Every living thing produces solid waste

Transcription

1 1. Solid Waste Every living thing produces solid waste Solid waste is a natural by-product of living. Since the beginning of time, all living species, both plants and animals, have generated solid waste. This will never change. What has changed, however, is the amount of solid waste being generated and the effects of its disposal on the environment. Even though all living species generate waste, there is one species that is primarily responsible for the tremendous increase that has occurred. That species is Homo sapiens humans. The combination of our increased population and our current life style is resulting in a solid waste explosion.

2 2. Solid Waste There are Four different categories 1. Agricultural (51%) Animal manure, crop residue, and other agricultural by-products Grapefruit Rinds Sugar Cane Husks - India 2. Mining (37%) Waste rock, dirt, sand, etc. Pile of waste rocks Open Pit Mining

3 3. Solid Waste There are Four different categories 3. Industrial (10%) Scrap metals, plastics and paper trimmings fly ash waste from burning coal Scrap Metal Fly Ash Holding Pond 4. Municipal (3%) Household waste products (food, paper, plastic, rubber, etc) Garbage Truck at landfill Man Picking Through Landfill

4 4. Municipal Solid Waste Generation While the municipal solid waste (MSW) is not the largest component of the solid waste stream (only 3%), it is the sector on which we, as individuals, can have the greatest immediate impact. In 1960, Americans generated an average of 2.7 pounds (1.2 kilograms) of municipal solid waste per person per day (pp/pd). This means that the total amount of solid waste generated in the United States was approximately 88 million tons. Over the last several decades, this amount has grown considerably. In 2006, each American generated an average of 4.6 pounds of solid waste every day, equaling 251 million tons per year. Compactor Tractor like machine that reduces the volume of the materials and minimizes the amount of air in the landfill It Just Keeps Growing and Growing.. Even with the amount of waste being generated per person per day remaining the same, the United States is still increasing the total amount of waste being generated each year. How can this be???????? Human Population Growth

5 5. Municipal Solid Waste Country Comparisons Currently the United States, which has only 5% of the world's population, generates approximately 40% of the world's municipal solid waste. Americans generate more solid waste than any other country. From this list of countries, which country generates the second largest amount of municipal solid waste? From this list of countries, which country generates the least amount of municipal solid waste? What does per capita mean? Which countries are generating the most municipal solid waste per capita? Which countries are generating the least municipal solid waste per capita?

6 6. Municipal solid waste generation United States Municipal solid waste is divided into two categories Trash Useless or worthless materials which is unsightly but DOES NOT contain any odor-producing food waste. Garbage Refers strictly to animal and/or vegetable waste (organic waste) resulting from the handling, storing, preparation, or consumption of food. Trash and garbage can be further divided into specific types Which waste material is generated the most? Which garbage waste material is generated the most? Which trash waste material is generated the most?

7 7. Municipal Solid Waste - Disposal Past Present In the mid-1980s, the United States Landfill 80% of their municipal waste Recycle 11% Burn 9% Compare the information for the Past and Present. What does this information tell you about the changes in the way we ve disposed of our municipal solid waste over time? While the United States has traditionally treated all solid waste the same that is by landfilling it is becoming increasingly important to examine which materials are being thrown away and to design alternative collection and reprocessing programs for those that can be recovered and reused. In the mid-1980's, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) recognized our dependence on landfills for solid waste disposal. In 1988, the USEPA developed a solid waste management plan for state governments and the waste management industry to follow. This plan involves ranking disposal methods from the most to the least effective from an environmental and economic standpoint. If used effectively, the USEPA's Integrated Waste Management Hierarchy could drastically reduce the amount of solid waste being sent to landfills, thus extending the amount of time they would remain in operation.

8 8. Municipal Solid Waste Disposal Management Plan United States Environmental Protection Agency Management Plan (1988) Present 1988 Solid Waste Management Hierarchy Goals to reduce the amount of materials being landfilled to 55% to increase recycling to 25% to increase burning to 20% They also banned used tires, lead acid batteries (cars, trucks, boats), yard waste from landfills. Have we achieved our initial goals?

