Solid WasteSolid Waste

Solid WasteSolid Waste

► Unwanted/discarded material, not liquid or Unwanted/discarded material, not liquid or gasgas

► Sources:Sources: Sludge from water treatment, industrySludge from water treatment, industry Commercial & Industrial byproductsCommercial & Industrial byproducts ConstructionConstruction Municipal garbageMunicipal garbage

► An underutilized resourceAn underutilized resource► A mirror of societyA mirror of society► ““Cradle to Grave” production philosophyCradle to Grave” production philosophy

Natural Capital DegradationNatural Capital Degradation

►U.S. produces 1/3 of worlds solid wasteU.S. produces 1/3 of worlds solid waste►12 billion tons of solid waste produced 12 billion tons of solid waste produced

in the United States each year from:in the United States each year from: 75% Mining, oil, and gas production75% Mining, oil, and gas production 13% Agriculture13% Agriculture 9.5% Industry9.5% Industry 1.5% Municipal (MSW)1.5% Municipal (MSW) 1% Sewage Sludge1% Sewage Sludge

Where does it come from?Where does it come from?

► Paper is about 38% Paper is about 38% of MSWof MSW

► Yard waste – 12%Yard waste – 12%► Food waste – 11%Food waste – 11%► Plastics - 10%Plastics - 10%► Fastest growing Fastest growing

problem is ‘e-waste’ problem is ‘e-waste’ or from electronic or from electronic devicesdevices

NaturalResources

Goods andServices

Pollution, Waste and Environmental

Disturbances

P2 – Pollution PreventionP2 – Pollution Prevention

► Option - Waste Option - Waste ManagementManagement Accept high-waste Accept high-waste

society as unavoidable society as unavoidable because of economic because of economic growthgrowth

Reduce environmental Reduce environmental harm; bury, burn or harm; bury, burn or compress itcompress it

Transfer from one Transfer from one environment to environment to anotheranother

Exporting WastesExporting Wastes

►Between CountriesBetween Countries►Between StatesBetween States

New York (3,774,000 tons) ->New York (3,774,000 tons) -> PA, VA, OH, CTPA, VA, OH, CT <- <- VT, MA VT, MA

(0.16 mil tons)(0.16 mil tons)

Illinois (2,800,000 tons)Illinois (2,800,000 tons) -> -> IN, WIIN, WI <- MO, IA, IN, WI <- MO, IA, IN, WI

(1.3 mil. tons)(1.3 mil. tons) California (453,183 tons)California (453,183 tons) -> NV, WA -> NV, WA

Problem: Rise of Interstate Problem: Rise of Interstate Garbage CommerceGarbage Commerce

►1993: 14.45 million tons of 1993: 14.45 million tons of municipal solid waste crossed state municipal solid waste crossed state lineslines

►2003: 39 million tons2003: 39 million tons►Causes:Causes:

Increased generationIncreased generation Geographic distribution of landfill Geographic distribution of landfill Capacity limitsCapacity limits Consolidation of waste management Consolidation of waste management

industryindustry

Interstate Commerce - Interstate Commerce - Garbage StakeholdersGarbage Stakeholders

• Biggest Garbage Exporters• New York, New Jersey, Missouri, Maryland, Massachusetts

• Biggest Garbage Importers:•Pennsylvania, Virginia, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana

• Waste Management Companies:•Three companies gross 67% of the revenue earned for U.S. municipal solid waste management

Environmental ConcernsEnvironmental Concerns

► Diesel exhaust – air Diesel exhaust – air pollutionpollution Human health concernsHuman health concerns Environmental impactsEnvironmental impacts

► CO2 emissions– global CO2 emissions– global warmingwarming

► Highway congestionHighway congestion Increase in accidentsIncrease in accidents Increase in spillsIncrease in spills

► Inter-coastal transport Inter-coastal transport – water pollution, spills– water pollution, spills

P2 con’t.P2 con’t.

