solutions to the solid-waste problem 18.2. sustainability a huge stream of material flowing in _____...
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Sustainability
• A huge stream of material flowing in _____ _____________, from resource base to disposal, is NOT sustainable.
• Natural _______________ depend on recycling of nutrients
• We are moving toward ______________.
• Even better-- source _____________.
Source Reduction Goals & Status
1. ________________ the amount of waste that must be managed
2. _______________ resources• Peaked in 1990 at 4.5 lbs/person• _________ highest per capita in the
world.• Consumer spending has continued to
grow, but the waste stream has _______________off.
Examples of Source Reduction
• ____________ the weight of materials
• _______ = potential to reduce paper waste
• ____________, rather than buying new, (garage sales, flea markets, etc.
• ________________ a product’s life (But cheap products don’t usually last)
• _______________ yard waste.
• Take your name off _________ _________.
The Recycling Solution
• More than ______ of MSW is recyclable material.
• ____________ recycling: a process in which the original waste material is made back into the ____________ material. Ex: newspapers
• ____________ recycling: process in which materials are made into ___________ _______________ that may or may not be recyclable. Ex: cardboard from newspapers
Why Recycle?
1. It saves ___________ and __________.– Ex: 1 ton of recycled steel cans saves 2,500
lbs. of _______ _______, 1,000 lb. of coal, and more than 5,400 BTUs of energy.
2. It _____________ pollution.• For every ton of waste processed, 620 lbs.
of CO2, 30 lbs. of methane, 5 lbs. of CO, 2.5 lbs. of _________________ matter, and other pollutants are eliminated as pollution
What Gets Recycled?
• Paper and paperboard (45% recovery)– Can be remade into ________ and reprocessed
into paper, cardboard, etc.– Finely ground for cellulose for ____________
• Most glass (19%)– Crushed, remelted, made into other containers
or fiberglass, or “_____________”
• Some plastic (5.5%)– _______ fibers, outdoor ___________ , sheet
plastic
What Gets Recycled, Cont…• Metals (25%): remelted & ______________
– Saves 90% of energy vs. _________ _______– Reduces ________ ___________ (we import it)
• Yard Waste (57%)– Can be composted to produce ____________
• Textiles (14.6%)– Shredded & used to __________ recycled paper
• Old Tires (38%)– Can be remelted or shredded to use in ______– Can be burned in _________________ facilities
Successful Recycling Programs
1. Pay As You _______ (PAYT) & free recycling
2. ____________ recycling with sanctions.3. ____________ recycling with free bins.4. Drop off sites for __________ materials5. Ambitious but _______________ goals6. Effort to involve ________________.7. ___________ and committed coordinator
Critics of Recycling
• Based on __________________• Markets for recyclable materials
_______________ wildly.• Residents often ____________ recycling.• __________ ranges from $20-$135 ton.• Critics say: If it doesn’t ____ for itself,
don’t do it.• Critics don’t take into account ______
_____________ for virgin materials.
Support for Recycling• In most areas, _______ of households will
recycle if there is _____________ pickup.
• Percentage up with _____________.– Ex: Dover, New Hampshire– Trash declined from ____ lbs. to ______ lbs/
household– Cost ______________ from $123 to $73/year– City’s solid waste management costs dropped 27%
even with ____________ ______________
Paper Recycling
• Newspapers _______________ waste stream• _______ of newspapers recycled• 25% of trees harvested in U.S. are for ______• Generally, a 1 meter _____ = pulp from
_____• Manufacturers can say product made of
recycled paper- even when it is their own ____________.
• _______________ recycled paper- paper that was used before and brought back to be recycled
Markets for Recycled Paper• Improved _________________ = virtually
impossible to tell the difference between recycled and virgin paper
• Fluctuating market– 1980s ___________: Cities had to _____ to get rid
of newspapers – 1995 _____: People would ______ out of recycle
bins– Late 90s ______: cities had to pay again, but
______________ than landfill costs
• Foreign market: – Europe & ______ purchase wastepaper from U.S.
Glass Recycling• Nonreturnable ___________ containers =
– 5.5% of solid waste _______________– 50% of _______________ portion– 90% of nonbiodegradable portion of _______
• ___________________ Costs (of not recycling) – ____________ of materials & ________________
process creates pollution– ______________ to clean litter– Broken glass _________ to people and ________
Bottle Laws• _____________ on beverage containers: retailers
____________ to accept used containers and pass them along for recycling or reuse
• Fierce _______________ from beverage and container industries– claim bottle laws = loss of __________ & higher beverage
__________
• States with bottle laws prove ___________________– More jobs __________________ than lost– Costs did not rise– Significant _______________ in can & bottle __________
• Why _______________ bottle laws not passed– Same opponents say would ____________ recycling
• But, national bottle law would reach ______ ________________– States with bottle laws report 80%-_______ return rate
Plastics Recycling
• Do not ________________ in environment- ____________ unable to digest them.