9 9. Solid Waste Management Hierarchy Source Reduction First Choice Source Reduction Source reduction means reducing the amount of solid waste entering the waste stream. It is the first level in the EPA's Hierarchy for these reasons: It involves individual consumer action It is the level that has the greatest potential for reducing the amount of solid waste we generate. Precycling Source Reduction (3 activities individuals use) Examining products for excess packaging, recyclability, durability People look for products that are recyclable or reusable, are made from recycled materials, are not over-packaged, use less hazardous chemicals, and are durable. Reducing Selecting products with less packaging and durability (30% to 50% of our municipal solid waste is from packaging) Examining Products Buying reusable plastic containers to carry school lunches is an example of reducing. Reusable plastic containers can be used over and over again while plastic and paper bags are usually thrown away each day. Reusing Finding a new way to use a product Packaging is 30%-50% of our waste Use newspapers as wrapping paper for gifts; use jars or cans to store small items like nails or screws. Also donate clothes, books, and furniture to charitable organizations. Steel food can now a pencil holder

10 10. Source Reduction - Benefits The benefits of precycling, reducing and reusing Extending the lives of landfills. Reducing the amount of air pollution released into the atmosphere from incineration. Decreasing the amount of water pollution entering our surface and groundwater supplies from landfills. Reducing the amount of natural resources consumed. Decreasing disposal costs.

11 11. Solid Waste Management Hierarchy Recycling/Composting Second choice Recycling and Composting For some of us, recycling means collecting certain types of materials (metal cans, glass bottles, plastics, newspapers, etc.), putting them in a plastic bin and placing the bin at the curb. A recycling truck comes by; a collector puts the materials in the truck and takes them away. This is called curbside recycling. Others may be more familiar with drop-off or buy-back recycling centers. We take materials to these centers, and depending on the type of center, a worker either pays us for the materials or we drop the materials into unattended bins or recycling dumpsters. Three types of recycling programs Curbside Recycling Drop-Off Dumpsters Store Drop-Offs Buy-Back Centers

12 12. The Recycling Process (steps) Step 3. Processing Recyclers are the businesses and manufactures that actually use recyclables and transform them into new products. Recyclers Companies that process and transform the recyclables into new products Step 4. Purchasing Retailers buy the new products and put them in their stores Which Step do you think is the most important? Why? Collectors Companies that collect recyclables Step 2. Collection Waste hauling companies (Rumpke) and other collection companies collect, prepare and transport the materials to the true Recyclers. Collectors use the below programs Curbside recycling Drop-Off programs Buy-Back programs Consumers Buy products from Retailer Step 1 Identification and Separation Consumer identifies and separates recyclable materials for collection. Retailers Buy products from Recycler and sell them to consumer Step 4. Purchasing Consumers purchase the new products and start the recycling process all over again. The Difference between Recycling and Reusing Recycling Recycling is taking a product through a process whereby it is physically changed and made into a new product. This process includes identification, collection, separation, preparation, and transportation to a factory where the product is physically changed (for example, a paper newspaper is collected, shredded, transported, mixed and remade into another newspaper or other paper products). Reusing Reusing is finding another use for a product without physically changing the product in any way (for example, a paper newspaper becoming packing material for packages or a cage liner for pets). There is NO process or physical change involved.

13 13. How much is the United States recycling? Tons Between what years did the recycling rate increase the most? What year did the recycling rates begin to level off? Even though the recycling rates were leveling off, the tonnages of recyclables were still increasing. Why is this happening? The amount of materials being diverted from landfills has increased every year since In 1960, 5.6 million tons of discarded residential and industrial materials were recycled and composted. This was 6.4% of the total amount of solid waste generated in that year. By 1990, this figure had increased to 33.2 million tons; a 16.2% recycling rate. And by 2003, residential and industrial recycling rates had grown 81.8 million tons; a 32.5% recycling rate.

14 14. Recycling Logos and Symbols In a way, grocery stores (or hardware or drug stores) are like a public library they have a lot of useful information in them. All products have messages on them that better inform us about what we are buying, how better to use the product, and possibly how to dispose of it properly. Sometimes these messages are actually written on the package or expressed in symbols. However, unless you thoroughly understand what a symbol stands for, do not assume what they represent. Can anyone identify a symbol and tell what it means or stands for? Symbols on Packages and Products Which symbol actually gives you information as to whether a product is recyclable or not?

