Solid and Hazardous

Waste

By
Viwin S
21CE011
 Core Case Study: Electronic
Waste (1)
• What is electronic waste or e-waste?
– Televisions, computers
– Cell phones, iPods
• Fastest growing category of waste
• 80% recyclable
• Contains toxic materials
 Core Case Study: Electronic
Waste (2)
• Disposal methods
• Cradle-to-grave approach
• E-recycling industry
• Company-sponsored recycling
programs
• Prevention is best long-term solution
Fig. 16-1, p. 403
16-1 What Are Solid Waste and Hazardous
Waste, and Why Are They Problems?
• Concept 16-1 Solid waste
represents pollution and unnecessary
waste of resources, and hazardous
waste contributes to pollution, natural
capital degradation, health problems,
and premature deaths.
 Wasting Resources (1)
• Solid Waste
• Industrial solid waste
– Mining
– Agriculture
– Industry
• Municipal solid waste
– Homes
– Businesses
 Wasting Resources (2)
• Hazardous or toxic waste
– Threatens human health or the
environment
– Poisonous
– Reactive
– Corrosive
– Flammable
– Developed countries produce 80-90%
 Wasting Resources (3)
• Solid waste and hazardous waste
– About 3/4 unnecessary resource waste
– Create air and water pollution, land
degradation
Fig. 16-2, p. 405
 What Harmful Chemicals Are
in Your Home?

Cleaning Gardening
Disinfectants Pesticides
Drain, toilet, and Weed killers
window cleaners Ant and rodent
Spot removers killers
Flea powders
Septic tank cleaners

Paint Products
Paints, stains,
varnishes, and lacquers
Paint thinners, solvents,
and strippers
Wood preservatives Automotive
Artist paints and inks Gasoline
Used motor oil
General Antifreeze
Dry-cell batteries Battery acid
(mercury and cadmium)
Brake and
Glues and cements transmission fluid
Fig. 16-2, p. 405
 What Harmful Chemicals
Are in Your Home?
Cleaning Gardening
Disinfectants Pesticides
Drain, toilet, and Weed killers
window cleaners
Ant and rodent killers
Spot removers Flea powders
Septic tank cleaners

Paint Products
Paints, stains,
varnishes, and
lacquers
Paint thinners,
solvents, and
strippers Automotive
Wood preservatives Gasoline
Artist paints and inks Used motor oil
General Antifreeze
Dry-cell batteries Battery acid
(mercury and
cadmium) Brake and
transmission fluid
Glues and cements Stepped Art
Fig. 16-2, p. 405
Fig. 16-3, p. 405
 Case Study:
Solid Waste in the United States
• Produces 1/3 of world’s solid waste
• Mining, agricultural, industrial –
98.5%
• Municipal solid waste – 1.5%
• High-waste economy
• Examples
16-2 How Should We Deal with
Solid Waste?
• Concept 16-2 A sustainable
approach to solid waste is first to
reduce it, then to reuse or recycle it,
and finally to safely dispose of what is
left.
 Dealing with Solid Waste
• Waste management
• Waste reduction
• Integrated waste management
Fig. 16-4, p. 407
 Raw materials

Processing and Products

manufacturing

Solid and hazardous Waste generated by

wastes generated during households and
the manufacturing process businesses

Food/yard Hazardous Remaining

Plastic Glass Metal Paper waste waste mixed waste

To manufacturers for reuse or Hazardous waste

for recycling Compost management Landfill Incinerator

Fertilizer

Fig. 16-4, p. 407

Fig. 16-5, p. 407
First Priority Second Priority Last Priority

Primary Pollution and Waste Second Pollution and Waste Management

Prevention Waste Prevention
 Change industrial process to  Reuse  Treat waste to reduce
eliminate use of harmful chemicals toxicity
 Repair
 Use less of a harmful product  Incinerate waste
 Recycle
 Reduce packaging and materials in  Bury waste in landfills
products  Compost
 Release waste into
 Make products that last longer and  Buy reusable and recyclable environment for dispersal
are recyclable, reusable, or easy to products or dilution
repair

