Solid Domestic Waste
Solid Domestic Waste. Objectives: Outline the types of solid domestic waste Describe and evaluate pollution management strategies for solid domestic waste. Domestic Waste. Waste is material which has no value to its producer.
Solid Domestic Waste
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Solid Domestic Waste Objectives: Outline the types of solid domestic waste Describe and evaluate pollution management strategies for solid domestic waste
Domestic Waste • Waste is material which has no value to its producer. • Americans produce nearly 3 kg per capita of waste per day. (according to the EPA)
Domestic Waste • Include the following categories • Sewage • Run-off from roads and lawns • Landfill • Air (incineration) • Paper, glass, metal, plastics, packaging • Organic waste from kitchen • Anything not related to industry
Types of Waste • Solid waste (paper, glass, plastics, metals) • Disease causing agents (bacteria, viruses) • Oxygen demanding waste (BOD) • Water soluble inorganic chemicals (acids, salts, mercury, lead) • Inorganic plant nutrients (nitrates, phosphates) • Organic chemicals (oil, gasoline, cleaning products, pesticides) • Sediments (soil, silt) • Thermal pollution
Pollution management strategies • Reduce • Reuse • Recycle
Reduce • Use less!
Reuse • Reusing means the product is not waste. • E.g. reusable water bottles, cloth grocery bags
Recycle • Involves • Collecting • Separating • What ends up being recycled depends on economics • How valuable is the material? • Aluminum cans have a high cost of production so recycling is worthwhile economically. • A recycled aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for 3 hours!
Disposal of Waste • If waste materials are not recycled or reused, there are 2 options • 1. landfill • 2. incineration
Landfills • Main method of disposal • Waste is taken to a site and buried. • Hazardous waste can be buried along with everything else • What do you think would need to be considered when choosing a landfill site?
MAPLE Valley landfill • Where your trash goes
Landfills • Liners prevent leachate from seeping out
How Many Years? • How long do you think these objects take to break down in a landfill? • Disposable diaper • 500-600 years • Cotton T-shirt • 6 months • Leather belt • 50 years • Styrofoam cup • 1 million years • Glass Bottle • 1 million years
How Many Years • Plastic Bottle • 1 million years • Paper Bag • 2 months • Banana Peel • 1 month • Aluminum can • 500 years • Block of Wood • 10 years
Incinerators • Burn waste at high temps up to 2000 ºC • Some incinerators are hooked up to turbines that create electricity • Called waste-to-heat energy incineration • Some incinerators don’t capture heat • Causes air pollution • Release of dioxins (plastics) • Heavy metals (batteries) Waste to heat energy incinerator in Italy
Organic Waste • Composting • Can be used for fertilizers