15 15. Recycling Symbols? Symbols can be misleading The symbol on the right is often referred to as the recycling triangle. Many people believe that if a product has this symbol on the package, the product or container is recyclable. This is not necessarily true! Many times it is used to TRAIN YOUR EYE to look for information inside or around the symbol that will give you more accurate information. Recycling Triangle? For examples: Plastics The number located inside the triangle helps us determine whether or not the plastic product is recyclable. Metals, paper, and other types of materials and packaging A written message located beside or under the triangle usually provides information about the package. * REMEMBER * 1. Other types of environmental information can be written on the product. 2. Check with the business that collects your recyclables to make sure products claiming recyclability are in fact recyclable in your area. 3. The three-arrow triangle does not necessary mean a product is made from recycled materials or that it can be recycled. The triangle does show where information about the product can be found -- information located inside the triangle or beside it. Pepsi Can

16 16. Types of Recyclable Materials Questions Which of these materials are recyclable in your hometown? Plastics The information is inside the triangle numbers represent the type of plastic it is the letters under the triangle also tell the type of plastic it is Plastics #1 - #7 are now recyclable in Hamilton County. Percent Which material is being recycled the most in the United States? Which material being accepted in Forest Park s curbside recycling program is being recycled the most? What unit is being used in this chart?

17 17. Things to remember about recycling Remember.. Other types of environmental information can be written on the package Periodically check with your collector to see what is currently recyclable.sometimes items change. The recycling triangle does not necessarily mean a material or product is recyclable. If you don t know how or where to recycle it, it is not recyclable to you! Plastics have numbers and letters in and under the triangle. The numbers are what to look will help you tell if it is recyclable. Waste companies are the COLLECTORS! Manufacturers are the RECYCLERS! Saves landfill space Benefits to Recycling Saves energy Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100W light bulb for 4 hours Reduces the destruction of wildlife habitat Reduces pollution (air and water) Glass made from recycled glass reduces related air pollution by 20% and water pollution by 50%.

18 18. Solid Waste Management Hierarchy Recycling/Composting Composting Composting is a form of recycling that transforms discarded organic material into another useful product through the process of decomposition. Composting is a process designed to speed up this natural decomposition process. People who compost build piles of organic materials. These piles provide better living conditions for insects and microscopic organisms. If they are properly maintained, the organisms living in the pile will quickly decompose its contents into a soil-like material called humus. Decomposition A biological process in which organic material is broken down into its smaller parts. Compost Pile Therefore.. Composting increase the rate in which something decomposes. However, decomposition will occur even if you do not compost. How can this be?

19 19. Composting - Decomposition Will materials decompose even if the materials are not composted? Most definitely YES! Example # 1: To bag or not to bag That is the question! Will the cut grass still decompose if the grass is not composted? YES..In fact, many say it is better to let the grass lie If You Bag Need more $ to fertilize grass Need more time to mow grass More Non-Source point pollution (air) Minimizes food source for insects and other organism living in the soil (removes food for insects) If You Let It Lie Natural fertilizers reduces cost of yard maintenance Provides 25% of total yard s nutrient needs Reduces water pollution by commercial fertilizers and weed chemicals Cut grass and leaves provides food source for insects and other living organisms Example # 2: What happens to all the leaves that fall in the woods during the Fall season? Are they composted?

20 20. The Compost Pile (Step 1) Composting is a form of recycling that transforms discarded organic materials into another useful product through the process of decomposition. Composting basically creates an environment in which materials can decompose faster than they normally would. Compost Pile The Correct Size for a Compost Pile The KEYS TO SUCCESS is creating an environment that insulates microscopic organisms, fungi, and insects from extreme cold & heat. holds in the heat the organisms generate. THEREFORE, the minimum size for a compost pile should be 3 feet tall x 3 feet wide

21 21. Materials To Compost (Step 2) ¼ Green and ¾ Brown Stuff Green (provides nitrogen for microscopic organisms to reproduce) green grass clippings green leaves green plants vegetable and fruit scraps (lettuce, peas, beans, carrots, melons, etc.) Compost Pile Brown (provides carbon for microscopic organisms to build and maintain their cell structures) brown leaves and pine needles wood chips or saw dust shredded newspaper straw and hay cornstalks non-treated wood ash (no chemicals to keep wood from rotting) Other ingredients include: horse/cow/chicken/pig manure, coffee filters and grounds, tea bags, egg shells, vacuum cleaner lint.

22 22. Materials We DO NOT want to compost? Anything greasy or covered with oil or butter salad dressing or mayonnaise vegetables coated with salad dressing, oil or butter Any kind of dairy products cheese yogurt cottage cheese sour cream NO meats or bones NO diseased plants NO dog or cat manure Questions Compost Pile Why don t we compost materials coated in salad dressing, oil or butter? Why don t we compost dairy products? Why don t we compost meats and bones? Why don t we compost materials diseased plants? We compost horse/cow/pig and chicken manure.why not dog and cat manure?

