Outcome 4—Outcome 4—Global IssuesGlobal Issues

Solid Waste Solid Waste DisposalDisposal

Why is this an issue?Why is this an issue? Early civilizations: Early civilizations:

Hunter-gatherers Hunter-gatherers

More modern More modern societies: As societies: As cities developed, cities developed, the need for trash the need for trash disposal disposal increased.increased.

Solid Waste—definitionSolid Waste—definition Solid waste is defined as Solid waste is defined as

household garbage and other household garbage and other discarded materials. discarded materials.

In the US each man, woman and In the US each man, woman and child produces 4#/day. If you child produces 4#/day. If you include construction site and include construction site and sewage treatment plant wastes, it sewage treatment plant wastes, it bumps our totals up to 6#/day...bumps our totals up to 6#/day...

Solid Waste—Solid Waste—definitiondefinition

Many of today’s Many of today’s products are designed products are designed to be used once and to be used once and then thrown away. then thrown away.

During Nov and Dec, During Nov and Dec, households will households will generate ~1million generate ~1million extra tons of garbage extra tons of garbage per week!per week!

Solid Waste—Solid Waste—definitiondefinition

2 types of trash—2 types of trash—– Biodegradable—will eventually Biodegradable—will eventually

decompose due to actions of decompose due to actions of decomposers.decomposers.

– Non-biodegradable—will never Non-biodegradable—will never decompose because they are decompose because they are not made of items found in the not made of items found in the natural world.natural world.

Where does our trash Where does our trash go?go?

Today: 60% of our trash is Today: 60% of our trash is landfilled, 30% is recycled landfilled, 30% is recycled and the rest is incinerated.and the rest is incinerated.

% by volume = Paper 50%, % by volume = Paper 50%, Plastic 10%, Metal 6%, Glass Plastic 10%, Metal 6%, Glass 1%, Organic matter 13%, 1%, Organic matter 13%, Misc. 20% Misc. 20%

History of trashHistory of trash collection collection Open dump concept Open dump concept

and problemsand problems– Produced smells in Produced smells in

nearby areasnearby areas– Provided breeding Provided breeding

grounds for flies and grounds for flies and ratsrats •Unattractive to Unattractive to

look atlook at•Spread of disease Spread of disease rampantrampant

Today’s trashToday’s trashcollectioncollection

Sanitary landfill: Sanitary landfill: Wastes put in Wastes put in ground and covered ground and covered each day with dirt, each day with dirt, plastic or both.plastic or both.

Mandated since 1993—trying to help Mandated since 1993—trying to help environment has increased the $$ to environment has increased the $$ to dispose of trash. Landfills are expensive!dispose of trash. Landfills are expensive!

Today’s trash Today’s trash collectioncollection

Why are landfills so expensive? Why are landfills so expensive? – 2 types of liners to contain 2 types of liners to contain

leachate/garbageleachate/garbage– collecting and treatment of the leachatecollecting and treatment of the leachate– monitoring of groundwater, surface water, monitoring of groundwater, surface water,

and methane. and methane.

Sanitary LandfillSanitary Landfill

Layering in a landfillLayering in a landfill Pack/compact garbage into 3m deep Pack/compact garbage into 3m deep

sections, cover with 15cm soil and continue sections, cover with 15cm soil and continue this layering until desired height. Finally, this layering until desired height. Finally, seal the landfill with 60cm of soil, planting seal the landfill with 60cm of soil, planting trees and grass on top.trees and grass on top.

Problems with LandfillsProblems with Landfills Leachate—water that contains Leachate—water that contains

toxic chemicals dissolved from toxic chemicals dissolved from wastes in landfill. If this gets wastes in landfill. If this gets through the liners, it may through the liners, it may contaminate nearby water contaminate nearby water supplies and poison supplies and poison ecosystems.ecosystems.

Problems with LandfillsProblems with Landfills Methane—Methane—

decomposition in decomposition in a landfill occurs a landfill occurs without oxygen. without oxygen. The byproduct is The byproduct is methane, a methane, a highly highly flammable gas…flammable gas…

Problems with Problems with LandfillsLandfills

Eventually we will run out of space…Eventually we will run out of space…noone wants a landfill in their noone wants a landfill in their neighborhood. neighborhood.

WI only has about 5 – 10 years left of WI only has about 5 – 10 years left of landfill space.landfill space.

Neighboring states are actually out of Neighboring states are actually out of space already and are buying space space already and are buying space in our landfills, decreasing our in our landfills, decreasing our timeline even more.timeline even more.

Alternatives to Alternatives to LandfillingLandfilling

Incineration: burning of waste.Incineration: burning of waste.– Most waste is paper...burning reduces Most waste is paper...burning reduces

the volume of our trash by 90%. the volume of our trash by 90%. – Some plastics and bleached paper Some plastics and bleached paper

contains products that when burned contains products that when burned create dioxin...a carcinogen. create dioxin...a carcinogen.

