🌆3.2.3.6 - Urban Waste and its Disposal

Question 1

What is municipal waste?

Answer 1

Comes from municipal services and activities such as street cleaning

Question 2

What is municipal solid waste?

Answer 2

Includes solid domestic waste and commercial waste

Question 3

What are the impacts of increasing waste?

Answer 3

Multiple risks to human health, respiratory and skin problems
Air pollution due to emissions and release of methane
Contamination of water sources
Loss of recyclable resources, metals, plastics and glass

Question 4

What is a waste stream?

Answer 4

A flow of waste, from where it is created to where it ends up, in landfill, recycled etc

Question 5

What are the social issues with waste in Mumbai?

Answer 5

No method of safe disposal for E-waste, can lead to serious health issues
Large network of scrap traders who sift through rubbish and sell it
People who work breaking down PCs and monitors exposed to harmful toxic chemicals

Question 6

What is the concentration of particulate matter in the air in Mumbai?

Answer 6

2000 micrograms/m3 compared to the safe level of 150

Question 7

Which gases are in high concentration in Mumbai?

Answer 7

Carbon Monoxide

Question 8

Why is rubbish often dumped in the street in Mumbai?

Answer 8

There is no formal system for rubbish collection

Question 9

What is residential waste?

Answer 9

From single and multifamily dwellings: food waste, paper, cardboard, textiles etc

Question 10

What is industrial waste?

Answer 10

Light and heavy manufacturing: housekeeping wastes, packaging, construction and demolition materials, hazardous wastes, ash etc

Question 11

What is commercial waste?

Answer 11

Sores, hotels, restaurants: paper, cardboard, plastic, food waste, glass, metals etc

Question 12

What is institutional waste?

Answer 12

School, hospitals, prisons: paper, cardboard, plastic, food waste, glass, metal etc

Question 13

What is construction/demolition waste?

Answer 13

New construction sites, road repair, demolition, renovation: wood, steel, concrete, dirt etc

Question 14

What is municipal service waste?

Answer 14

Street cleaning, landscaping, parks, beaches, recreation: street sweepings, tree trimmings, general waste, sludge etc

Question 15

What is process waste?

Answer 15

Heavy and light manufacturing, refineries, chemical plants, power stations: Industrial process waste, scrap materials, chemical waste

Question 16

What is agricultural waste?

Answer 16

Crops, orchards, farms: food waste, agricultural waste, hazardous wastes eg pesticides

Question 17

How much electronic waste is produced in Mumbai annually?

Answer 17

19,000 tonnes

Question 18

How much rubbish does Mumbai’s population create per day?

Answer 18

8500 tonnes

Question 19

Why is waste collection difficult for low income countries?

Answer 19

It can be the single largest budgetary item, so often can’t be afforded

Question 20

What percentage of waste in lower income countries did the World Bank estimate was uncollected?

Answer 20

30-60%

Question 21

Why was Beirut in political crisis in 2015?

Answer 21

The overflowing landfill was closed and rubbish was left to pile up in the streets and rivers, leading to protests

Question 22

What are the main problems with landfills?

Answer 22

The can release leachates into the soils and give off toxic and polluting gases

Question 23

What were the government’s targets for recycling?

Answer 23

To recycle 40% of household waste by 2012

Question 24

3 Sources of Waste

Answer 24

Industrial
Commercial
Personal

Question 25

Industrial Waste

Answer 25

Manufacturing process Solvents and chemicals Can be toxic or corrosive

Question 26

Commercial Waste

Answer 26

Businesses (shops, restaurants, offices) Food, paper, plastics

Question 27

Personal Waste

Answer 27

Private homes Plastic bottles, packaging, food

Question 28

Globally, waste produced increases by ___% each year

Answer 28

7%

Question 29

2 reasons for increase in global waste

Answer 29

. Population growth . Increased personal wealth = increased consumption of goods

Question 30

Impacts of increased waste

Answer 30

. Some left uncollected . Hard for efficient collection in cities . Running out of landfill space . Air pollution from burning . Methane released . Contamination of land and water bodies . Loss of recyclable resources . High cost to collect and treat (20-50% of HIC city budget)

Question 31

What can uncollected and untreated waste cause?

Answer 31

Health problems- cholera and respiratory illness

Question 32

What’s the problem with methane?

