fumes

3. Corrosive (of container)4. Contains 1+ of 39 toxins (carcinogens,mutagens, teratogens) above a set limit

Things not included in hazardous waste

Radioactive waste Household toxic wastes

Mining waste Oil & gas drilling wastes

Views waste as unavoidable, andmust be handled in a way that, reduces harm Deal with waste by burying,burning, shipping off

Waste Management

Waste is...- A potential resource - Harmful and should not be made in the first place

Waste Prevention

First Priority of Waste Management Primary Pollution and waste prevention, which

includes :

- change industrial processes to eliminate the use of harmful chemicals

- reduce packaging in materials and products

- make products that last longer and are recyclable, reuseable, or easy to repair

Second Priority of Waste Management

Secondary pollution and waste prevention, which includes :

- Reuse- Repair

- Recycle- Compost

- buy reuseable and recyclable products

Last Priority of Waste Management

Waste Management, which includes :

- Treat waste to reduce toxicity- incinerate waste

- bury waste in landfills- Release waste into environment

for dispersal and dilution

Ways to reduce waste production

- Decrease consumption- Increase product life-span

- Reduce/eliminate/redesign extra packaging

- More efficient manufacturing- Design products for reuse or recycling

- Taxation

Benefits of reusing

- Extends resource supplies- Keeps high quality matter from being degraded to low

quality waste- Reduces energy use- Reduces pollution

Primary (Closed-loop) recycling "Post-consumer" wastes made into new product

of SAME type- Reduces virgin materials in product 20-90%

Secondary (Open-loop) recycling

- Waste made into completely NEW product- reduces virgin material by 25% only

Used for large scale recycling, collects urban wastes and separates or shreds it; valuable materials sold to manufacturers as new materials, left-over wastes (mainly non-recyclable plastics and paper) are burned Materials Recovery

Facility

most recycled ITEM (56%)

Aluminum Cans

Critics view of recycling

Costs communities lots

Costs more to recycle than burn

Landfill space not a problem

Almost a "religion"

Not profitable for cheap & plentiful resources

Proponents view of recycling

- Should not be judged solely on $$- Full-cost accounting

makes it profitable- Reduces use of virgin materials making supplies last longer & prices

lower

Advantages of recycling

- Reduces air and water pollution- saves energy- reduces mineral demand- reduces greenhouse gas emissions- reduces solid waste production and disposal- helps protect biodiversity- can save landfill space- important part of the economy

Burns trash to create electricity

Waste-to-energy incinerator

we burn ____% of solid wastes and _____% of hazardous wastes

15, 7

Problems of incineration

- Toxic air pollution- higher cancer risk for neighbors

- Expensive to build, operate, maintain, meetenvi. regulations

Benefits of landfills

- Quick setup- Cheap operating cost

- Handles large volumes -useful land above (Parks, golf course, etc... Not buildings)

Problems with landfills

Lots…

-Traffic, noise, dust, smell- Slow decomposition

- Little/no water & oxygen- Methane, H2S, volatile gases - Groundwater contamination

- ALL LANDFILLS WILL EVENTUALLY LEAK

First priority of managing hazardous waste

produce less hazardous waste

which involves : - change industrial processes to reduce or eliminate industrial

processes- recycle and reuse hazardous

waste

Second priority of managing hazardous waste

Convert to Less Hazardous or Nonhazardous Substances, which includes :

- natural decomposition- incineration

- Thermal treatment- Chemical, physical, and biological

treatment- dilution in air or water

Last priority of managing hazardous waste

Put in perpetual storage

which includes :- landfill

- underground injection wells- surface impoundments

- underground salt formations

Ways to detox hazardous wastes

- PHYSICAL : Charcoal or resin filters, Distillation of liquids, Encapsulate in glass/cement and store

- CHEMICAL: Convert to less harmful substance through chemical reactions

Incinerate at high tempsReduced to atoms, released as gasses (CO,CO2, toxic metals, some particulates)More complete incineration than normal

Plasma Arc Torch

Biological detox methods (for hazardous wastes) - Bioremediation - uses bacteria (like in oil spills)

- Phytoremediation - natural/geneticallyengineered plants

Pump hazardous waste into dry rock BELOW aqifers

Deep well disposal

Put hazardous wastes into ponds or lagoons, solids will settle and liquids will evaporate..has many transport and leak issues

Surface Impoundment

Who didn’t sign the Basel Treaty?

United StatesAfghanistan

Haiti

What is due next week?

Personal Trash LabEcological Footprint Analysis