waste disposal and recycling

Waste Disposal and Recycling

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

3 Key Take-aways

We can never really throw anything away

Waste often does not stay put

Preventing pollution is much safer & cheaper than trying to clean it up

Case Study: Love Canal - There Is No “Away”

Between 1842-1953, Hooker Chemical sealed multiple chemical wastes into steel drums and dumped them into an old canal excavation (Love Canal).

In 1953, the canal was filled and sold to Niagara Falls school board for $1.

The company inserted a disclaimer denying liability for the wastes.

Case Study: Love Canal - There Is No “Away”

In 1957, Hooker Chemical warned the school not to disturb the site because of the toxic waste.

In 1959 an elementary school, playing fields and homes were built disrupting the clay cap covering the wastes.

In 1976, residents complained of chemical smells and chemical burns from the site.

Love Canal - There Is No “Away”

President Jimmy Carter declared Love Canal a federal disaster area.

The area was abandoned in 1980 (left).

Figure 22-1

Love Canal - There Is No “Away”

Love Canal sparked creation of the Superfund law, which forced polluters to pay for cleaning up abandoned toxic waste dumps.

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA 1980)

Helps clean up hazardous waste sites

In 1983, Love Canal became the 1st superfund site

Took 20 years & 400 million to clean up

Core Case Study: Love Canal - There Is No “Away”

The dumpsite was covered with new clay cap

In June 1990, state officials started selling some of the 260 homes that still remained in the area – renamed Black Creek Village

No guarantees about safety of living in these homes

Core Case Study: Love Canal - There Is No “Away”

It still is a controversy as to how much the chemicals at Love Canal injured or caused disease to the residents.

difficult to link long-term health effects

How many other Love Canals are there around the world

Chemical time bombs

‣ Consumption of natural

resources by modern industrial

economies remains very high, in the

range of 45-85 tons per capita

annually.

Each person in an industrialized

society consumes many tons of

raw materials each year. These

must be extracted, processed,

and disposed of as waste.

Waste

Limestone quarry, Yorkshire Dales

Bulldozer working on landfill site, UK

Wasting ResourcesSolid waste: any unwanted or discarded material we produce that is not a liquid or gas.

Municipal solid waste (MSW): produce directly from homes. (Mostly paper)Industrial solid waste: produced indirectly by industries that supply people with goods and services.

Hazardous (toxic) waste: threatens human health or the environment because it is toxic, chemically active, corrosive or flammable.

WASTING RESOURCESThe US has 4.5% of world’s population, but produces 1/3 of the world’s trash.

About 98.5% is industrial solid waste.

The remaining 1.5% is MSW.• 55% of U.S. MSW is dumped into landfills, • 30% is recycled or composted, and • 15% is burned in incinerators.

Wasting ResourcesTwo reasons to be concerned

¾ represents unnecessary waste of earth’s finite resources

In producing the products we use and discard, we are creating huge amounts of • Air pollution• Water pollution• Land degradation• Solid and hazardous waste

WASTING RESOURCES

Solid wastes polluting a river in Jakarta, Indonesia. The man in the boat is looking for items to salvage or sell.

Figure 22-3

Wasting Resources

US leads the world in trash production4.5 pounds per person

2 times as much as other industrialized nations

5 – 10 times as much as developing countries

Trash buried in landfills38% paper

12% yard waste

11% food waste

11% plastic

A lot of household waste ends up in landfills where it is eventually buried. In poorer countries people make a living by collecting items from other people’s rubbish.

Wasting Resources

Living from waste, Philippines

Wasting ResourcesWhat we throw away in our high waste economy

Enough aluminum to rebuild country’s commercial airline fleet every 3 months

Discarded carpet each year would cover Delaware

27 million tons of edible food each year

Enough paper to build a wall 11 feet high across the entire country every year

Americans spend more money on trash bags than 90 other countries spend on everything they buy.

