Solid and Hazardous Waste

1
Solid and Hazardous Waste
G. Tyler Millers Living in the Environment 14th
Edition Chapter 24
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Key Concepts

• Types and amounts of wastes

• Methods to reduce waste

• Methods of dealing with wastes

• Hazardous waste regulation in the US

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Wasting Resources

• Industrial and agricultural waste

• Municipal solid waste

Fig. 24-2 p. 533

• US 11 billion metric tons/year

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Producing Less Waste and Pollution

• Waste management (high waste approach)

• Burying, burning, shipping

• Waste prevention (low waste approach)

• Reduce, reuse, recycle

• Sustainability Six

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Dealing with Material Use and Wastes
Fig. 24-3 p. 535
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Solutions Cleaner Production

• Ecoindustrial revolution

• Resource exchange webs

• Biomimicry

• Service-flow economy

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Solutions Selling Services Instead of Things

• Service-flow economy

• Uses a minimum amount of material

• Products last longer

• Products are easier to maintain, repair, and
  recycle

• Eco-leasing

See Individuals Matter p. 538
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Reuse

• Extends resource supplies

• Saves energy and money

• Reduces pollution

• Create jobs

• Reusable products

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Recycling

• Primary (closed-loop)

• Secondary (open loop)

• Preconsumer waste

• Postconsumer waste

Fig. 24-6 p. 539
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Characteristics of Recyclable Materials

• Easily isolated from other waste

• Available in large quantities

• Valuable

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Benefits of Recycling
Fig. 24-8 p. 541
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Recycling Methods

• Centralized recycling of mixed waste
  (Materials-Recovery Facilities, MRFs)

• Source separation

• Pay-as-you-throw (PAUT)

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Case Studies Wastepaper and Plastics

• 49 of wastepaper recycled in US

• Chlorine-based compound in paper production

• 10 or less of plastic recycled in US

• Plastics can be very difficult to recycle

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Burning Wastes

• Mass burn
• incineration

• Air pollution

• Waste to energy

Fig. 24-13 p. 546
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Burying Wastes

• Open dumps

• Sanitary landfills

• Leachate collection

• Monitoring wells

• Emit greenhouse gases (CO2 and methane)

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Sanitary Landfill
Fig. 24-14 p. 547
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Sanitary Landfills Trade-offs
Fig. 24-15 p. 548
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Hazardous Wastes Types

• Contains at least one toxic compound

• Catches fire easily

• Reactive or explosive

• Corrodes metal containers

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Not Hazardous Wastes under RCRA

• Radioactive wastes

• Household wastes

• Mining wastes

• Oil and gas drilling wastes

• Liquids containing organic hydrocarbons

• Cement kiln dust

• lt100 kg (220 lb) per month

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Dealing with Hazardous Wastes
Fig. 24-17 p. 550
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Detoxifying and Removing Wastes

• Physical methods

• Chemical methods

• Bioremediation

• Phytoremediation

• Plasma incineration

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Deep-well Disposal
Fig. 24-21 p. 553
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Hazardous Waste Landfill
Fig. 24-23 p. 554
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Surface Impoundments Trade-offs
Fig. 24-22 p. 553
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Case Studies Lead

• Lead poisoning major problem in children

Primary Sources of Lead

• Leaded gasoline (phased out by 1986)

• Lead paint (banned in 1970)

• Lead in plumbing

• Progress is being made in reducing lead

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Case Studies Mercury

• Vaporized elemental Mercury

• Fish contaminated with methylmercury

• Natural inputs

• Emission control

• Prevention of contamination

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Case Studies Dioxins

• Potentially highly toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons

Sources of Dioxins

• Waste incineration

• Fireplaces

• Coal-fired power plants

• Paper production

• Sewage sludge

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Hazardous Waste Regulation in the United States

• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
• (RCRA)

• Comprehensive Environmental Response,
  Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund)

• National Priority List

• Polluter-pays principle

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Solutions Achieving a Low-Waste Society

• Local grassroots action

• International ban on 12 persistent organic
  pollutants (the dirty dozen)

• Precautionary Principle