WASTE MANAGEMENT Flashcards
(17 cards)
3 types of Unwanted material or substance that results from a human activity
- Municipal solid waste - generated in our homes e.g. e-waste
- Industrial waste - generated by businesses e.g. scrap metal
- Hazardous waste - toxic, chemically reactive,
flammable, or corrosive - danger to health
what is is the fastest growing part of the waste stream
E-Waste (electronics)
- need to be disposed properly - contain hazardous materials
what is the biggest component of municipal solid waste in the US
PAPER + food waste
what is Ignitable in hazardous waste
Can catch fire
whats Corrosive
Can damage or destroy metals
whats Reactive
Chemically unstable; can explode or produce fumes
when combined with water
whats Toxic
Harmful or fatal when inhaled, ingested, or touched
who produces the most hazardous waste
industries - but it is usually highly regulated
- the waste in homes are not e.g. paint, batteries
2 types of hazardous waste
- Heavy metals e.g. mercury, lead, chromium
- Organic compounds e.g. synthetic pesticides, rubber
*these persist for a long time without breaking down
4 types of disposal practices
- Sanitary Landfills (bury the waste) - Designed to concentrate and contain waste without creating a hazard to public health
- Open Dump - piled up without a cover wherever land is available - no regard to health hazards
- Methane - Organic waste decomposes where there
is no oxygen and produces methane - used for fuel + highly flammable - Incineration - controlled process of burning waste - Remaining ash disposed of at landfill - emit toxic chemicals which can be filtered
whats the most significant hazard from a sanitary landfill
Leachate
- pollution of groundwater / surface water (waste + water = leachate)
barriers in sanitary landfills to avoid contamination and pollution
- Clay + plastic liners - limit the movement of leachate
- Surface and subsurface drainage - collect leachate
- Systems to collect methane gas
- Groundwater monitoring - detect leaks of leachate
how is waste used to make energy
waste combustion
* Waste to energy (WTE) facilities use heat from furnaces to boil water - Steam turns turbines and generators
* WTE is efficient and effective, but income from power is low and expense is high - takes many years to recoup the investment
whats the Dominant concept in current waste management
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair
- Ultimate objective of the R’s is to reduce
how can Reduction be facilitated
Better design of packaging to reduce waste - an element of source reduction
ways we can reduce waste
- Buy + donate used clothing
- Bring your own grocery bags
- Bring your own coffee mug to coffee shops
- Stop using disposable plastic bottles
- Avoid individually wrapped items
- Buy items made of recycled content
- Composting
Financial incentives to reduce waste
- imposing taxes
- “pay as you throw” - Users are charged a rate based on how much waste they produce
- “bottle bills” - get money back for returning bottles and cans