23 23. Building and Maintaining a Compost Pile (Step 3) Building a compost pile is like making soup. Take a few obtained ingredients About ¼ Green Stuff and ¾ Brown Stuff Add water Mix well Stir occasionally Maintaining a Compost Pile If you follow the recipe, at least a 3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft pile with about ¼ Green Stuff and ¾ Brown Stuff the stuff well mixed and as damp as a squeezed out sponge Like Making and Stirring Soup! You will have the makings of a great compost pile. The microorganisms will be very happy and eating the materials in the pile. Important Like humans, microorganisms will need fresh water and oxygen in order to keep on eating. So occasionally, stir the pile and keep the pile as moist as a squeezed out sponge Microorganisms Need Water Microorganisms Need Oxygen

24 24. What Happens Inside a Compost Pile? Compost Pile Heats Up The Heat This heat is generated by the microscopic organisms as they eat the organic material. Unless the pile is periodically turned, the moisture and air that are needed to maintain this healthy environment will be used up. This lack of water and air will reduce the microscopic organisms' ability to eat. When this happens, they stop producing heat and the pile cools off. To keep this from happening, turn or mix the pile using a shovel or pitchfork. Also check the moisture content of the pile. If it is drier than a damp sponge, add water and mix it thoroughly throughout the pile. Compost Pile Heats Up

25 25. Examples of Compost Piles If Composting is Successful If the pile is maintained correctly, the material should start to get crumbly and smaller in size. The pile should also begin to smell earthy. This could begin to happen in a month or two. When this occurs, the pile is well on its way to becoming humus. Do you need a compost bin to compost? What is the composted material called? Is composting a form of recycling? Why or why not? Would you consider a compost pile an ecosystem? Why or why not?

26 26. Benefits of Composting Improves soil texture Increases soil s ability to absorb air and water Suppresses weed growth Decreases erosion Reduces need for commercial fertilizers Humus

27 27. Solid Waste Management Hierarchy Incineration/Landfilling Last Choice Incineration and landfilling Incineration is the burning of materials, in this case solid waste. Advantages Advantages and Disadvantages of Incinerators Reduces volume of waste by 80% to 90% Increase life of landfills (less waste going there) Can produce electricity Slows landfill disposal costs increases. Disadvantages Burning waste releases heavy metals and toxic gases (air pollution) Recyclable materials can be burned and lost forever Incineration Plant (Waste to Energy Plant) How can you tell this is a Waste-to-Energy Plant? Is this method of generating electricity renewable?.. Sustainable?

28 28. Solid Waste Management Hierarchy Incineration/Landfilling Open Dumping before 1979 After 1979 (sanitary landfills were required by law) Until the mid-1970's, areas where garbage and trash were disposed of were little more than unregulated, open dumps. There were no governmental or organizational guidelines from which to operate where they could be located or what types of materials were acceptable. It was not until 1976, when the U.S. Congress passed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) that a classification system was developed for various types of landfills and guidelines were established for their operation.

29 29. The Decline of Sanitary Landfill Why the decline of landfills? Landfills reached capacity, they was full Older landfills closed because they were causing environmental problems due to poor design (leachate leaking into groundwater) With increasing population comes the need for additional landfills. However, landfill designers and builders are running into people who have the Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) syndrome. People are unwilling to have a waste disposal facility located near their homes. These concerns are based on fears that: their property values will decrease, groundwater purity will be jeopardized, air quality will be negatively affected, and that increased traffic from garbage trucks will cause added traffic congestion in their community.

30 30. The Careful Design of a Sanitary Landfill New sanitary landfills must incorporate liners; either clay or plastic, to ensure that leachate does not contaminate groundwater below the landfill. Also required in sanitary landfills are monitoring wells that test for pollutants in groundwater. These wells are located on the landfill site and in the surrounding area. They continually test the groundwater to make sure leachate is not leaking through the liner and contaminating groundwater supplies. Methane ventilation/collection systems are also a part of modern sanitary landfill design. When garbage decomposes, one of the natural byproducts is methane gas. This gas is highly volatile and must be removed to reduce the risk of explosion. Vents are drilled into the landfill to either allow the gas to escape into the air or be captured for use. If captured, it is pumped to a treatment facility and, most commonly, sold to a natural gas company that will use it to heat homes. Leachate Leachate, sometimes called "garbage juice," results when rainwater seeps through the solid waste in the landfill. As rainwater filters downward, it collects a variety of toxic and hazardous substances. If it is not contained by the clay or plastic liners and treated, this contaminated water could eventually pollute groundwater supplies. Rumpke s Methane Gas Collection Rumpke, Inc. operates a landfill that accepts over 1 million tons of solid waste per year. Enough methane is produced, collected, filtered and piped from this landfill to provide energy to heat over 20,000 homes.