Wasting Resources: Electronics

E-waste consists of toxic and hazardous waste such as PVC, lead, mercury, and cadmium.

The U.S. produces almost half of the world's e-waste but only recycles about 10%

The disposal of solid and hazardous wastes is one of the most urgent problems of today’s industrialized societies.

Traditionally, solid waste has been disposed of in open dumps. More recently, disposal occurs in sanitary, scientifically designed sanitary landfills. Most municipal solid waste is disposed of in sanitary landfills.

New initiatives are increasingly being implemented by city councils and localauthorities for the reduction, reuse, and recycling of solid waste, and thesafe disposal of hazardous waste,including oil and industrial chemicals.

The safe disposal of radioactive wastes is a problem as these wastes must be isolated and are usually stored on-site.

Solid Waste Management

Radioactive waste

Open dumps are being preplaced by landfills

Integrated Waste Management

There is no single solution

Use a variety of strategies for:

waste reduction

waste management

This includes the three R’s: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Integrated Waste ManagementA program of idealized integrated waste management combines features of traditional waste managementwith new techniques to reduce and incinerate wastes.

Such schemes will form the basis of effective wastemanagement in the future.

Idealized management schemes for waste materialsprovide several tiers of processing. They provide astarting point for comparing how different waste productscould be processed or disposed of.

Recycling

Collection

Limiting waste per household

Separating green waste

from other wastes

Reducing waste

or avoid use

Primary Pollution

and Waste Prevention

First Priority Second Priority Last Priority

• Release waste into

environment for

dispersal or dilution

• Bury waste in

landfills

Waste Management

• Incinerate waste

• Buy reusable

recyclable products

• Recycle

• Repair products

• Make products that

last longer and are

recyclable, reusable,

or easy to repair

• Reduce packaging

and materials in

products

• Use less of a harmful

product

Secondary Pollution

and Waste Prevention• Treat waste to reduce

toxicity

• Purchase different

products

• Reuse products• Change industrial

process to eliminate

use of harmful

chemicals

• Compost


We can manage the solid wastes we produce and reduce or prevent their production.


Components of Integrated Waste Management

Processing and manufacturing Product consumption

Waste separated at source

Initial processing for recycling

or reuse

Garden waste

Paper Cans, jars, bottles

Mixed waste

Hazardous waste

PaperGlassPlastics

Cans

Compost

Products

Virgin materials Landfill IncineratorHazardous waste

management

Refuse to buy items that are not really needed.Reduce consumption by living simply and promoting the use of reusable containers like cloth grocery bags.Reuse items that can be used over and over like refillable water bottles.Repurpose items by using those items for another instead of throwing them away.Recycle: paper, glass, aluminum, plastics and buy items made from recycled materials.Rethink ways to educate, use new technology, or provide incentives of disincentives.

Solutions: Reduce, Reuse, RecycleReusable grocery bag

Candy wrapper purse

Recycled plastic bench

Fig. 22-6, p. 524

• Follow the five Rs of resource use: Refuse, Reduce,

Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle.

• Buy products in concentrated form whenever possible.

• Read newspapers and magazines online.

• Use e-mail in place of conventional paper mail.

• Refill and reuse a bottled water container with tap water.

• Do not use throwaway paper and plastic plates,

cups and eating utensils, and other disposable items

when reusable or refillable versions are available.

• Buy things that are reusable, recyclable, or compostable, and be sure to reuse, recycle, and compost them.

• Rent, borrow, or barter goods and services when you can.

• Ask yourself whether you really need a particular item.

What Can You Do?

Solid Waste

Packaging

Many packaging items are put into landfills, including boxes, packing peanuts, Styrofoam, shrink wrap, etc.

Try to buy things that are not as highly packaged.

Many companies use peanuts that are made from cellulose that can be washed down the drain and not put into landfills.

Reuse containers and buy smart!

Reuse

Reusing products is an important way to reduce resource use, waste, and pollution in developed countries.

