Lecture Waste Disposal

Waste Disposal

Introduction & History

Types of waste

Disposal methods

Disposal sustainability

(data and slides

provided by DEFRA

with permission)

Definition of Waste Article 1(a) of the European Waste Framework Directive

provides that:-

"waste" is "any substance or objectwhich the holder discards or intends or is required to discard.

When is waste a waste?

Unwanted material that is discarded

Recycling or reclamation? Still waste even though it is purchased

Discarding of a material does not mean to pass it to another

person.

Keeping waste on own land is waste disposal

Definition of Waste Waste Framework Directive: (EC Directive 2006/12/EC)

European legislation that governs waste disposal practice:

Waste recovered or disposed of without endangering human health

AND without harming the environment

Encourages waste recovery over its disposal

Oversees disposal practice through;

Permitting & inspection

To control pollution from waste

Promotes disposal as a last resort Waste Hierarchy

Waste Disposal versus Waste Recovery

Waste is not just sent to landfill

Organics.org Recycled-papers.co.uk

mrw.co.uk

Waste Quantities

Total UK wastes (1998-2003)

434Mt per year in the UK

250Mt controlled waste

184Mt uncontrolled waste (mining tailings, building foundations & agricultural)

7.38t/capita arising each year

controlled waste

Domestic, commercial & industrial waste that has

to be managed in licensed facilities

Regulated due to toxicity of biodegradable by-

products

History of Waste Pre-industrial revolution

Situation similar in many developing countries today - waste is not an issue in mainly agricultural societies

Food waste is fed to farm animals or composted

Ashes from coal fires are used as fertiliser

Wood reused in construction

Rag and Bone Men used to trade reused materials house to house

Pre-Clean Air Acts (1956)

Ash from coal fires household waste comprised mainly dense ash

Post-industrial revolution

Increased organics (food waste is no longer fed to animals)

Increased packaging of food and all goods

Widespread use of plastics

Increase in affluence and associated consumerism & waste

The Industrial Revolution Began in 18th Century

Increased availability of:

Raw materials through trade

Workers as population flocked to

cities

Scientific research

Led to new inventions and;

Coal powered machinery

Large quantities of products made

quickly and cheaply

Impact of Industrial Revolution Industrial Revolution

Start of consumerism generation of waste

Migration of population to towns and cities

greater impact of waste health/environment

need for measures to be put in place to

manage waste

Public Health Act 1848

start of waste regulation

local authorities responsible for

collecting household waste from

moveable bins on weekly basis

1874, first energy from waste plant in

Britain (Destructor in Nottingham)

1950s 1970s Introduction of National waste management

practices: Clean Air Act (1956) encouraged the move away from open

fires in homes less ash disposed of lead to change in waste composition

City of Dundee, pre-CAA

CAA (1956) Intention:

Minimise dark smoke (smog) Control of smoke emissions Shift towards boilers

Address health & environmental concerns


practices:

Introduction of first ever legislation to control hazardous waste; Deposit of Poisonous Waste Act 1972 consequence of

cyanide waste drums incident (Nuneaton)

Press coverage; newspapers


practices:

Dumping of more organic waste (food & paper etc) environmental problems at dump sites;

Control of Pollution Act (CoPA) 1974 wider control of

waste disposal and regulation of sites, and start of tightening up of waste disposal methods

These three acts highlights the populations desire to a clean environment

1970s 1990s Development and dominance of landfill, BUT:

Increasingly tighter environmental controls on waste

management

Producer Responsibility Obligation 1997: recover & recycle

Higher standards of landfilling lining, leachate collection and treatment, landfill gas control and utilisation

Duty of Care 1992 relates to waste responsibility

Still plenty of mineral workings (quarries) available for

landfill landfill still inexpensive, even with landfill tax 1996

Significantly tighter air emissions controls on incinerators

resulting in increasing capital and operating costs

Types of Waste

1. Municipal Solid Waste

2. Construction & demolition

3. Radioactive

4. Sewage

5. Agricultural

6. Mining

Types of Waste

Arcadis.co.uk

Cornwall.gov.uk

NERC

Types of Waste

Arcadis.co.uk

Cornwall.gov.uk

NERC

Municipal Solid

Waste

Types of Waste

Arcadis.co.uk

Cornwall.gov.uk

NERC

Municipal Solid

Waste

Mining Waste

Types of Waste

Arcadis.co.uk

Cornwall.gov.uk

NERC

Municipal Solid

Waste

Agricultural Waste

Mining Waste

Types of Waste

Arcadis.co.uk

Cornwall.gov.uk

NERC

Municipal Solid

Waste

Sewage

Agricultural Waste

Mining Waste

Types of Waste

ukgbc.org

theguardian.com

Types of Waste

ukgbc.org

theguardian.com

Construction &

demolition

Types of Waste

ukgbc.org

theguardian.com

Construction &

demolition

Radioactive Waste

UK Total Waste Composition UK (most up-to-date data)

20%

22%

8%8%

6%

13%

23%

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Definition and sources:

Household waste and waste collected by a waste collection authority or its contractors, such as municipal parks and gardens waste

beach cleansing waste and

any commercial and industrial waste for which the collection authority takes responsibility

Large organic fraction

Arisings:

29.1Mt (2003/04) England

Composition:

British Standard Waste (BSW) typical composition of bin waste in the UK!

