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.

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With smaller populations and more mobility,

people left their trash behind as

they moved on …

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

garbage and other discarded materials. garbage and other discarded materials. In the US, each man, woman and child In the US, each man, woman and child

produces 4 lbs./day. If you include produces 4 lbs./day. If you include construction site and sewage treatment construction site and sewage treatment plant wastes, it bumps our totals up to plant wastes, it bumps our totals up to 6 lbs./day...6 lbs./day...

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““If you If you really really

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per per week.”week.”

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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!

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On average, Americans produce twice as much trash now compared to 40 years

ago!

Solid Waste—Solid Waste—definitiondefinition

2 types of trash—2 types of trash—–BiodegradableBiodegradable — will — will

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

–Non-biodegradableNon-biodegradable — will — will never decompose because never decompose because they are not made of items they are not made of items found in the natural world.found in the 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 ratsgrounds for flies and rats•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 leachate/garbage2 types of liners to contain leachate/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

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

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

Problems with LandfillsProblems with Landfills LeachateLeachate — water that contains — 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.

Leachate (it’s black) is seeping through a weak

spot in the cover of a landfill:

http://www.howstuffworks.com/landfill6.htm

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Leachate that has entered streams and completely

contaminated the water.

Stream in Connecticut

Problems with LandfillsProblems with Landfills Methane —Methane —

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

Problems with LandfillsProblems with Landfills Methane makes up Methane makes up

only about 60% of the only about 60% of the gases being released gases being released … also present are:… also present are:– COCO22– HH22O, NO, N22, H, H22S, VOCsS, VOCs– Vinyl chloride, Vinyl chloride,

Mercury, Benzene, Mercury, Benzene, Methylene chloride, Methylene chloride, and many moreand many more

– Even some radioactive Even some radioactive gases are releasedgases are released

Many of these other gases are

known carcinogens

(cancer causing)

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Problems with Problems with LandfillsLandfills

Eventually we will run out of space…no Eventually we will run out of space…no one wants a landfill in their one 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 in space already and are buying space in our landfills, decreasing our timeline our landfills, decreasing our timeline even more.even more.

http://www.epa.gov/msw/facts-text.htm

Alternatives to LandfillingAlternatives to Landfilling Produce less waste:Produce less waste:

– By making choices By making choices you can limit your you can limit your trash production.trash production.

– Look at packaging Look at packaging options in the items options in the items you buy.you buy.

– Companies will get Companies will get the message that the message that consumers don’t consumers don’t want all the extra want all the extra packaging.packaging.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/saving/recycling/solidwaste/sourcereduction.html

Alternatives to Alternatives to LandfillingLandfilling

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

reduces the volume of our reduces the volume of our trash by 90%. trash by 90%.

– Some plastics and bleached Some plastics and bleached paper contains products that paper contains products that when burned create when burned create dioxin...a carcinogen. dioxin...a carcinogen.

– The remaining ash contains The remaining ash contains heavy metals such as heavy metals such as Mercury and Lead. This ash Mercury and Lead. This ash must be sent to a special must be sent to a special landfill = $$landfill = $$Chicago Incinerator

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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 energysaves raw materials and energy– 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 energy required to uses only 5% of the energy 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

Energy Energy savedsaved

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

Lowers Lowers air air pollutionpollution

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

Lowers Lowers HH22O O pollutionpollution

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 LandfillingAlternatives to Landfilling Compost Compost ——

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

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

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Municipal Composting

Backyard Composting

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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 amount of solid waste 3 times the amount of solid waste per person than other industrialized per person than other industrialized countries and many more times that countries and many more times that of a developing nation. of a developing nation.

People living in cities produce more People living in cities produce more than a rural person. than a rural person.

More and more people work away More and more people 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 energy to food, it took more energy to produce the packaging than it produce the packaging than it did to create the actual 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 directly plastics...this all goes directly to a landfill!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:

Aluminum to rebuild the entire commercial air Aluminum to rebuild the entire commercial air fleet every 3 monthsfleet every 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 2.5 million non-returnable plastic

bottles/HOURbottles/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 contain Buy recycled goods—especially if they contain

post-consumer waste—and then recycle them post-consumer waste—and then recycle them when you are done. when you are done. If you don’t buy recycled If you don’t buy recycled goods, then you ARE NOT recycling!goods, then you ARE 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 amount possible Use pesticides in smallest amount possible

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

Do not dispose of hazardous chemicals by Do not 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!