Reusing can be hazardous in developing countries for poor who scavenge in open dumps.

They can be exposed to toxins or infectious diseases.

How People Reuse Materials

Children looking for materials to sell in an open dump near Manila in the Philippines.

Figure 22-2

Case Study: Using Refillable Containers

Refilling and reusing containers uses fewer resources and less energy, produces less waste, saves money, and creates jobs.

In Denmark and Canada’s Price Edward’s Island there is a ban on all beverage containers that cannot be reused.

In Finland 95% of soft drink and alcoholic beverages are refillable (Germany 75%).

REUSEReducing resource waste: energy consumption for different types of 350-ml (12-oz) beverage containers.

Figure 22-7

Solutions: Other Ways to Reuse Things

We can use reusable shopping bags, food containers, and shipping pallets, and borrow tools from tool libraries.

Many countries in Europe and Asia charge shoppers for plastic bags.

Recycling

Definition

Conservation of resources by converting them into new product.

Recycling

Primary (closed loop) recycling: materials are turned into new products of the same type.

Secondary recycling: materials are converted into different products.

Used tires shredded and converted into rubberized road surface.

Newspapers transformed into cellulose insulation.

RECYCLINGTo promote recycling and separation of wastes, 4,000 communities in the U.S. have implemented pay-as-you-throw or fee-per-bag waste collection systems.

RECYCLING

Composting biodegradable organic waste mimics nature by recycling plant nutrients to the soil.

Recycling paper has a number of environmental (reduction in pollution and deforestation, less energy expenditure) and economic benefits and is easy to do.

Recycling - General Purpose

Recycling saves land, reduces the amount of solid waste, energy consumption and pollution.

Ex. recycling one aluminum can saves the energy of about 6 oz. of gasoline.

Recycling - Benefits

Conserves our natural resources

Has a positive effect on the economy by generating jobs and revenues.

For example, the Sunday edition of the New York Times consumes 12,000 trees.

Currently, only about 20% of all paper in North America is recycled.

Recycling - Problems

Recycling does have environmental costs. It uses energy and generates pollution.Ex. the de-inking process in paper recycling requires energy, and produces a toxic sludge that contains heavy metals.

RECYCLING

Recycling many plastics is chemically and economically difficult.

Many plastics are hard to isolate from other wastes.

Recovering individual plastic resins does not yield much material.

The cost of virgin plastic resins in low than recycled resins due to low fossil fuel costs.

There are new technologies that are making plastics biodegradable.

REUSE & RECYCLINGReuse and recycling are hindered by

prices of goods that do not reflect their harmful environmental & health effects associated with the product over its life cycle,

too few government subsidies and tax break: extracting industries receive more subsidies than recycling industries

price fluctuations – must create demand for recycled products

Fig. 22-9, p. 529

Important part of economy

Source separation is inconvenient for

some people

Reduces profits from landfills and incinerators

Reduces air and water pollution

Saves energy

Reduces mineral demand

Reduces greenhouse gas emissions

Reduces solid waste production and disposal

Helps protect biodiversity

Can save money for items such as

paper, metals, and some plastics

Generating demand for recycled

products

May lose money for items such as glass and most plastic

DisadvantagesAdvantages

Trade-Offs

Recycling

Specific Recycled Items & Plastics

As the concern about landfill space increases, worldwide interest in recycling by means of composting is growing. Compost is the organic materials from plants and animals that is converted into a useful stable product by aerobic decomposition. Compost generally:

Reduces the amount of organic material that is placed into landfills, including paper which constitutes the majority of MSW.

Aerates the soil, improves the soil’s ability to retain water and nutrients and helps prevent erosion.

Needs 6 to 12 inches of organic material, shade, water and aeration.

Biological Reprocessing

Home composting being turned

Compost piles can combust if not monitored

Composts - DefinitionA sweet-smelling, dark-brown, humus-like material that is rich in organic material and soil nutrients.

