Reducing Solid WasteReducing Solid Waste

Source ReductionSource Reduction Any change in the design, Any change in the design,

manufacture, purchase, or use of manufacture, purchase, or use of materials or products to reduce materials or products to reduce their amount or toxicity before their amount or toxicity before they become MSW.they become MSW.

In the 1990’s McDonald's In the 1990’s McDonald's replaced styrofoam sandwich replaced styrofoam sandwich clamshells with paper wraps and clamshells with paper wraps and light-weight recycled boxeslight-weight recycled boxes

Changed from bleached to Changed from bleached to unbleached paper carry-out unbleached paper carry-out bagsbags

Eliminated 150,000 tons of Eliminated 150,000 tons of packaging packaging

Purchased more than $3 billion Purchased more than $3 billion worth of products made from worth of products made from recycled materialsrecycled materials

How can you reduce your How can you reduce your impact?impact?

Use both sides of paperUse both sides of paper Say NO to unnecessary bagsSay NO to unnecessary bags Don’t take unnecessary napkins at a restaurantDon’t take unnecessary napkins at a restaurant Buy products with less packaging (buy bulk)Buy products with less packaging (buy bulk) Use dish towels instead of paper towelsUse dish towels instead of paper towels Use rechargeable batteriesUse rechargeable batteries Buy items that are re-useable or last longerBuy items that are re-useable or last longer Avoid single use items. Ex. Paper plates, Avoid single use items. Ex. Paper plates,

plastic cupsplastic cups Don’t buy things you don’t needDon’t buy things you don’t need

Recycle as a last resortRecycle as a last resort

Recycling – reusing materials or Recycling – reusing materials or recovering valuable materials from waste recovering valuable materials from waste or scrap.or scrap.

Making products from recycled materials Making products from recycled materials uses less energy, resources and water.uses less energy, resources and water.

It still takes energy (from fossil fuels) to It still takes energy (from fossil fuels) to recycle!recycle!

What can you recycle?What can you recycle?

CansCans – uses 95% less energy than – uses 95% less energy than mining oremining ore

PaperPaper – more than 30% of waste – more than 30% of waste businesses send to landfill is paper that businesses send to landfill is paper that could be recycledcould be recycled

Our school uses …Our school uses … Take your name off Junk mailing lists Take your name off Junk mailing lists GlassGlass

The plastic recycling The plastic recycling mythmyth

When plastic is recycled the quality of the When plastic is recycled the quality of the plastic is reducedplastic is reduced

Plastic is recycled into non-recyclable Plastic is recycled into non-recyclable secondary items (carpets, insulation, toys, secondary items (carpets, insulation, toys, fiberfil)fiberfil)

The life of the plastic is extended, but it The life of the plastic is extended, but it ultimately still ends up in landfillultimately still ends up in landfill

Recycling plastic does not significantly reduce Recycling plastic does not significantly reduce the consumption of natural resourcesthe consumption of natural resources

Open Loop Plastic Open Loop Plastic RecyclingRecycling

CompostingComposting

Yard waste can take up Yard waste can take up 15% of landfill space15% of landfill space

All this can be broken All this can be broken down at home and used down at home and used as a garden fertilizeras a garden fertilizer

Oxygen and moisture Oxygen and moisture help microbes break help microbes break down waste to produce down waste to produce compostcompost

Hazardous wasteHazardous waste IgnitableIgnitable: easily catches : easily catches

firefire Corrosive: Corrosive: corrodes corrodes

metals in storage tanksmetals in storage tanks ReactiveReactive: Chemically : Chemically

unstableunstable ToxicToxic: harmful to human : harmful to human

health if inhaled, health if inhaled, ingested or in contact ingested or in contact with skinwith skin

Households Households produce the largest produce the largest amount of amount of unregulated unregulated hazardous wastehazardous waste

Paints, batteries, Paints, batteries, lubricants, lubricants, cleaners, pesticidescleaners, pesticides

E-WasteE-Waste

130 million cell phones are thrown away 130 million cell phones are thrown away each yeareach year

130 000 computers are thrown away 130 000 computers are thrown away every day in the U.S.every day in the U.S.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/06/60minutes/main4579229.shtml

First aired: Nov. 9First aired: Nov. 9thth 2008 2008

Hazardous WasteHazardous Waste

Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976) requires producers of hazardous waste (1976) requires producers of hazardous waste to keep a record of how their waste is handled to keep a record of how their waste is handled and disposed of from “cradle to grave.”and disposed of from “cradle to grave.”

If it causes a problem in the future then the If it causes a problem in the future then the company is legally responsible.company is legally responsible.

The high cost of disposal has led to illegal The high cost of disposal has led to illegal dumping…in developing nations despite the dumping…in developing nations despite the Basel Convention Basel Convention designed to prevent such designed to prevent such cases.cases.

The Love CanalThe Love Canal

““One of the most appalling environmental One of the most appalling environmental tragedies in American History” EPA 1979tragedies in American History” EPA 1979

Hazardous waste managementHazardous waste management

Bacterial bioremediationBacterial bioremediation Phytoremediation (plants)Phytoremediation (plants) Hazardous waste landfills (stricter Hazardous waste landfills (stricter

standards than on ordinary landfill)standards than on ordinary landfill) Surface impoundments for liquid waste Surface impoundments for liquid waste

(shallow ponds lined with plastic and (shallow ponds lined with plastic and clay) Liquid evaporates, solid is removed clay) Liquid evaporates, solid is removed and disposed ofand disposed of

Hazardous waste management Hazardous waste management continued:continued:

Deep-well injection: Deep-well injection: waste deposited waste deposited beneath the water beneath the water table into porous rocktable into porous rock

BUT: it is expensive, BUT: it is expensive, waste may leak from waste may leak from the well shaft into the well shaft into groundwater, wells groundwater, wells can corrodecan corrode

The Superfund Act (1980)The Superfund Act (1980) AKA: Comprehensive Environmental Response AKA: Comprehensive Environmental Response

and Liability Act (CRECLA)and Liability Act (CRECLA) Goal: to clean up sites polluted with hazardous Goal: to clean up sites polluted with hazardous

waste from past activities using the polluter pays waste from past activities using the polluter pays principleprinciple

Created a tax on chemical and petroleum Created a tax on chemical and petroleum companies…this has since expiredcompanies…this has since expired

Finding the responsible parties has not been easyFinding the responsible parties has not been easy Cleanup costs around $25M and takes 12-15 Cleanup costs around $25M and takes 12-15

years!!!years!!!