Stepped Art
Fig. 16-5, p. 407
 Producing Less Waste
• Refuse
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Recycle
Fig. 16-6, p. 408
 Reducing Resource Use,
Waste, and Pollution (1)
• Redesign processes and products to
use less material
• Redesign processes and products to
generate less waste
• Make products easy to repair, reuse,
remanufacture, compost, or recycle
 Reducing Resource Use,
Waste, and Pollution (2)
• Eliminate or reduce unnecessary
packaging
• Use fee-per-bag waste collection
systems
• Establish cradle-to-grave laws
 Science Focus: Garbology
• Garbologists
• Like archaeologists
• Trash persists for decades
16-3 Why Is Reusing and Recycling
Materials So Important?
• Concept 16-3 Reusing items
decreases the use of matter and
energy resources and reduces
pollution and natural capital
degradation; recycling does so to a
lesser degree.
 Reuse
• Reuse as a form of waste reduction
• Salvaging
• Yard sales, flea markets, secondhand
stores, auctions, newspaper ads,
Craigslist, ebay
• Technology: rechargeable batteries
• Refillable containers and cloth bags
Fig. 16-7, p. 409
 Recycling (1)
• Five major types of materials can be
recycled
1. Paper products
2. Glass
3. Aluminum
4. Steel
5. Plastics (some)
 Recycling (2)
• Primary (closed-loop) recycling
• Secondary recycling
• Preconsumer (internal) waste
• Postconsumer (external) waste
• Feasibility and marketing
 Mixed Versus Separate
Household Recycling
• Material recovery facilities (MRF)
– Can be expensive
• Source separation
– By households and businesses
– Glass, paper, metals, plastics,
compostable
 Composting
• Decomposing bacteria
• Household composting
• Organic waste collection facilities
• Successful large-scale composting
– Odor control
– Exclude toxic materials
 Individuals Matter: Recycling
Plastics
• 5% plastics recycled
• MBA Polymers, Inc – commercial
recycling process
– Mike Biddle and Trip Allen, co-founders
• Pellets cheaper than virgin plastics
• More environmentally friendly
Fig. 16-8, p. 411
 Trade-Offs
Recycling
Advantages Disadvantages
Reduces air and water Can cost more than
pollution burying in areas with
ample landfill space
Saves energy
May lose money for
Reduces mineral demand items such as glass and
some plastics
Reduces greenhouse
gas emissions
Reduces profits for
Reduces solid waste landfill and incinerator
production and disposal owners

Helps protect biodiversity

Source separation is
Can save landfill space inconvenient for some
people
Important part of economy

Fig. 16-8, p. 411

 Science Focus: Bioplastics
• Most plastics are organic polymers
produced from petrochemicals
• Bioplastics are made from plant
materials
• Biodegradable
– Composting
 Encouraging Reuse and
Recycling
• Market prices must reflect true costs
• Even economic playing field:
taxes/subsidies
• Stabilize prices for recycled materials
• Fee-per-bag waste collection
• Better-informed public
16-4 Advantages and Disadvantages
of Burning or Burying Solid Waste?
• Concept 16-4 Technologies for
burning and burying solid wastes are
well developed, but burning
contributes to pollution and
greenhouse gas emissions, and
buried wastes can eventually
contribute to air and water pollution
and land degradation.
Fig. 16-9, p. 413
 Electricity

Smokestack
Steam Turbine
Crane Electrostatic
Generator
precipitator

Wet
Furnace scrubber
Boiler

Waste Water
pit added
Bottom
Dirty
Conveyor ash water
Fly ash

Ash for treatment,

disposal in landfill, or
use as landfill cover
Fig. 16-9, p. 413
Fig. 16-10, p. 414
 Trade-Offs
Incineration
Advantages Disadvantages
Reduces trash Expensive to build
volume
Costs more than
Less need for short-distance hauling
landfills to landfills

Low water Difficult to site because

pollution of citizen opposition

Concentrates Some air pollution and

hazardous CO2 emissions
substances into
ash for burial Older or poorly
managed facilities can
Sale of energy release large amounts
reduces cost of air pollution

Modern controls Output approach that

reduce air encourages waste
pollution production

Some facilities Can compete with

recover and sell recycling for burnable
metals materials such as
newspaper

Fig. 16-10, p. 414

 Burying Solid Wastes
• Open dumps
• Sanitary landfills
• Leachates
Fig. 16-11, p. 414
 When landfill is full,
layers of soil and clay
Topsoil seal in trash
Sand Methane
storage
Clay and Electricity
Garbage compressor generator Leachate
building building treatment system

Probes to
detect
methane Methane
Methane gas
gas
leaks recovery
recovery well
well Pipes
Pipes collect
collect explosive
explosive
methane
methane for
for use
use as
as fuel
fuel
to
to generate
generate electricity
electricity
Leachate
Leachate
Compacted storage
storage
solid waste tank
tank

Groundwater
Leachate
Leachate Leachate monitoring
Garbage pipes Leachate pumped
pumped
pipes up
up to
to storage
storage tank
tank well
Sand
for safe disposal
for safe disposal
Synthetic Leachate
liner monitoring
Sand Groundwater well
Clay and plastic lining
Clay to prevent leaks; pipes
collect leachate from
Subsoil
bottom of landfill
Fig. 16-11, p. 414
Fig. 16-12, p. 415
 Trade-Offs
Sanitary Landfills
Advantages Disadvantages
No open burning Noise and traffic
Little odor Dust

Low groundwater pollution Air pollution from toxic gases

if sited properly and trucks
Can be built quickly Releases greenhouse gases
Low operating costs (methane and CO2) unless
they are collected
Can handle large amounts
of waste Slow decomposition of wastes

