Urban waste

Question 1

What are the economic impacts of urban waste?

Answer 1

• high cost of waste management systems, through transport and treatment
• creates jobs in the waste management industry
• property value near to waste management sites will decrease

Question 2

What are the impacts of waste on the global environment?

Answer 2

• decomposition of hazardous waste can release harmful greenhouse gases
• improper disposal can lead to water pollution and a lack of clean drinking water
• habitat destruction through landfill sites

Question 3

What are the impacts of waste on health?

Answer 3

• leads to air pollution when waste is burned - respiratory problems
• hazardous substances can contaminate water and lead to water-borne illnesses

Question 4

What are the impacts of waste on city authorities?

Answer 4

• large cost for management of waste eg. transport, treatment and disposal
• air pollution that cities must try to mitigate eg. implementation of sustainable strategies

Question 5

What are the impacts of landfill sites?

Answer 5

• contamination of surrounding environment and destruction of habitats
• conflicts with existing residents who do not want to live near landfill sites
• conflict over land use eg. more important purposes such as industry

Question 6

What is resource recovery?

Answer 6

separating materials from waste that can be recycled into new products or used as an energy alternative to fossil fuels

Question 7

What is recycling?

Answer 7

converting waste into reusable materials

Question 8

What is the global waste trade?

Answer 8

international trade of waste between countries for further treatment, disposal or recycling. Toxic or hazardous waste is often imported by developing countries from developed countries

Question 9

What is incineration?

Answer 9

The process of burning hazardous materials at temperatures high enough to destroy contaminants

Question 10

What is energy recovery?

Answer 10

the conversion on non-recyclable waste materials into useable heat, electricity or fuel

Question 11

What is landfill?

Answer 11

a system of trash and garbage disposal in which the waste is buried between layers of earth to build up low-lying land

Question 12

What are the types of waste disposal?

Answer 12

unregulated eg. fly-tipping
trade eg. from HIC’s to LIC’s
dumped into oceans (submergence)

Question 13

What are the advantages and disadvantages of landfill?

Answer 13

advantages
- facilities properly cited
- necessary controls
- waste ordered
- different types of waste accepted

disadvantages
- unsightly - opposition from neighbours
- takes up much space
- decaying matter releases methane
- high transport costs

Question 14

What are the advantages and disadvantages of incineration?

Answer 14

advantages
- can reduce volume of waste by 90%
- inactive disease agents
- reduce toxicity of waste
- incinerator ash recycled as second aggregate

disadvantages
- expensive
- not all waste is combustable
- air pollution and ash disposal
- capacity limitations
- unpopular with locals

Question 15

Facts about landfill in LONDON?

Answer 15

• 751,000 tonnes waste goes into landfill each year
• capacity of landfill is expected to run out by 2026
• London produces 1.75 million tonnes food waste a year - most goes into landfill or incineration
• collected waste to landfill has reduced from 65% to 20%

Question 16

Facts about incineration in LONDON?

Answer 16

• incineration of authority collected waste has doubled from 900,000 tonnes in 2011 to 1.8 million tonnes in 2016, producing 560,000 tonnes CO2 emissions

Question 17

What is the London waste management strategy aiming to do?

Answer 17

• achieve 0 municipal waste direct to landfill
• reduce household waste from 970kg to 790kg per household (20% reduction)
• recycle or compost at least 45% municipal waste
• cut greenhouse gas emissions

Question 18

What are waste streams?

Answer 18

flows of specific waste, from its source through to its recovery, recycling or disposal

Question 19

What is the pyramid of waste?

Answer 19

Disposal
Energy recovery
Recycling
Reuse
Reduce
Prevention

Question 20

How does level of development impact waste?

Answer 20

• quantity eg. LIC’s produce less waste due to less manufacturing
• components eg. LIC’s - organic and agricultural, NEE’s - manufactured products, HIC’s - municipal waste (waste produced by people)

Question 21

What are the different attitudes towards waste?

Answer 21

LIC’s - bigger priorities like healthcare and education

NEE’s - more concerned about creating jobs and wealth for the country

HIC’s - luxury concern - important to the population