Solid Waste Management

1
Chapter 18

• Solid Waste Management

2
The Disposable Decades 50s through 90s

• Disposable lifestyle - use it once and throw it
  away.
• Packaging
• Results - Many places are running out of landfill
  space and valuable resources are wasted.

3
(No Transcript)
4
Scope of MunicipalWaste Problem

• We produce 220 million tons of MSW each year (5.8
  lbs./day/person)
• Historically, we have put our MSW in dumps and /
  or burned it. Wetlands and floodplains were used
  for dumps - problems!!!!

5
MSW

• Composition Paper 38, Yard Waste 16, rubber
  and textiles 12, Metals 8, Glass 8, Plastic
  8, Food Wastes 7
• Methods of disposal
• Land-filling
• Incineration
• Source Reduction
• Recycling

6
(No Transcript)
7
Land Filling

• Cheapest and most convenient in U.S. 57 of U.S.
  waste is land filled
• Sanitary Landfill - clay or plastic lined, MSW
  covered daily
• Ground water monitored - Methane production
  monitored costs over 100,000 per hectare to
  build

8
(No Transcript)
9
Land Filling

• Siting is difficult - NIMBY, NIMEY, BANANA
• The number of landfills in the U.S. has decreased
  from 8000 in 1988 to a projected 2500 - 3,000 in
  2000.
• Western Europe and Japan have far fewer landfills
  - recycling and incineration emphasized.

10
Incineration

• 13 of MSW in U.S. is incinerated - Waste to
  energy, refuse derived fuel.
• Mass burning - MSW fed into a furnace and burned
  at 1,300o C. generates steam and electricity.
• Incinerators decrease MSW by 90 by volume and
  75 by weight. Residues are land-filled.

11
(No Transcript)
12
Incineration Issues

• Air pollution - release metals, acids, and gases
  - can filter some.
• Toxicity - dioxins and furans.
• Disposal of ash / residue - metals like lead,
  cadmium, mercury, and arsenic are hazardous
  wastes
• Cost - 30,000,000 to 250,000,000 plus
• Incineration / source reduction paradox

13
Source Reduction

• Source reduction involves using less material
  when making a product packaging.
• Example
• Reduce packaging
• Sell concentrates
• Municipal composting - Denton decreased landfill
  needs by 15
• Source reduction requires citizens to take action

14
Recycling

• Only about 23 of MSW is recycled in the U.S. In
  Japan 45 is recycled.
• City of Denton has a 50 goal by 2005. Currently
  recycles about 18
• 15 states has mandatory recycling laws
• Profile of what is recycled
• Crushed glass reduces the energy input needed to
  manufacture glass
• 40 of paper entering the waste stream is from a
  recycled source.

15
(No Transcript)
16
Benefits of Recycling

• Conservation of resources!!!!
• A Sunday edition of the New York Times takes
  62,000 trees to produce.
• 91 of all aluminum cans end up in MSW -- Value
  of 400,000,000
• Use of recycled glass saves 50 of the energy
  required to make new glass.
• Energy saving Recycling currently saves over
  500,000,000 barrels of oil / yr

17
Recycling Concerns

• Technical Concerns
• Separation of materials - High density
  polyethylene (HDPE) like milk cartons
• Polystyrene - like egg cartons
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) soft-drink
  bottles
• Transportation costs
• Economic Concerns
• Market for recycled materials is unstable
• Cant just recycle people must buy
• Incentives are needed to encourage

18
Recycling Issues

• Bottle Bills - encourage recycling
• Tires, Batteries, Oil Recycling 12 of used
  tires are recycled - most are stockpiled 2-4
  billion is current estimate
• 96 of all batteries are recycled
• 70 of all oil is recycled. However, only 10 of
  the oil from people who change the oil in their
  cars is recycled - urban stream pollution!!

19
(No Transcript)
20
(No Transcript)