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Chapter 16: Waste Management
Big Question: Is Zero Waste Possible?
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Municipal Solid Waste
Paper comprises 35%.
Single largest item is newsprint.
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Early Concepts of Waste Disposal
•Dilution and dispersion•Concentration and containment•Problem of limited space for landfills, and their high
cost•NIMBY
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Modern Trends
•Zero-waste and the principal of industrial ecology•Turn waste into a resource rather than a pollutant•Use taxes as an incentive?
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Integrated Waste Management
•Reduce •Reuse•Recycle
80-90% of US waste stream could be recovered by
recycling
Important to develop markets for recycled products.
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Materials Management
Recycling alone can’t do the whole job. Conserve
materials by:• Eliminating subsidies for virgin materials;• “Green building” incentives for new construction;• Financial penalties for negative practices; and• Increase number of new jobs in technology of
resource reuse and reduction.
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Solid Waste Management
Problems include illegal dumping and hazardous waste
in landfills.
On-site disposal by• Kitchen garbage disposal units• Composting of kitchen and garden waste• Incineration
Incineration reduces volume of waste and may generate
electrical power.
But may cause air pollution and generate toxic ash.
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Open Dumps
Still in use, primarily in developing countries
Generate a nuisance: pests, health hazard, air and water
pollution.
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Municipal Solid Waste
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Modern Landfills
Modern landfills incorporate multiple barriers to
leachate and gas.
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Hazardous Waste
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Hazardous-Waste Legislation
•Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of
1976•What qualifies as “hazardous”?•Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Hazardous-WasteManagement: Land Disposal
Secure landfills are designed to confine waste and
leachate. Some argue that there is no such thing as a
really secure landfill.
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Land Application: Microbial Breakdown•Applying waste materials to near-surface soil may be
an efficient way to treat certain biodegradable
industrial waste.•Importance of biopersistence.•When biodegradable waste is added to the soil, it is
attacked by microflora.
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Surface Impoundment
•A controversial way to store or dispose of hazardous
waste.•Surface impoundments are prone to seepage.
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Deep-Well Disposal
Another controversial method involves injecting waste
into deep wells below all freshwater aquifers.
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Land Disposal and Treatment
Land disposal and treatment of hazardous waste may
contaminate the environment.
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Alternatives to Land Disposalof Hazardous WasteA combination of source reduction, recycling and
resource recovery, treatment, and incineration:
- Reclaim/reuse useful chemicals
- Treatment to reduce toxicity
- Reduce the volume of waste items
Lesson 16 / ESRM 100 / University of Washington
Pollution Prevention
The early emphasis was on waste disposal.
Prevention is the growing emphasis:• purchasing the proper amount of raw materials;• exercising better control of manufacturing
materials;• substituting nontoxic chemicals; and• improving engineering and design of
manufacturing
Chapter 16: Waste Management
Questions? E-mail your TA. [email protected]