Compost heapCompost heap

Composts - Benefits

Aerates the soil.

Improves soil’s ability to retain water and nutrients.

Helps prevent erosion.

Prevents nutrients from being dumped in landfills.

Recycling - Organic

Comprise over 1/2 of the solid waste

Includes paper, yard debris, wood materials, bio-solids, food, manure and agricultural residues, land clearing debris, and mixed municipal organic waste.

Organic materials have been dumped in landfills or burned. Why not use them!

MetalsPrecious metals like: Gold, lead, nickel, steel, copper, silver, zinc, and aluminum are recyclable.

World supply of rare metals will eventually run out

Glass

U.S. recycles about 36% of its glass containers.

It costs less to recycle glass than to make new glass.

Mixed color glass “cullet” is used for glassphalt, a glass/asphalt mixture.

Aluminum

This is the most recycled material in the U.S. because of $.Making a new can from an old one requires a fraction of the energy than to make a new can from raw materials. Approximately 2/3 of cans are recycled each year, saving 19 million barrels of oil annually.

Paper

U.S. currently recycles 40% of its paper and paperboard. Denmark, recycles about 97% of its paper. Many U.S. mills are not able to process waste paper. Many countries like Mexico, import a large amount of wastepaper from the U.S. We export about 19% of our recycled paper.

Nuclear Waste

The safe disposal of radioactive wastes is the problem.

Radioactive wastes must be stored in an isolated area where they can’t contaminate the environment.

It must have geological stability and little or no water flowing nearby. (Remember Yucca Mountain)

Plastic RecyclingRecycling many plastics is chemically and economically difficult to recycle. Plastics are often recycled into other forms of plastic and those plastics are often not recyclable.

Many plastics are hard to isolate from other wastes.

Recovering individual plastic resins does not yield much material.

The cost of virgin plastic resins is lower than recycled resins due to low subsidized fossil fuel costs.

There are new technologies that are making plastics biodegradable

Plastics must be sorted according to their resin identification code which indicates the type of material they were made from.

StyrofoamGrocery & bread

bags

Shampoo and fast food service items

Milk bottles and

butter tubs

Soft drink bottlesYogurt containers, straws, and bottle

caps

Other various

plastics

Waste-to-energy incinerators reduce the volume of waste by up to 90% because of the large organic component that can be used for burning. Incineration can also be used to eliminate hazardous waste products.

While waste-to-energy incinerators contribute to CO2 emissions and air pollution,

they produce less than power plants that run on fossil fuels.

Plasma gasification uses an ionized or electrically charged gas to convert waste into a syngas which can be used in energy production.

Energy Recovery

Plasma arc converters can reach temperatures of

12,600 Fahrenheit changing molecular bonds Organic material is burned to boil water producing steam

which turns a turbine, generating electricity

Burning Solid Waste

Waste-to-energy incinerator with pollution controls that burns mixed solid waste which can contribute to air pollution

Figure 22-10

Waste-to-Energy Incineration

1) the volume of waste is reduced by up to 90% and 2) the heat produced, produces steam, which can warm buildings or generate electricity.

In 1999, the U.S. had 110 waste-to-energy incinerators, which burned 16% of the nation’s solid waste & produces less CO2 emissions than power plants that run on fossil fuels, but still contribute to air pollution.

Burying Solid WasteBurying solid waste has many problems associated with it as well like groundwater contamination, production of methane gas, and incomplete decomposition of waste.

Burying Solid WasteMost of the world’s MSW is buried in landfills that eventually are expected to leak toxic liquids into the soil and underlying aquifers.

Open dumps: are fields or holes in the ground where garbage is deposited and sometimes covered with soil. Mostly used in developing countries.

Sanitary landfills: solid wastes are spread out in thin layers, compacted and covered daily with a fresh layer of clay or plastic foam.

Landfills

Definition

Solid waste is placed in a hole, compacted, and covered with soil.

