Chapter 24Chapter 24Solid and Hazardous WastesSolid and Hazardous Wastes

Types of Solid WasteTypes of Solid Waste Municipal solid Municipal solid

wastewaste Relatively small Relatively small

portion of solid portion of solid waste producedwaste produced

Non-municipal Non-municipal solid wastesolid waste waste from waste from

industry, industry, agriculture, and agriculture, and miningmining

Municipal Solid Municipal Solid WasteWaste

Disposal of Solid WasteDisposal of Solid Waste

Three methodsThree methods Sanitary LandfillsSanitary Landfills IncinerationIncineration RecyclingRecycling

Sanitary LandfillSanitary Landfill

Sanitary LandfillSanitary Landfill

ProblemsProblems Methane gas Methane gas Contamination of surface & ground Contamination of surface & ground

waterwater Not a long-term remedyNot a long-term remedy Few new facilities being openedFew new facilities being opened Closing a full landfill is very expensiveClosing a full landfill is very expensive

Special Problem: PlasticSpecial Problem: Plastic

Special Problem: Special Problem: TiresTires cannot be recycledcannot be recycled Can be incinerated Can be incinerated

or shreddedor shredded

Sanitary LandfillSanitary Landfill

300 million tires are scrapped or dumped per year!

IncinerationIncineration

ProsPros Volume of solid waste reduced by 90%Volume of solid waste reduced by 90% Produces heat that can make steam to Produces heat that can make steam to

generate electricitygenerate electricity Produce less carbon emissions than fossil fuel Produce less carbon emissions than fossil fuel

power plantspower plants

ConsCons ByproductByproduct

ashash

Waste PreventionWaste Prevention

Three Goals: (The 3 R’s)Three Goals: (The 3 R’s) (1) REDUCE the amount of waste(1) REDUCE the amount of waste (2) Reuse products (2) Reuse products (3) Recycle materials(3) Recycle materials

CompostingComposting

Reduces yard waste in landfillsReduces yard waste in landfills Can be sold or distributed to Can be sold or distributed to

communitycommunity

Reducing WasteReducing Waste

Purchase products with less Purchase products with less packagingpackaging

Reusing ProductsReusing Products

Refilling glass beverage bottlesRefilling glass beverage bottles Japan recycles almost all bottlesJapan recycles almost all bottles

Reused 20 timesReused 20 times

Recycling MaterialsRecycling Materials

Every ton of recycled paper saves:Every ton of recycled paper saves: 17 trees17 trees 7000 gallons of water7000 gallons of water 4100 kwatt-hrs of energy4100 kwatt-hrs of energy 3 cubic yards of landfill space3 cubic yards of landfill space

RecycleRecycle Glass bottles, newspapers, steel cans, Glass bottles, newspapers, steel cans,

plastic bottles, cardboard, office paperplastic bottles, cardboard, office paper

RecyclingRecycling

Recycling PaperRecycling Paper US recycles 50%US recycles 50% Many developed Many developed

countries are countries are higherhigher

Recycling GlassRecycling Glass US recycles 25%US recycles 25% Costs less than Costs less than

new glass new glass

RecyclingRecycling Recycling AluminumRecycling Aluminum

Making new can from Making new can from recycled one costs far recycled one costs far less than making a brand less than making a brand new onenew one

49% of Al recycled in 49% of Al recycled in 20072007

Recycling PlasticRecycling Plastic Less expensive to make Less expensive to make

from raw materialsfrom raw materials

RecyclingRecycling

Recycling TiresRecycling Tires Playground equipmentPlayground equipment TrashcansTrashcans Garden hoseGarden hose CarpetCarpet Roofing materialsRoofing materials

36% of tires are currently recycled to 36% of tires are currently recycled to make other productsmake other products

Integrated Waste Integrated Waste ManagementManagement

Love Canal Toxic Love Canal Toxic Waste SiteWaste Site

Hazardous WasteHazardous Waste

Any discarded chemical that Any discarded chemical that threatens human health or the threatens human health or the environmentenvironment Reactive, corrosive, explosive or toxic Reactive, corrosive, explosive or toxic

chemicalschemicals Types of Hazardous WasteTypes of Hazardous Waste

DioxinsDioxins PCBsPCBs Radioactive wasteRadioactive waste

Hazardous WasteHazardous Waste

Case-In-Point Hanford Case-In-Point Hanford Nuclear ReservationNuclear Reservation

Superfund Program-Must be Superfund Program-Must be cleaned upcleaned up Cleaning up Cleaning up

existing existing hazardous waste:hazardous waste: 400,000 waste 400,000 waste

sitessites

http://www.usc.edu/org/cosee-west/Jun07Resources/07Waiting%20for%20the%20DDT%20tide%20to%20turn.pdf

Management of Hazardous Management of Hazardous WasteWaste Superfund National Priorities ListSuperfund National Priorities List

2009: 1,264 sites on the list2009: 1,264 sites on the list States with the greatest number of sitesStates with the greatest number of sites

New Jersey (114)New Jersey (114) California (94)California (94) Pennsylvania (94)Pennsylvania (94) New York (85)New York (85) Michigan (65)Michigan (65)

We have Superfund sights in Maywood, Torrance….

Management of Hazardous Management of Hazardous WasteWaste Biological Treatment of Hazardous Biological Treatment of Hazardous

ChemicalsChemicals BioremediationBioremediation - -

Time consumingTime consuming PhytoremediationPhytoremediation – –

Management of Hazardous Management of Hazardous WasteWaste (1) Source reduction(1) Source reduction

(2) Conversion to less hazardous (2) Conversion to less hazardous materialsmaterials

(3) Long-term storage(3) Long-term storage