► Option - Waste Reduction Option - Waste Reduction Low waste approachLow waste approach

► Reduce consumptionReduce consumption► Redesign productsRedesign products► Eliminate or reduce packagingEliminate or reduce packaging► Recycle, Reduce Recycle, Reduce

View waste as a resourceView waste as a resource Encourage reduction and prevention Encourage reduction and prevention

(economically & legislatively)(economically & legislatively) Conserves matter (resources) and energyConserves matter (resources) and energy Reduces pollution, ecological benefitsReduces pollution, ecological benefits Can be economically beneficialCan be economically beneficial

SOLUTIONS - SustainabilitySOLUTIONS - Sustainability

► Consume lessConsume less► Redesign manufacturing processes and Redesign manufacturing processes and

products to use lessproducts to use less► Redesign industrial processes to produce Redesign industrial processes to produce

less waste and pollutionless waste and pollution► Develop products that are easy to repair, Develop products that are easy to repair,

reuse, remanufacture, compost or recyclereuse, remanufacture, compost or recycle► Design products that last longerDesign products that last longer► Eliminate or reduce unnecessary packagingEliminate or reduce unnecessary packaging► ““Cradle to Cradle” philosophyCradle to Cradle” philosophy

Reduce Use of

Natural Resources

Recover Technical Nutrients

Ecoindustrial RevolutionEcoindustrial Revolution

► ‘‘Biomimicry’ mimic natural Biomimicry’ mimic natural environment – matter is recycledenvironment – matter is recycled

►Resource Exchange between industriesResource Exchange between industries►Redevelop ‘brown fields’Redevelop ‘brown fields’►Success stories – 3M: reduced waste Success stories – 3M: reduced waste

by 30%by 30% Redesigned equipment and processesRedesigned equipment and processes Used fewer hazardous chemicalsUsed fewer hazardous chemicals Recycled more hazardous pollutantsRecycled more hazardous pollutants

Service-flow EconomyService-flow Economy

► Compare to Compare to material-flow material-flow economyeconomy

► Eco-leasing: XeroxEco-leasing: Xerox Air conditioningAir conditioning Carpets & tileCarpets & tile camerascameras

Reuse or Throw-away Reuse or Throw-away Society?Society?

► Reuse AdvantagesReuse Advantages Used in developing Used in developing

countries – saves $countries – saves $ E-Products used in E-Products used in

developed countries developed countries dismantled and re-used dismantled and re-used where labor is cheapwhere labor is cheap

Drinks in reusable Drinks in reusable containers cost less (PET containers cost less (PET plastics); saves energyplastics); saves energy

Cloth shopping bags Cloth shopping bags instead of plasticinstead of plastic

Industrial packagingIndustrial packaging

► DisadvantagesDisadvantages Potential health risks Potential health risks

when reusing food or when reusing food or water containerswater containers

Pollution and health risks Pollution and health risks from Pb, Hg, Cd, dioxinfrom Pb, Hg, Cd, dioxin

Companies make more Companies make more money selling disposable money selling disposable containerscontainers

Less convenientLess convenient Need economic Need economic

incentives and redesignincentives and redesign

RecyclingRecycling

► Preconsumer vs. Preconsumer vs. postconsumerpostconsumer

► Municipal PossibilitiesMunicipal Possibilities PaperPaper GlassGlass AluminumAluminum SteelSteel PlasticsPlastics

► US MSW recyclingUS MSW recycling Currently - 30%Currently - 30% Future - up to 60-80%Future - up to 60-80%

RecylcingRecylcing

► Primary or closed Primary or closed LoopLoop

► Secondary recycling Secondary recycling or down cycling or down cycling (tires to surfacing (tires to surfacing materials)materials)

Recycling BenefitsRecycling Benefits

► Reduce solid waste Reduce solid waste ► Reduce pollution: air, Reduce pollution: air,

water, soilwater, soil► Saves energy Saves energy

(harvesting virgin (harvesting virgin resources)resources)

► Reduce habitat Reduce habitat destruction destruction

► Species protectionSpecies protection► Saves moneySaves money

(tire disposal site on fire)(tire disposal site on fire)

Recycling DisadvantagesRecycling Disadvantages

► Source separationSource separation► Technology Technology ► Cost?Cost?► SpaceSpace

CompostingComposting

► Reduce paper, yard, Reduce paper, yard, and vegetable and vegetable wastewaste

► Currently, Currently, composting 5% in composting 5% in the USthe US

► Potential – 35%Potential – 35%► Useful as fertilizer, Useful as fertilizer,

topsoil, or landfill topsoil, or landfill covercover

Why is the US behind in reuse Why is the US behind in reuse and recycling?and recycling?

►Market price of products do not Market price of products do not include environmental costs include environmental costs

►Resource-extracting industries receive Resource-extracting industries receive more tax breaks and subsidies than more tax breaks and subsidies than recycling and reuse industriesrecycling and reuse industries

►Still cheaper here to use landfills.Still cheaper here to use landfills.►Demand and prices for recycled Demand and prices for recycled

materials fluctuatesmaterials fluctuates

How can we encourage How can we encourage recycling and reuse?recycling and reuse?