Reduces the number of rats associated with solid waste, lessens the danger of fire, and decreases the odor.

Landfills: Current CriteriaLandfills cannot pollute surface or groundwater.

Compacted to reduce volume and covered daily with soil

Clay and plastic sheets are at the bottom (prevents liquid waste from seeping into groundwater)

A double liner system must be present (plastic, clay, plastic, clay), and a system to collect leachate (liquid that seeps through the solid waste)

Burning Solid WasteGlobally, MSW is burned in over 1,000 large waste-to-energy incinerators, which boil water to make steam for heating water, or space, or for production of electricity.

Japan and a few European countries incinerate most of their MSW.

Fig. 22-12, p. 532

Sand

When landfill is full,layers of soil and clay

seal in trash

Methane storageand compressor

building

Leachatestorage

tank

Leachatemonitoring

well

Groundwatermonitoring

well

Electricitygeneratorbuilding Leachate

treatment system

Methane gasrecovery well

Compactedsolid waste

Leachatepipes

Leachate pumpedup to storage tankfor safe disposal

GroundwaterClay and plastic liningto prevent leaks; pipescollect leachate from

bottom of landfill

Topsoil

SandClaySubsoil

Probes todetect

methaneleaks

Garbage

Garbage

Syntheticliner

Sand

Clay

Pipes collect explosive methane as used as fuel

to generate electricity

Landfills: Current Criteria

Oil

Not allowed

Must go to an automotive or environmental company for recycling.

Antifreeze

Not allowed

Must be sent to an automotive or environmental company for recycling.

Landfills: Current Criteria

Air Conditioner Coolants

Not allowed

Must be sent to an automotive or environmental company for recycling.

Lead Acid (Car Batteries)

Not allowed

Must be sent to an automotive or an environmental company for recycling.

Case Study: What Should We Do with Used Tires?

We face a dilemma in deciding what to so with hundreds of millions of discarded tires.

Case Study: What Should We Do with Used Tires?

They can burn for years producing large amounts of toxic air pollutants... Very hard to put out

TiresAre allowed in landfill if they are shredded otherwise they are recycled.

Hazardous WasteHazardous waste: is any discarded solid or liquid material that is toxic, ignitable, corrosive, or reactive enough to explode or release toxic fumes.

The two largest classes of hazardous wastes are• synthetic organic compounds (e.g. pesticides, PCBs,

dioxins) and • toxic heavy metals (e.g. lead, mercury, arsenic).

Hazardous waste is a major cause of groundwater contamination from landfills.

Fig. 22-15, p. 534

What Harmful Chemicals Are in Your Home?

• Glues and cements

• Dry-cell batteries

(mercury and cadmium)• Rust inhibitor and

rust remover

• Brake and

transmission fluid

General

Cleaning

• Battery acid

• Wood preservatives

• Stains, varnishes,

and lacquers

Automotive

• Gasoline• Used motor oil

Paint

• Latex and oil-based paints• Paint thinners, solvents,

and strippers

Gardening

• Pesticides• Weed killers

• Ant and rodent killers

• Antifreeze

• Flea powders

• Disinfectants

• Septic tank cleaners• Spot removers

• Drain, toilet, and

window cleaners

• Artist paints and inks

• Solvents

Certain substances in the environment are harmful when absorbed in high concentrations. These substances include:

Pesticides

Radioactive isotopes

Heavy metals (cadmium, chromium, lead and mercury).

Industrial chemicals such as PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls).

They can be taken up by organisms via food or water or simply absorbed from the surroundings.

Many of the toxins and chemical substances can easily leach into groundwater.

Chemicals and toxins can be released at safe levels but may react or combine with other chemicals, from synergism, to create dangerous mixtures.

Toxins in the Environment

Poisonous chemical store

Spraying apples with insecticide, Japan

‣ Bioaccumulation (also called biological magnification) occurs when highly persistent pesticides, which cannot be metabolized or excreted, are stored and accumulate in the fatty tissues of the body.

