es chapter 18 pp

7/30/2019 Es Chapter 18 Pp

1/22

1

Solid Waste Management and Disposal

Chapter 18


2/22

2

Kinds of Solid Waste

Solid Waste is generally made of objects or particles that

accumulate on the site where they are produced. Typically categorized by the sector of the economy

responsible for producing them.

Mining Wastes

Waste Material Left on Surface Milling Tailings

Waste or Tailings Drainage

Agricultural Waste

Includes waste from raising animals as well as crop andtree harvesting.

90% is used as fertilizer or other forms of soilenhancement.


3/22

3

Kinds of Solid Waste Industrial Solid Waste -Solid waste other than mining.

Estimated 180-540 million tons annually.

Demolition Waste Sludge

Combustion Ash

Municipal Solid Waste

All the materials people in a region no longer want.

230 million tons annually.

In modern society, many products are discarded when they are brokenor worn out, while others only have a temporary use.

Those that have only temporary uses make up the majority of solidwaste.

Unites States produces about 230 million tons of municipal solid wasteannually.

Equates to 2 kg of trash person / day.

Per capita waste has increased 70% since 1960.


4/22

4

Municipal Solid Waste

In modern society, many products are discarded when they are

broken or worn out, while others only have a temporary use. Those that have only temporary uses make up the majority of

solid waste.

Unites States produces about 230 million tons of municipal solidwaste annually.

Equates to 2 kg of trash person / day. Per ca ita waste has increased 70% since 1960.


5/22

5

Waste Generation and Lifestyle

Nations with a higher standard of living tend to produce more municipal solidwaste per person than less-developed countries.

Large metropolitan areas have the greatest difficulty dealing with solidwaste.

Traditional Methods (dumping and burning) no longer accepted.


6/22

6

Methods of Waste Disposal

Landfills

Municipal solid waste landfill typically adepression in impermeable clay layer,lined with impermeable membrane.

Each days deposit of fresh garbage iscovered with a layer of soil to prevent itfrom blowing around and to discourageanimal scavengers.

Traditionally been primary method ofwaste disposal.

Cheap and Convenient


7/22

7

Landfills

New landfills have complex bottom layers totrap contaminant-laden leachate.

Monitoring systems are necessary todetect methane gas production and

groundwater contamination.

In some cases, methane collected andused to generate electricity.

Currently cost up to $1 million per hectare toprepare.


8/22

8

Modern Landfill


9/22

9

Landfills

Number of landfills is declining.

Many small landfills not meetingregulations.

Capacity has been reached.

New landfills often resisted due to publicconcerns over groundwater contamination,odors, and truck traffic.

Politicians are often unwilling to takestrong positions that might alienateconstituents.


10/22

10

Reducing the Number of Landfills


11/22

11

Incineration

Currently, about 15% of U.S. municipal solid

waste is incinerated. Production of electricity partially offsets

disposal costs.

Most incinerators burn unprocessedmunicipal solid waste.

Mass Burn


12/22

12

Incineration Incinerators drastically reduce the amount of municipal waste.

Up to 90% by volume and 75% by weight.

Primary risks of incineration involve air quality problems andtoxicity and disposal of ash.

Even with modern pollution controls, small amounts ofpollutants still released into environment

Cost of land and construction for new incinerators are alsomajor concerns facing many communities.

Construction costs in North America in 2000 rangedfrom $45 - $350 million.

U.S. EPA has not looked favorably on construction of newwaste-to-energy facilities.

Encouraged recycling and source reduction as moreeffective solutions to deal with solid waste.


13/22

13

Producing Mulch and Compost

Mulch is organic material used to protect areas where thesoil is disturbed, or to control growth of unwantedvegetation.

Organic material chopped or shredded into smallerpieces.

Composting is using natural decomposition to transformorganic material into compost (humus-like product).

With proper management of air and water, compostingcan transform large quantities over a short period of

time. About 3,800 composting facilities currently in use in the

United States.


14/22

14

Diverting Waste Through Composting


15/22

15

ource e uc on

Simplest way to reduce waste is to prevent it from ever becoming

waste in the first place.

Source reduction is the practice of designing, manufacturing,purchasing, using and reusing materials so that the amount ofwaste or its toxicity is reduced.

Design Changes

Since 2-liter soft drink bottle introduced in 1977, weight has beenreduced by 25%.

Manufacturing Processes

Reduce waste, increase efficiency.

Purchasing Decisions Choose reduced packaging and plan quantities accordingly.

Reusing Items

Delay or prevent entry of items into waste collection stream.


16/22

16

Recycling

In the United States, recycling (includingcomposting) diverted about 30% of solidwaste stream from landfills and incinerators in2001.

BenefitsResource Conservation

Pollution Reduction

Energy SavingsJob Creation

Less Need for Landfills and Incinerators


17/22

17

Recycling


18/22

18

Recycling Programs

Container Laws Required deposit on all reusable beverage

containers.

National bottle bill would reduce litter,save energy and money, create jobs, andhelp conserve natural resources.

Mandatory Recycling Laws Provide statutory incentive to recycle.


19/22

19

Recycling Programs

Curbside Recycling 1990 - 1,000 U.S. cities had curbside

recycling programs.

Grown to 9,000 cities by 2000.Cities with curbside recycling tend to

have higher recycling rates than cities

that lack such programs.


20/22

20

Recycling Concerns

Plastics are recyclable, but technologydiffers from plastic to plastic.

Milk Container

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

Egg Container

Polystyrene (PS)

Soft-Drink Bottle

Poly-Ethylene Terephthalate (PET)

http://lifecycle.plasticsresource.com/
http://lifecycle.plasticsresource.com/http://lifecycle.plasticsresource.com/


21/22

21

Increasing Amounts of Plastic in Trash


22/22

22

es chapter 18 pp

Documents