Understanding Solid Waste Management and Consumption Patterns in the U.S.
The average U.S. citizen's solid waste consumption over a 70-year lifespan results in staggering numbers: 623 tons of fossil fuels, 613 tons of sand and stone, 26 million gallons of water, and 51 tons of metals, among others. Major waste categories include agricultural (56%), mining (34%), industrial (6%), and municipal (4%). The proper disposal of these wastes is crucial to minimize environmental harm, including innovative approaches like recycling and waste-to-energy conversion. Understanding these patterns is vital for improving waste management efforts and promoting sustainability.
Understanding Solid Waste Management and Consumption Patterns in the U.S.
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Presentation Transcript
Consumption for Average U.S. Citizen over a 70 year life span • 623 tons coal, oil, natural gas • 613 tons sand, gravel, stone • 26 million gallons of water • 21,000 gallons of gasoline • 51 tons of metals • 50 tons of food • 48 tons of wood • 19 tons of paper • 5.2 tons of syn. Plastic, rubber, fibers • 5 tons fertilizer
Waste for Average U.S. Citizen over a 70 year life span • 840 tons of agricultural waste • 823 tons of garbage, industrial & mining wastes • 7 million gallons polluted water • 70 tons of air pollutants • 19,250 bottles • 19,000 cans • 7 automobiles
Major categories of U.S. Solid Waste Agricultural Waste Mining Waste Industrial Waste Municipal Waste
Major categories of U.S. Solid Waste Agricultural Waste 56% Mining Waste 34 % Industrial Waste 6% Municipal Waste 4%
Components of Agricultural Waste • Crop residues – anything that is not harvested and used for food, fiber or energy • Animal wastes – includes manures and carcasses • Pesticide & Herbicide residues • Old equipment and fuel residues
How can these be disposed of? • Crop residues – composting, plowing into the soil (increases organic matter), or burning • Animal wastes – composting, fertilizers, pyrolysis • Heating under very high temperatures and pressures to get oil • Other wastes are landfilled or disposed of insitu
Components of Mining Waste • Tailings!
Why are there so many tailings • When you find the ore you are interested in, it will be combined with other rocks, not as pure form. • After you dig up the raw ore, it is pulverized and the material of interest is extracted, leaving behind the tailings • The purest ore that is found is taconite, a form of iron. Its concentration is 30%, leaving 70% tailings! • Most ores contain 1% or less of the material of interest.
Why are there so many tailings, continued Strip mines make even more tailings than under- Ground mines. Left over soil can become tailings here along with Mining ‘waste’.
Legislation and efforts to reclaim mining areas • 1977 – Surface mining control and reclamation act (one of the first efforts) • Land must be restored to its original contours and use • Mining banned on prime agricultural land • Effects on local watersheds must be minimized
What can be done with tailings? • Because of their thin, powdery nature, this is tricky – also contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, zinc, cadmium, etc. These are toxic. • Ceramics – especially high temperature tiles for furnaces • Road surface materials • Building materials (e.g. concrete blocks)
What can be done with tailings? • Only specific tailings can be used for a specific purpose due to their complex chemistry. • Some tailings can contain radioactive compounds like radon and must therefore be used with extreme care!
Components of Industrial Waste • This is where we think of things such as chemical waste, toxic wastes, etc. • The EPA estimates that only 10% of toxic wastes are disposed of properly. • Some of these wastes are getting into local drinking water supplies, food supplies, and ecosystems……..
1927 Arrow Shows Canal Location
History of Love Canal • 1942 – 1952 Hooker Chemical dumped 21,000 tons of chemicals in the old canal in steel drums and then covered them with fill dirt. • This was legal at the time. • 1953 Hooker forced to sell canal area to Niagara School Board for $1! • Did so under duress – stated that canal area was NOT safe! • School board had several realtors on it.
History of Love Canal • Between 1953 and 1977 an elementary school and 239 homes were built on or near the canal, followed by a major subdivision of 710 homes • 1977 extremely heavy rains – chemicals start leaching into basements • In the meantime the area had higher than normal rates of cancers and birth defects
1980 Canal Note homes built next to and near canal.
History of Love Canal • 1978 – residents evacuated from canal area after over 200 different compounds are found • New York State spends $37 million relocating the 239 families closest to canal • Federal government relocates the remaining 710 families • RCRA begins
You Betcha! • Look at the handout • Go over the flow chart
Municipal Wastes • These can also be hazardous! • Therefore, as of October 9, 1993, solid waste facilities will be constructed as… Methane collection system
How else can municipal waste be disposed of? • Incineration • Waste to energy programs • Burn waste and generate steam to power an electric power plant • Burn methane from waste in city vehicles or to make electricity
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle • Since waste in the U.S. is primarily paper, a large proportion of it can be recycled • If it not contaminated with food or covered with the clay-based inks seen in “shiny” magazines, etc. • With the amount of yard waste in Norman being reduced by the compost facility, citizens get a rebate from state government on their bill every month
