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Waste Chapter 19

Waste Chapter 19. Ms. Napolitano & Mrs. Warren Environmental Science. Part I: Solid Waste. Solid Waste. Solid waste – any discarded solid material Includes junk mail, coffee grinds, cars, and other garbage ~10 billion metric tons of garbage each year in the US only

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Waste Chapter 19

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  1. WasteChapter 19 Ms. Napolitano & Mrs. Warren Environmental Science

  2. Part I: Solid Waste

  3. Solid Waste • Solid waste – any discarded solid material • Includes junk mail, coffee grinds, cars, and other garbage • ~10 billion metric tons of garbage each year in the US only • Amount of solid waste doubled since 1960s

  4. Municipal Solid Waste • Municipal solid waste – waste produced by households & businesses • About 2% of US solid waste • ~210 million metric tons per year in US only

  5. Other solid waste – Manufacturing, mining, agriculture • 98% of US solid waste • Manufacturing = 56% • Includes scrap metal, plastics, paper, sludge, & ash • Consumers indirectly create waste by purchasing from manufacturers • Mining waste  leftover rock & minerals • Left in large heaps, dumped in oceans/rivers, or refilled into abandoned mines • Agricultural waste = 9% • Includes crop waste & manure • Most is biodegradable

  6. Where does our trash go?

  7. Landfills • Landfill – permanent waste-disposal facility • Wastes are put in the ground & covered by soil, plastic, or both • Contains buried waste • >50% of municipal & manufacturing waste ends up in landfills • Requires caution: waste in a landfill cannot come in contact with the surrounding soil or groundwater

  8. Problems with Landfills • Leachate – liquid that has passed through solid waste in a landfill • May contain chemicals from paints, pesticides, cleansers, cans, batteries, & appliances • May flow into nearby groundwater if not monitored • Decomposing organic waste with no oxygen produces methane gas • Highly flammable • May be pumped out of landfills & used as fuel

  9. Safeguarding Landfills • The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976, updated 1984) • New landfills must be built with safeguards to reduce pollution • Lined with clay & plastic for collecting leachate • Vents carry methane out of landfill • Expensive!

  10. Building More Landfills

  11. Incinerators • Incinerators reduce solid weight • Ash still has to be disposed of in landfills • Materials that should/should not be burned are not separated • Cleansers, batteries, & paints should not be burned but wind up in the atmosphere • Makes polluting gas

  12. Part II: Reducing Solid Waste

  13. Source Reduction • Source reduction – any change in design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials/products to reduce the amount of toxicity before becoming solid waste • Includes reuse of products/materials

  14. How to Reduce Solid Waste • Consumers influence manufacturers • Buy products that have less packaging or that last longer • Ex: dish towels vs. paper towels • Manufacturers could redesign products to use less materials

  15. Recycling • Recycling – process of reusing or recovering materials from waste or scrap • Saves energy, water, & other resources • Ex: 95% less energy needed to produce aluminum from recycled aluminum than from ore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOpGhAdQFEY

  16. Composting • Compost – decomposed plant & animal matter • Spread onto gardens to enrich soil • Includes manure & rotting plants

  17. Changing Used Materials • Be smart about purchases! • Buy large-serving containers instead of individual-serving containers • Recycle a combination of common household products • Ex: newspapers, magazines • Some products can be recycled into other products • Ex: aluminum cans can make lawn chairs

  18. Degradable Plastics • Photodegradable plastics – become weak & brittle in the sun • Green plastic – made from sugars (living) • Problems: • Small pieces do not disappear completely • Pieces can spread around

  19. Part III: Hazardous Waste

  20. Hazardous Waste • Hazardous waste – any waste that is a risk to the health of living things • May be solids, liquids, or gases • Often contain toxic, corrosive, or explosive materials • Examples: • Dyes, cleaners, solvents • Pesticides • Radioactive wastes • Toxic heavy metals (lead, mercury, etc.) • PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls)

  21. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) • Requires producers of hazardous waste to keep records of how wastes are handled • Regulates hazardous waste treatment & disposal facilities

  22. Love Canal (Niagara Falls) • Homes & schools were built on land that was once a toxic waste dump site • Toxic chemicals found in sump pumps • Resulted in birth defects & miscarriages • Federal government relocated & reimbursed over 800 families • Influenced passage of the Superfund Act

  23. The Superfund Act • AKA The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, & Liability Act • Gave the EPA the right to sue owners of hazardous waste sites who illegally dumped wastes • EPA can also force owners to pay for cleanup

  24. Number of Superfund Sites

  25. Preventing Hazardous Waste • Produce less (duh) • Manufacturers can redesign methods to produce less/no hazardous waste • Saves money by cutting costs of materials & waste disposal • Find ways to reuse it • Programs can be set up between companies that can reuse waste in other ways • Some types of wastes can be treated with chemicals to make the wastes less hazardous • Ex: lime (base) can be mixed with acids to make neutrals

  26. Land Disposal • Concentrated/solid wastes are put in barrels & buried in landfills • Deep-well injections – wastes are pumped deep into the ground • Covered with cement to prevent groundwater contamination • Surface Impoundment – pond with a sealed bottom • Waste settles to the bottom, water evaporates & leaves room for more

  27. Land Disposal (cont’d) • Some wastes can be broken down with biological & chemical agents • Broken down by bacteria, flowering plants, trees • Dispersants used in oil spills to break down oil • May be incinerated • Expensive – requires a lot of energy • Must be monitored carefully • Ash still needs to be buried – hazmat landfills • Before 1980, companies sent wastes to less-populated states or other countries

  28. Disposing of Hazardous Waste at Home • Some household products should not be disposed of in general solid-waste landfills • Many cities provide collections for household hazardous waste

  29. Motor Oil • It is illegal to pour motor oil on the ground • or throw it in the trash • People in US throw away ~185 million gallons of used motor oil each year • Instead, you should: • Take it to a service station for recycling • Bring it to oil-collection receptacles (some cities only) • Contact your local city government!

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