Chapter 18.2 Solutions to the Solid Waste Problem

Chapter 18.2Solutions to the Solid Waste Problem • source reduction • defined by EPA as “the practice of designing, manufacturing, purchasing, or using materials (such as products or packaging) in ways that reduce the amount or toxicity of trash created” • accomplishes two goals: • 1. reduces amount of waste • 2. conserves resources • amount of waste per person reached peak of 4.5 pounds in 1990

examples of source reduction • reducing the weight of many items has reduced the amount of materials used in manufacturing • disposable diapers contain 50% less paper pulp • aluminum cans contain 1/3 of the aluminum they had 15 years ago • electronic communication and data storage has reduced paper consumption

examples of source reduction • resale and reuse of durable goods (furniture, appliances, rugs) • products are designed to last longer and repaired more easily • increase in backyard composting

recycling • more than 75% of MSW is recyclable • two levels: • primary—process in which the original waste material is made back into the same material • secondary—waste materials are made into different products that may or may not be recyclable

reasons to recycle • saves energy and resources • Ex. one ton of recycled steel cans saves 2500 lb of iron ore, 1000 lb of coal, and more than 5400 BTU of energy • Ex. one ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 6953 gallons of water, 463 gallons of oil, and 4000 kilowatts of energy • decreases pollution • Ex. making recycled paper requires 64% less energy and generates 74% less air pollution and 35% less water pollution than wood from trees

what gets recycled • paper (48% recovery) • glass (19% recovery) • plastic (5.2% recovery) • aluminum (22% recovery) • yard waste (56% recovery) • old tires (36% recovery)

municipal recycling • 6.7% of MSW recycled in 1960 compared to 30.6% in 2003 • diversity of recycling programs in U.S., ranging from curbside pickup to centers miles from residents’ homes • keys to successful programs: • 1. incentive • 2. mandatory regulations • 3. curbside pickup • 4. drop-off sites for bulky items • 5. effort is made to include local industries

paper recycling • paper is most important item in waste stream • easy to handle • amount recovered is increasing rapidly • 83% of newspaper is recovered • since 25% of trees harvested in U.S. are used for paper, recycling saves trees • key term in purchasing paper is “postconsumer” • much paper is wasted in the manufacturing process, then rerouted to back into processing • market is critical factor in paper recycling • at times, cities have had to pay to have newspapers hauled away (still cheaper than landfill fees), while other times the paper has been very valuable • lively international trade

glass recycling • nonreturnable glass containers make up 5.3% of solid waste in the U.S. and about 50% of the nonburnable portion; also make up a large portion of roadside litter • both the mining of materials and process used to manufacture beverage containers create pollution

bottle laws • facilitate the recycle or reuse of beverage containers • while every state has proposed bottle laws at some point, only 11 have passed • in every case, the proposals have met fierce opposition from beverage and container industries, as well as other special interest groups • in states with bottle laws, 75% of containers are returned • repeated attempts have been made to pass a national bottle law • opponents argue that law would threaten recent successes in curbside recycling

plastic recycling • plastics have bad reputation in environmental debate • have many uses that involve rapid use and disposal (packaging, bottles, cheap consumer goods) • conspicuous in MSW and litter • do not decompose • only two states with bottle laws include bottled water and other noncarbonated beverages • only 1 in 6 bottles were recycled in 2004

PETE and HDPE • two recyclable plastics most commonly used: • 1. PETE (polyethylene terephthalate; #1) • when recycled, turned into carpets, jackets, and new PETE bottles • 2. HDPE (high density polyethylene; #2) • when recycled, used in sheet plastic and recycling bins • in recycling process, plastics must be melted down and poured into molds; some contaminants from original containers may carry over • critics argue that recycling plastic is more expensive than starting over from scratch

regional recycling • basic sorting takes place when waste is collected • waste is then trucked to materials recovery facility (MRF) and materials are moved through facility by escalators and conveyor belts, where workers inspect and sort further • glass is sorted by color, cleaned, crushed into small pebbles, then shipped to glass companies where the recover raw materials (sand and soda ash) • cans are sorted, flattened, and sent to detinning plants or aluminum processing facilities • paper is sorted, baled, and sent to reprocessing mills • plastics are sorted based on color and type of polymer

Chapter 18.3Public Policy and Waste Management • key pieces of federal legislation: • Solid Waste Disposal Act (1965)—first attempt by Congress to regulate waste • Resource Recovery Act (1970)—gave jurisdiction over waste management to EPA • Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (1976)—gave EPA power to close local dumps and set regulations for landfills • Superfund Act (1980)—addressed hazardous waste sites

integrated waste management • source reduction, waste-to-energy combustion, recycling, materials recovery facilities, landfills, and composting all have roles to play in waste management • EPA sponsors WasteWise program which establishes partnerships with schools, local governments, and businesses to reduce waste • EPA’s PAYT program encourages “unit pricing” which charges customers for waste they dispose

Solid Waste Interstate Transportation Act • introduced in 2005 to give local and state governments the authority to limit or prohibit the import out-of-state wastes

Chapter 18.2 Solutions to the Solid Waste Problem