31 31. Daily Operation of a Sanitary Landfill A typical working day at an active sanitary landfill Trucks bringing municipal solid waste to the facility. At the entrance gate, the trucks are measured either by weight or by volume for record-keeping purposes. The trucks are directed to a specific location in the landfill where the waste is dumped each day. This area is called the "working face." Trucks unload their waste, which is then run over repeatedly by a compactor (a special type of tractor), smashing and compacting the dumped material. (The purpose of compacting is to reduce the volume of the materials and to minimize the amount of air in the landfill. Air pockets not only take up valuable landfill space, but they also serve as collection points for dangerous methane gas.) At the end of each working day, a layer of dirt (usually about six inches thick) or non-porous foam (a liquid that quickly dries and hardens) is spread over the working face. This covering helps to control rodents, minimize odors, and reduce the occurrence of air-blown litter in the surrounding area. Thick plastic liner installed before solid waste enters Garbage truck dumping load on working face Compactor packing down the waste on working face Working face daily cover Compactor packing down the waste on working face

32 32. Once the Landfill is Full Once filled to capacity, a cover or cap is placed over the entire landfill. This covering ensures that only a minimal amount of water leaks into the landfill, thereby reducing the possibility of leachate forming and contaminating groundwater supplies. Thick plastic cover over landfill Seams of cover melted together to prevent leakage Capping the top of the landfill Closed Landfill Properly Closed Landfill

33 33. Compost Pile vs. Sanitary is Full Even though compost piles and landfills are both built from piles of waste material, they are designed to act in completely different ways. What are the differences? Compost Pile Landfill 1. Needs air and water 1. Does not need or want air or water 2. Decomposition process very 2. Decomposition process very slow and inactive if properly active if properly maintained maintained Sanitary Landfills are like giant Tupperware containers. Active Compost Pile (the exact opposite design of a sanitary landfill) They are designed to keep Everything in Everything out

34 Solid Waste: The Unrealized Resource Terms and Concepts BUY-BACK CENTER INCINERATION COMPOSTING CULLET CURBSIDE RECYCLING DECOMPOSITION DROP-OFF CENTER GARBAGE HIERARCHY LEACHATE METHANE A facility that pays individuals for recyclable materials and prepares them for the manufacturer. The burning of material (solid waste). A waste management method whereby organic wastes are decomposed by bacteria, fungi, and insects to produce a humus or soil-like product. Crushed glass used to make new glass bottles and containers. Scheduled pick-up of recyclable materials at the curb, often from special containers (bins or bags). A biological process in which organic material is broken down into its smaller parts. Usually an unattended site with labeled bins or other containers for depositing recyclable materials. Refers strictly to organic (animal or vegetable) waste resulting from the handling, storing, preparation, or consumption of food. A group of things arranged in order of rank or importance. A liquid containing decomposed wastes, bacteria, and other materials, which drains out of landfills as the result of rainwater filtering through waste material. A highly volatile, colorless natural gas that is produced by the decomposition of solid waste. MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE Solid waste generated from households and small businesses. (MSW)

35 "NIMBY" SYNDROME PRECYCLING RECYCLE REDUCE REUSING SANITARY LANDFILL SOURCE REDUCTION SOLID WASTE SOLID WASTE STREAM THATCH TRASH VIRGIN MATERIALS An attitude of not wanting a waste disposal facility (landfill, incinerator, or any other facility perceived as negative) built close to one's home Not In My Back Yard. A conscious effort by consumers to examine and purchase products that have a minimal adverse affect on the environment. The collection and processing of materials used in one product, reprocessed into the same, or a different product. To generate or produce less. The use of products or containers for the same purpose or for a purpose other than the one originally intended. No reprocessing is required for reusing materials. An engineered method designed to receive and dispose of solid waste on land in a manner that protects the environment. A change in production processes or consumer habits that result in the generation of less waste. Any variety of solid materials (not liquid) that are rejected or discarded as useless, worthless, or in excess. The sum of all waste from industrial, agricultural, municipal, and mining sources produced in one year. A build-up or layer of dead leaves, stems, and grass roots between the grass and the soil. Useless or worthless material that is unsightly but does not contain any odor-producing food waste. Resources that have never before been transformed into products for human consumption.