There is a progressive concentration of the pesticides with increasing trophic level; higher order consumers are at greater risk because they eat a large number of lower order consumers.

BioaccumulationBiomagnification of DDT in

an aquatic ecosystem

Hazardous Waste Regulations (US)

Two major federal laws regulate the management and disposal of hazardous waste in the U.S.:

RCRA - Resource Conservation and Recovery Act • Tracks waste progress• Cradle-to-the-grave system to keep track of waste.

CERCLA - Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act• Commonly known as Superfund program.• Clean up abandoned waste sites


The Superfund law was designed to have polluters pay for cleaning up abandoned hazardous waste sites.

Most severe sites on NPL – National Priorities List

Only 70% of the cleanup costs have come from the polluters, the rest comes from a trust fund financed until 1995 by taxes on chemical raw materials and oil.


BrownfieldsAbandoned, contaminated industrial & commercial sites.• Factories, junkyards, older landfills, gas stations

Not as bad as superfund sites

Can be cleaned up & redeveloped as parks, atheletic fields, preserves, etc.

DEALING WITH HAZARDOUS WASTE

We can produce less hazardous waste and recycle, reuse, detoxify, burn, and bury what we continue to produce.

Conversion to Less Hazardous Substances

Physical Methods: using charcoal or resins to separate out harmful chemicals.

Chemical Methods: using chemical reactions that can convert hazardous chemicals to less harmful or harmless chemicals, usually by incineration.

Biological Methods: Bioremediation: bacteria or enzymes help destroy toxic and hazardous waste or convert them to more benign substances.

Phytoremediation: involves using natural or genetically engineered plants to absorb, filter and remove contaminants from polluted soil and water.

PhytostabilizationPlants such as willow trees and poplars can absorb chemicals and

keep them from reaching groundwater

or nearby surface water.

RhizofiltrationRoots of plants such as

sunflowers with dangling roots on ponds or in green-

houses can absorb pollutants such as radioactive strontium -90

and cesium-137 and various organic chemicals.

PhytodegradationPlants such as poplars

can absorb toxic organic chemicals and break them down into less harmful compounds which they store or

release slowly into the air.

Inorganicmetal contaminantsOrganic contaminants

Radioactivecontaminants

Brake fernPoplar treeIndian mustardWillow treeSunflower

Oilspill

Landfill

GroundwaterSoil

PollutedleachateDecontaminated

water out

Pollutedgroundwater in

GroundwaterSoil

PhytoextractionRoots of plants such as Indian mustard and brake ferns can absorb toxic metals such as

lead, arsenic, and others and store them in their leaves.

Plants can then be recycled or harvested and incinerated.

Fig. 22-18, p. 538

Inexpensive

Low energy use

Easy to establish

Trade-Offs

Phytoremediation

Advantages Disadvantages

Some plants

can become

toxic to

animals

Some toxic organic chemicals

may evaporate from plant leaves

Produces little air pollution

compared to incineration

Can reduce material

dumped into landfills

Slow (can

take several

growing

seasons)Effective only

at depth plant

roots can

reach

Conversion to Less Hazardous Substances

Incineration: heating many types of hazardous waste to high temperatures – up to 2000 °C – in an incinerator can break them down and convert them to less harmful or harmless chemicals.

Plasma Torch: passing electrical current through gas to generate an electric arc and very high temperatures can create plasma.

The plasma process can be carried out in a torch which can decompose liquid or solid hazardous organic material.

Fig. 22-19, p. 538

Advantages

Trade-Offs

Plasma Arc

Small High cost

Produces no

toxic ash

Can vaporize and release toxic metals and

radioactive elements

Can release particulates and chlorine gas

Mobile. Easy to move to different sites

Produces CO2 and CO

Disadvantages

Long-Term Storage: Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste can be disposed of on or underneath the earth’s surface, but without proper design and care this can pollute the air and water.