Answer 32

Air, water, ground pollution

Question 33

Economic characteristics impacting waste generation and waste streams

Answer 33

. Developed countries have formal recycling systems . Richer consume more waste . Developed country = 2.1kg/ person/ day . Developing country = 0.6kg/ person/ day

Question 34

Lifestyle impacting waste generation and waste streams

Answer 34

. Urban > rural in waste generation (rural more organic) . More likely to recycle if facilities are easily accessible and authorities encourage it . Diet: processed food = more waste as packaged

Question 35

Attitude impacting waste generation and waste streams

Answer 35

. Throw away cultures i.e. electronics and clothing . Different attitudes towards the environment

Question 36

Difference between waste streams in HIC’s and LIC’s

Answer 36

Highly regulated in HIC’s

Question 37

How much of UK waste is recycled?

Answer 37

40%

Question 38

How much of UK waste is sent to landfill?

Answer 38

50%

Question 39

How much of Denmark’s electricity does incineration account for?

Answer 39

4.8%

Question 40

Evaluate unregulated waste disposal

Answer 40

. Cheap for disposer . Removes waste from other areas . Vermin = disease . Pollutes ecosystems . Birds and animals swallow waste- harmful

Question 41

Evaluate recycling

Answer 41

. Decreases raw material demand . Organic waste enriches soil . Doorstep wheelie bin collection safe and sanitary . Construction of new facilities . Separate collections- lorries

Question 42

Evaluate incineration

Answer 42

. Decreases amount to landfill . Generates electricity (energy recovery) . Scrubbers remove dangerous chemicals . GHG’s and air pollution . Toxic chemicals released . 10% of initial volume still needs disposing of (ash) . Constant maintenance of incineration plant

Question 43

Evaluate recovery

Answer 43

. Decreases amount to landfill . Fewer natural resources exploited . Time consuming . Potentially dangerous . Still large amount of waste left

Question 44

Evaluate burial

Answer 44

. Lined with clay to prevent leakage . Can collect gases released for energy generation . Cost-effective . Sealed and landscaped for recreational purposes . Hazardous chemicals can contaminate groundwater . Methane from decomposition = air pollution . Vermin . Lorries

Question 45

Evaluate submergence

Answer 45

. Cheap . Useful for island nations . No leakage if impermeable membrane installed correctly . Toxic chemicals- damage ecosystems . Illegal

Question 46

Evaluate trade

Answer 46

. Decreases amount to landfill . Countries could specialise in different waste disposals . LIC’s don’t dispose of hazardous waste safely = environmental damage + groundwater pollution

Question 47

How many tonnes of waste does the UK produce a year

Answer 47

30 million tonnes

Question 48

Every person in the UK throws away their…..

Answer 48

Body weight in waste every 7 weeks

Question 49

How many £ of found do UK households throws away per year?

Answer 49

£400

Question 50

Municipal

Answer 50

Belonging to a town or city

Question 51

How much does urban waste grow per year in the UK

Answer 51

3%

Question 52

In LIC’s what % of urban solid waste is uncollected?

Answer 52

30-60%

Question 53

What % of their budget do LICs spend on solid waste management?

Answer 53

20-50%

Question 54

How many tonnes of e waste are produced each year?

Answer 54

50 million

Question 55

Where is the majority of e waste from?

Answer 55

The US and Europe

Question 56

Where does the majority of e waste go?

Answer 56

Developing countries in Asia and Africa

Question 57

What government said it would declare war on who for e waste dumping and when?

Answer 57

Filipino president on Canada unless it took back the waste it had dumped in Manila between 2013 and 2014

Question 58

1986 Khian Sea waste disposal inciden

Answer 58

4,000 tons of incinerator ash was dumped in Haiti after being labelled “top soil fertilizer”

Question 59

How many tonnes of e waste id shipped globally every year?

Answer 59

4 million

Question 60

What did Malaysia do with e waste

Answer 60

Sent back 150 containers of plastic waste to 13 mainly rich countries, including 42 to the UK . The government will launch an action plan on illegal plastic importation

Question 61

Most favoured waste cycle option

Answer 61

1. Reduce 2. Reuse 3. Recycle 4. Recovery 5. Landfill 6. Incineration 7. Controlled dumping

Question 62

How much waste does the world generate annually?

Answer 62

2 billion tonnes

Question 63

Incineration

Answer 63

Can reduce waste volume up to 90%. Can be safely burned to make heat and electricity.