– The remaining ash contains heavy The remaining ash contains heavy metals such as Hg and Pb. This ash metals such as Hg and Pb. This ash must be sent to a special landfill = $$must be sent to a special landfill = $$

Alternatives to Alternatives to LandfillingLandfilling

Produce less waste—Produce less waste—– By making choices you can limit By making choices you can limit

your trash production.your trash production.– Look at packaging options in the Look at packaging options in the

items you buy.items you buy.– Companies will get the message Companies will get the message

that consumers don’t want all the that consumers don’t want all the extra packaging.extra packaging.

Alternatives to Alternatives to LandfillingLandfilling

Recycling—currently we recycle 30% Recycling—currently we recycle 30% of our trash, up from 7% in 1970.of our trash, up from 7% in 1970.– saves raw materials and NRGsaves raw materials and NRG– it lowers air and water pollution. it lowers air and water pollution. – An Al can produced from a recycled can An Al can produced from a recycled can

uses only 5% of the nrg required to uses only 5% of the nrg required to mine the raw material (bauxite). mine the raw material (bauxite).

– If we recycled the Sunday newspaper If we recycled the Sunday newspaper alone we could save 500,000 trees/wkalone we could save 500,000 trees/wk

Alternatives to Alternatives to LandfillingLandfillingBenefitBenefit AlAl SteelSteel PaperPaper GlassGlass

NRG NRG savedsaved

90–97%90–97% 47-74%47-74% 23-74%23-74% 4-32%4-32%

Lowers Lowers air pllnair plln

95%95% 85%85% 74%74% 20%20%

Lowers Lowers HH22O pllnO plln

97%97% 76%76% 35%35% ----------------

Lowers Lowers amt of amt of mining mining wasteswastes

------------ 97%97% -------------- 80%80%

Lowers Lowers amt of Hamt of H22O O usedused

------------ 40%40% 58%58% 50%50%

Alternatives to Alternatives to LandfillingLandfilling

Compost—Compost—– grass grass

clippings/yard clippings/yard waste and waste and kitchen scraps...kitchen scraps...

– it would reduce it would reduce stream of flow stream of flow to landfill by to landfill by ~13%~13%

Reduce and Reuse—the Reduce and Reuse—the consumption issueconsumption issue

US and Canada residents produce 2 – US and Canada residents produce 2 – 3 times the amt of solid waste per 3 times the amt of solid waste per person than other industrialized person than other industrialized countries and many more times that countries and many more times that of a developing nation. of a developing nation.

Ppl living in cities more than a rural Ppl living in cities more than a rural person. person.

More and more ppl work away More and more ppl work away from home making convenience from home making convenience foods a desirable item. foods a desirable item.

Many times in a convenience Many times in a convenience food, it took more nrg to food, it took more nrg to produce the packaging than produce the packaging than it did to create the actual it did to create the actual productproduct!!

Consumption issueConsumption issue

Packaging makes up Packaging makes up approximately 50% of our approximately 50% of our waste stream and is the waste stream and is the cause for the use of 50% of cause for the use of 50% of our paper and 25% of all our paper and 25% of all plastics...this all goes plastics...this all goes directly to a landfill!directly to a landfill!

Consumption issueConsumption issue

Disposables…what’s the big Disposables…what’s the big deal?deal?

Disposable items make up another 25% of our Disposable items make up another 25% of our waste...in the US we throw out enough:waste...in the US we throw out enough:

Al to rebuild the entire commercial air fleet Al to rebuild the entire commercial air fleet every 3 monthsevery 3 months

Tires to encircle the planet 3 timesTires to encircle the planet 3 times 18 billion disposable diapers/year = to the 18 billion disposable diapers/year = to the

moon and back 7 times!moon and back 7 times! 2 billion disposable razors/year2 billion disposable razors/year 10 million computers/year10 million computers/year 8 million TVs/year8 million TVs/year 2.5 million non-returnable plastic bottles/HOUR2.5 million non-returnable plastic bottles/HOUR 38 billion pieces of junk mail/year38 billion pieces of junk mail/year

What can you do?What can you do? Carry groceries that are small, or use a Carry groceries that are small, or use a

canvas bag, string bag, etc.canvas bag, string bag, etc. Buy recycled goods—especially if they Buy recycled goods—especially if they

contain post-consumer waste—and then contain post-consumer waste—and then recycle them when you are done. recycle them when you are done. If you If you don’t buy recycled goods, then you ARE don’t buy recycled goods, then you ARE NOT recycling!NOT recycling!

Reduce your junk mailReduce your junk mailMail Preference ServiceMail Preference ServiceDirect Marketing AssociationDirect Marketing Association11 West 42nd St.11 West 42nd St.PO Box 3681PO Box 3681New York, NY 10163-3681New York, NY 10163-3681

What can you do?What can you do? Buy products in concentrated form when Buy products in concentrated form when

possiblepossible Choose items with least amount of packagingChoose items with least amount of packaging Helium balloons = litter! Don’t buy themHelium balloons = litter! Don’t buy them Use pesticides in smallest amt possible and Use pesticides in smallest amt possible and

whenever possible, use a less toxic whenever possible, use a less toxic alternativealternative

Don’t dispose of hazardous chemicals by Don’t dispose of hazardous chemicals by flushing them, pouring down drain, throwing flushing them, pouring down drain, throwing in trash or dumping in storm sewers...dispose in trash or dumping in storm sewers...dispose of them properly!of them properly!