British Standard Waste (BSW) 2%

31%

5%

3%

21%

2%

7%

1%

5%

5%

1%

2%

3%

8%

6% Sanitary towels

Organic

Fine material

Plastic film

Paper and card

Textiles

Combustibles

Non-ferrous metal

Ferrous metal

Dense plastic

Hazardous waste

WEEE

Wood

Non-combustibles

Glass

British Standard Waste (BSW) 2%

31%

5%

3%

21%

2%

7%

1%

5%

5%

1%

2%

3%

8%

6% Sanitary towels

Organic

Fine material

Plastic film

Paper and card

Textiles

Combustibles

Non-ferrous metal

Ferrous metal

Dense plastic

Hazardous waste

WEEE

Wood

Non-combustibles

Glass

~ 50 % of UK bin waste is organic & biodegradable

Minerals Waste Mining and extractive industry waste

Comprises:

Colliery waste, coal, china clay, clay, slate, and

metalliferous and quarrying materials

Much of the waste generated will be chemically inert

(unreactive) & non-hazardous

Some waste may contain high levels of metals

Sources:

Mining and quarrying waste is generated during the

extraction and on-site processing of materials

e.g. solid lumps of rock, sludge-like or liquid

Arisings:

96.1Mt (2003) UK

Sewage Sludge Definition:

Sewage consists of

wastewater from domestic,

trade and industrial sources

as well as rainfall and

surface water

It contains faeces and urine

0.1 % solid materials

Arisings: Dry weight: 1.13Mt and

20kg/capita (1999/00) UK

Carlisle Sewage Treatment Works

bbc.co.uk

Agricultural

Waste By-products of farming:

Empty pesticide containers

Old silage wrap Livestock medicines Tyres & oils Batteries Surplus & O.O.D. milk

~40 % UK waste:

Farmers permitted to carry

out certain disposal activities

Construction & Demolition Waste Definition:

Unwanted material produced by

construction industry

Bricks, concrete, nails, wood, rebar,

electrical wiring, rubble

Mostly inert but hazardous materials

such as lead piping, asbestos

Uses:

ground improvement; reused in

construction projects, e.g. foundations

(crusher and screener) & made ground

Arisings:

90.9Mt (2003) England & Wales Samphire Hoe, Hampshire

loneswimmer.com

Hazardous Waste Definition:

Considerable threat to human

health and the environment

because of its properties:

Flammable, reactive, corrosive or

toxic and are often liquids

Defined by hazardous properties

and not by its source

Solvents, pesticides, electronics,

aerosols, caustics, ammunition

What is hazardous is defined by:

Hazardous Waste Regulations

2005 (England and Wales)

Arisings: 5.37Mt (2002) UK

Radioactive Waste Definition:

Radioactive waste is waste

contaminated by, or incorporating,

radioactivity above certain levels

Sources:

Civil nuclear power industry: up to

89%

Research and development activities:

9%

Military activities: 2%

Medical treatment & equipment:

Waste Disposal Methods

UK vs Abroad Municipal Solid Waste fate

UK vs Abroad Municipal Solid Waste fate

Waste Disposal Methods

Typical Landfill Site

(Bell 2007)

Inert waste: Unreactive municipal

Non-hazardous waste: Municipal & biodegradable

Hazardous waste: Toxic material within

waste acceptable limits of TOC, DOC & LOI

Above WACs HTI

Chemical & Oil Production

Landfill Liner Structure

Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility

NDAReportno.NDA/RWMD/010

High-level radioactive waste: deep multi-barrier geological disposal system

Bury waste to minimise radioactive waste exposure to ecosystems & environs

Barriers act to:

isolate waste and

contain the

radionuclides for

~1,000 years

Prevent

groundwater from

interacting and

transporting waste

Radioactive Waste Disposal

NDAReportno.NDA/RWMD/010

Zooming in:

Six potential barriers prevent groundwater interacting with high-level waste

Sustainable Waste Management The Landfill Directive brought about a change in emphasis:

Waste disposal waste management resource utilisation

Overall aim:

Minimise quantity of MSW sent to landfill by:

(1) Reducing quantity of waste materials:

Waste Minimisation

(2) Separating waste into usable

parts by pre-landfill treatment

processes such as:

Mechanical Biological Treatment

(MBT) & Energy from Waste

(1) Waste Minimisation

= reducing the amount of waste generated Changing manufacturing processes:

To produce less waste

Examples: Avoid excessive/over-packaging

Buying in bulk/loose reduced weight per unit weight of product

Avoiding plastic bags bag for life

slwp.org.uk

(2) Separating waste by pre-landfill treatment

processes such as:


(MBT)


(MBT) Mechanical (M) refers to various sorting, separation, size

reduction and sieving technologies

achieve a mechanical separation of waste fractions into

potentially useful products and/or streams suitable for

biological processing

Biological (B) refers to an aerobic or anaerobic biological

process

converts the biodegradable waste fraction into a stabilised

compost-like output and, if using anaerobic digestion,

biogas

combustible material sent to energy from waste plant

Purpose of Pre-Landfill Treatment

The purpose of this form of treatment is to:

Reduce the waste volume going to landfill

Improve the disposal of waste at landfill

Lengthen the stability, useful life and efficiency of

landfill

Reduce the rate of gas formation and leachate

Summary

Disposal of waste is a major environmental

problem for society

Landfill containment or slow dispersion

Hazardous waste deep repositories

To meet EU regulations the UK has to reduce

the amount of material going to landfill (hence

MBT & Landfill Directive)

The Landfill Directive The main regulation driving increased take-up in MBT (Mechanical

Biological Treatment) is the Landfill Directive (EC/31/1999)

The diversion targets laid down in Article 5(2) of the Landfill Directive

state

By 2010, to reduce amount of British Municipal Waste going to landfill

by no less than 75% of 1995 baseline

By 2013, by no less than 50% of 1995 baseline

By 2020, by no less than 35% of 1995 baseline

Documents

Lecture Waste Disposal