Solid%20Wastes

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• Solid Wastes
• Prior to 1900, most waste disposal involved
  burying waste in ground
• Perception of garbage dumps as breeding grounds
  for disease ? incinerators
• Burning garbage common until more stringent
  emissions standards in 1970s
• Incineration replaced by newer landfills
• Recently Modern incinerators w/emissions
  controls
• Landfills
• Decreasing in number
• 7924 in 1988 vs. 1908 in 2009
• Becoming larger
• Total capacity didnt change between 1988 2002
• Becoming increasingly full (?)
• Possible sources of toxic chemicals leaching into
  ground water (older landfills especially)
• Increasingly difficult to find new sites (NIMBY)

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Source EPA
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Source EPA
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Science, Aug 10 2012
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Science, Aug 10 2012
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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Source EPA
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• Solid Wastes
• Alternatives
• Source reduction

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EPA
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• Solid Wastes
• Alternatives
• Source reduction
• Pro
• Reduced waste stream
• Increased production efficiency ()
• Energy conservation
• Reduced GHG emissions
• Con
• Retooling of some infrastructure
• Changing of consumer behavior

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• Solid Wastes
• Alternatives
• Recycling
• Reuse sometimes included
• Reprocessing of materials
• Why recycle?