Filled land can be used for Output approach that

other purposes encourages waste production

No shortage of landfill space Eventually leaks and can

in many areas contaminate groundwater

Fig. 16-12, p. 415

16-5 How Should We Deal with
Hazardous Waste?
• Concept 16-5 A more sustainable
approach to hazardous waste is first
to produce less of it, then to reuse or
recycle it, then to convert it to less
hazardous materials, and finally to
safely store what is left.
Fig. 16-13, p. 415
Produce Less Convert to Less Hazardous or Put in
Hazardous Waste Nonhazardous Substances Perpetual Storage
 Change industrial Natural decomposition  Landfill
processes to reduce or
eliminate hazardous waste Incineration  Underground injection wells
production
Thermal treatment  Surface impoundments
 Recycle and reuse
hazardous waste Chemical, physical, and biological  Underground salt formations
treatment

Dilution in air or water

Stepped Art
Fig. 16-13, p. 415
 Detoxifying Hazardous Waste
• Bioremediation
• Phytoremediation
• Incineration
• Plasma arc torch
 Storing Hazardous Waste
• Deep-well disposal
– Below aquifers in dry, porous rock
• Surface impoundments
– 70% in U.S. have no liners
– 90% may threaten groundwater
• Secure landfills
Fig. 16-14, p. 417
Fig. 16-15, p. 417
 Trade-Offs
Surface Impoundments
Advantages Disadvantages
Low construction Groundwater
costs contamination from
leaking liners (or no
Low operating lining)
costs
Air pollution from
volatile organic
Can be built compounds
quickly Overflow from
flooding
Wastes can often
be retrieved if Disruption and
necessary leakage from
earthquakes
Can store wastes
indefinitely with Output approach that
secure double encourages waste
liners production

Fig. 16-15, p. 417

Fig. 16-16, p. 418
 Bulk Gas Topsoil Plastic cover
waste vent
Earth
Sand Impervious Clay
impervious
clay cap cap
clay

Water
table
Earth
Leak
Groundwater detection
system

Double leachate Plastic Reactive Groundwater

collection system double wastes monitoring
liner in drums well Fig. 16-16, p. 418
Fig. 16-17, p. 418
 Case Study: Hazardous Waste
Regulation in the United States (1)
• Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act
– EPA administers
– Cradle to grave
• Laws regulate only 5% of hazardous
wastes
 Case Study: Hazardous Waste
Regulation in the United States (2)
• Superfund
– 1980 - created
– Cleans hazardous waste sites
– Nov. 2008: 1,255 sites on list; 322 sites
cleaned
– Now broke
– Taxpayers pay for cleanup, not polluters
• Brownfields
– Turning toxic areas into parks and nature
reserves
 Dealing with Lead Poisoning
• Neurotoxin
• Especially harmful to children
– 1976-2004: number of children with
unsafe blood lead levels dropped from
85% to 1.4%
– Government banned leaded gasoline
(1976) and lead-based paint (1970)
• 100 countries still use leaded gasoline
Fig. 16-18, p. 419
 Solutions
Lead Poisoning
Prevention Control
Phase out Replace lead pipes
leaded gasoline and plumbing
worldwide fixtures containing
lead solder
Phase out waste Remove leaded
incineration paint and lead dust
from older houses
Ban use of lead and apartments
solder Sharply reduce
lead emissions
Ban use of lead from incinerators
in computer and
TV monitors Remove lead from
TV sets and
computer
Ban lead glazing monitors before
for ceramicware incineration or
used to serve land disposal
food
Test for lead in
existing ceramic-
Ban candles ware used
withlead cores to serve food
Test existing
Test blood for candles for lead
lead by age 1 Wash fresh fruits
and vegetables
Fig. 16-18, p. 419
16-6 How Can We Make the Transition to
a More Sustainable Low-Waste Society?
• Concept 16-6 Shifting to a low-waste
society requires individuals and
organizations to reduce resource use
and to reuse and recycle wastes at
local, national, and global levels.
Achieving a Low-Waste Society
• Grassroots action
• Environmental justice
• International treaties
– Basel Convention
– Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)
• Dirty dozen
 Five Principles for Achieving a
Low-Waste Society
1. Everything is connected
2. There is no “away” for wastes
3. Polluters and producers must pay for
wastes
4. Different categories of hazardous waste
and recyclable waste should not be
mixed
5. Reuse, recycle, and compost solid
wastes
 Three Big Ideas from This
Chapter - #1
The order of priorities for dealing with
solid waste should be to reduce,
reuse, recycle as much of it as
possible and to safely dispose of what
is left.
 Three Big Ideas from This
Chapter - #2
The order of priorities for dealing with
hazardous waste should be to
produce less of it, reuse or recycle it,
convert it to less hazardous material,
and safely store what is left.
 Three Big Ideas from This
Chapter - #3
We need to view solid wastes as
wasted resources and hazardous
wastes as materials that we should
not be producing in the first place.
Animation: Economic Types

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Animation: Carbon Bonds

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Animation: Resources Depletion
and Degradation

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Video: China Computer Waste

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