► Increase subsidies and tax breaks for Increase subsidies and tax breaks for industries choosing recycled resources industries choosing recycled resources over virgin resourcesover virgin resources

►PAUT: pay as you throwPAUT: pay as you throw►Product stewardship – industry Product stewardship – industry

responsibility for take back of products responsibility for take back of products (e-waste)(e-waste)

►Phase out use of hazardous materials Phase out use of hazardous materials when possiblewhen possible

Sanitary LandfillsSanitary Landfills

► AdvantagesAdvantages Little odorLittle odor water pollutionwater pollution Quick and easy to buildQuick and easy to build Low operating costsLow operating costs

► DisadvantagesDisadvantages Noise and trafficNoise and traffic DustDust Air pollutionAir pollution Greehouse gases (methane Greehouse gases (methane

and CO2)and CO2) Water pollutionWater pollution

IncinerationIncineration

► AdvantagesAdvantages Reduce trash volumeReduce trash volume Lowers need for landfillsLowers need for landfills Lower water pollutionLower water pollution EasyEasy

► DisadvantagesDisadvantages High costHigh cost Air pollution (dioxins)Air pollution (dioxins) Produces toxic ashProduces toxic ash Discourages recyclingDiscourages recycling

Hazardous WasteHazardous Waste

► RCRA – Resource RCRA – Resource Conservation and Conservation and Recovery Act, regulates Recovery Act, regulates 5% of hazardous waste5% of hazardous waste

► Not regulated by RCRA:Not regulated by RCRA: Radioactive wasteRadioactive waste Household wasteHousehold waste Mining wastesMining wastes Oil and gas drilling Oil and gas drilling Liquid wasteLiquid waste Small businessSmall business

Detoxifying Hazardous WasteDetoxifying Hazardous Waste

► How?How? Physical methodsPhysical methods Chemical reactionsChemical reactions BioremediationBioremediation PhytoremediationPhytoremediation PlasmaPlasma

► Where do they go?Where do they go? IncinerationIncineration Deep well injectionDeep well injection Surface Surface

impoundmentsimpoundments Secure landfillsSecure landfills NIMBYNIMBY

BrownfieldsBrownfields

► Abandoned industrial Abandoned industrial sites or other sites or other hazardous waste hazardous waste sites that are cleaned sites that are cleaned up and put to useup and put to use

► Include: old landfills, Include: old landfills, munitions dumps, munitions dumps, shooting ranges, ode shooting ranges, ode factoriesfactories

► Require: Require: remediation, soil remediation, soil reclamationreclamation

Chemical Toxins – Heavy Chemical Toxins – Heavy MetalsMetals

► LeadLead Children inhale or ingestChildren inhale or ingest Banned leaded gasBanned leaded gas Still found in paint chips from Still found in paint chips from

homes build prior to 1960homes build prior to 1960

► MercuryMercury Inhale or ingest in fishInhale or ingest in fish From burning coal and From burning coal and

incinerationincineration Bioaccumulation and Bioaccumulation and

maginification maginification

Chemical Toxins - DioxinsChemical Toxins - Dioxins

► Chlorinated Chlorinated hydrocarbonshydrocarbons

► Sources:Sources: 70% from incineration of 70% from incineration of

MSW & medical wasteMSW & medical waste Smelting, refiningSmelting, refining Forest firesForest fires

► Toxicity:Toxicity: PersistentPersistent Carcinogenic – TCDDCarcinogenic – TCDD HAASHAAS Human exposure from foodHuman exposure from food

Hazardous Waste RegulationHazardous Waste Regulation

► RCRA – Resource Conservation and Recovery ActRCRA – Resource Conservation and Recovery Act EPA identify hazardous waste and set standardsEPA identify hazardous waste and set standards Industry permits for managingIndustry permits for managing Develop ‘cradle to grave’ system, generation to Develop ‘cradle to grave’ system, generation to

disposaldisposal

► CERCLA – SuperfundCERCLA – Superfund Identify abandoned sitesIdentify abandoned sites Protect and/or clean up ground waterProtect and/or clean up ground water Identify sites for NPL – National Priorities List for Identify sites for NPL – National Priorities List for

remediationremediation Who pays? Polluter or TaxpayerWho pays? Polluter or Taxpayer