Deep-well disposal: liquid hazardous wastes are pumped under pressure into dry porous rock far beneath aquifers.Surface impoundments: excavated depressions such as ponds, pits, or lagoons into which liners are placed and liquid hazardous wastes are stored.

Fig. 22-20, p. 539

Safe method if

sites are chosen

carefully

Trade-Offs

Deep Underground Wells

Advantages Disadvantages

Encourages

waste production

Existing fractures

or earthquakes

can allow wastes

to escape into

groundwater

Leaks from

corrosion of well

casing

Leaks or spills at

surface

Low cost

Easy to do

Wastes can be

retrieved if

problems

develop

Fig. 22-21, p. 539

Low construction costs

Can store wastes indefinitely with secure

double liners

Groundwater

contamination

from leaking liners

(or no lining)

Trade-Offs

Surface Impoundments

Advantages

Promotes waste

production

Disruption and

leakage from

earthquakes

Overflow from

flooding

Air pollution from

volatile organic

compounds

Wastes can be retrieved if necessary

Can be built quickly

Low operating costs

Disadvantages

Long-Term Storage of Hazardous Waste

Long-Term Retrievable Storage: Some highly toxic materials cannot be detoxified or destroyed. Metal drums are used to stored them in areas that can be inspected and retrieved.

Secure Landfills: Sometimes hazardous waste are put into drums and buried in carefully designed and monitored sites.

Secure Hazardous Waste LandfillIn the U.S. there are only 21 commercial hazardous waste landfills.

Case Study: Lead

Lead is especially harmful to children and is still used in leaded gasoline and household paints in about 100 countries.

Figure 22-24

Case Study: MercuryMercury is released into the environment mostly by burning coal and incinerating wastes and can build to high levels in some types of fish.

Figure 22-26

Fig. 22-25, p. 542

BIOMAGNIFICATION IN FOOD CHAIN

SEDIMENT

PRECIPITATIONPRECIPITATION WINDSWINDS

AIR

WATER

Inorganic mercury and acids

(Hg2+)

Inorganic mercury and acids

(Hg2+)

Organicmercury

(CH3Hg+)

Inorganicmercury

(Hg2+)

Hg2+ and acids

Runoff of Hg2+ and acids

Large fish

Small fish

ZooplanktonPhytoplankton

Hg and SO2Hg2+ and acids

Human sources

Incinerator

Coal-burning

plant

Elemental mercury

vapor (Hg)

Photo-chemical

OxidationElemental

mercury liquid (Hg)

Deposition

Dep

osit

ion

Bacteria

Bacteria and acids

Settles out

Settles out

Settles out

Vap

orization

Dep

osit

ion

Dep

osition

Achieving a Low-Waste SocietyIn the U.S., citizens have kept large numbers of incinerators, landfills, and hazardous waste treatment plants from being built in their local areas. (NIMBY)

Environmental justice means that everyone is entitled to protection from environmental hazards without discrimination.

NIABY – Not In Anyone’s Backyard

NOPE – Not On Planet Earth

Global Outlook: International Action to Reduce Hazardous Waste

An international treaty calls for phasing out the use of harmful persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

POPs are insoluble in water and soluble in fat.

Nearly every person on earth has detectable levels of POPs in their blood.

The U.S has not ratified this treaty.

Solutions: mimic nature1. Consume less

2. Redesign manufacturing processes and products to:

use less material and energy

create less pollution and waste

3. Develop products that are easy to repair, reuse, recycle, or compost “cradle to cradle”

4. Eliminate or reduce packaging material

5. Charge fee-per-bag for trash collection, but free recycle collection

6. Establish cradle to grave responsibility laws

Making the Transition to a Low-Waste Society: A New Vision

Everything is connected.

There is no “away” for the wastes we produce.

Dilution is not always the solution to pollution.

The best and cheapest way to deal with wastes are reduction and pollution prevention.

waste disposal and recycling

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