• 2 most ____________ recyclable plastics– _________(high density polyethylene) code 2– ________ (polyethylene terephthalate) code 1
• Melted down- but some ______________ from original container means can’t make food or beverage containers with it
Critics of Plastics Recycling
• Recovering plastics more _________ than starting from petroleum derivatives
• Plastics in landfills create no toxic _____________ or dangerous biogas
• Plastics ______ ___________ in combustion facilities and leave almost no ash
Materials Recovery Facility
• MRF or “_____________”
• Basic _______________ at curbside or at recycling station
• Waste _________ to MRF & sorted on 3 racks– 1st for metal _________ & ______ containers– 2nd for ____________ products– 3rd for ____________
MRF Process Continued…
• Glass– Sorted by ______ & Crushed into small _______– Shipped to glass ___________________
• Cans– Sorted, ___________________– Sent to ___________ plant or aluminum
process.
• Plastics- sorted into 4 ______________, sold• Paper-
– sorted, ___________, sent to repossessing mills
Advantages of MRF
• Economy of ______________
• Ability to make high ___________ end product
• High Tech MRFs– ______________ pulleys– _______________sensors– I___________________ can cut costs
Mixed Waste Processing
• _________________ waste just as if it were going to the landfill
• MSW loaded on ______________ belt and sorted for recyclable materials before landfill or combustion
• ________ in U.S.
Mixed Waste and Yard Trimmings
• A few facilities ___________ MSW (after removing large items and metals)
• Often, treated __________ sludge is added- provides rich source of bacteria & nutrients
• Often _______________ problems• Sometimes serious _____________• __________ trimming composting
programs more common
Public policy: federal legislation and waste management
• Local governments used to manage ____ MSW– __________ and state agencies now regulate,
encourage, and facilitate waste management• Solid Waste Disposal Act (_______): gave
the Bureau of Solid Waste Management jurisdiction over MSW– Financial and technical, not ________________
• ___________ and Recovery Act (1970): gave the EPA jurisdiction over waste management– Directs attention to _____________ programs– Encouraged __________ to develop
management programs
More federal legislation• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
(________; 1976)– A _____________ (command-and-control) approach– The EPA can ______ dumps and set landfill regulations– Combustion facilities were covered by air pollution and
hazardous-waste regulations– States must develop ______________ management
plans
• The Superfund Act (1980): addresses abandoned _______________
• Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (1984): the EPA sets _______________ for hazardous wastes – Closer monitoring of all landfill and combustion criteria
Integrated waste management• It is not necessary to use only one method of handling
MSW– Source reduction, waste-to-energy, combustion, recycling,
MRFs, landfills, composting all have ________
– Integrated waste management uses _________ processes
• Waste reduction: the U.S. produces the most waste– We are a “throwaway society”
– True management of MSW begins at ___________
• WasteWise: an EPA-sponsored program that partners with local governments, ____________, corporations– Partners design their own waste-reduction programs
PAYT and EPR
• PAYT: people pay curbside charges for ____________ MSW– Instead of paying taxes for collection and disposal– Used by 25% of the U.S. population– 25%–45% waste reduction– 32%–59% increase in recycling– The EPA is a _______________, not regulator
• EPR: extended product ________________– Companies take ______ used items and
manufacture more _______________ goods– The EPA provides information
Waste disposal issues
• There will always be MSW– Landfilling will decrease and more MSW will go to
WTE ___________ facilities and _______________• Policy makers have opted for _________-term
solutions with low political costs– Resulting in long-distance ____________ of MSW
• Areas required to handle their own trash will find suitable landfill sites and use the best ________________– People don’t want trash from other areas– It will take an act of ________ to address this
problem
Just say no!
• The Solid Waste Interstate Transportation Act (2009)– Local and state governments could limit or
_____________ transportation of out-of-state wastes to landfills
• It is unfair that states that are working hard on managing their wastes must receive unrestricted wastes from other states
• Another policy goal: encourage more MSW ______________– The best way to handle nonrecyclable mixed
waste
Recycling and reuse
• Recycling is the wave of the _____________• Making more _____________ goods is
overlooked and underutilized• ______________ the disposal of recyclables in
landfills and at combustion facilities makes sense– Massachusetts bans yard wastes, metals, glass,
paper, and plastics• A national _____________ law would be a
giant step forward• Closing the “recycling _________” would
encourage recycling
Closing the recycling loop
• Set ______________ postconsumer levels of recycled content for newsprint and glass containers
• Require purchases of certain goods that include recycled products– Even if they are more _____________
• Require that all packaging be reusable or made of ___________ materials
• ______ credits or incentives encourage the use of recycled or recyclable materials in manufacturing
• Help develop recycling ____________