Solutions to the Solid-Waste Problem

18.2

Sustainability

• A huge stream of material flowing in _____ _____________, from resource base to disposal, is NOT sustainable.

• Natural _______________ depend on recycling of nutrients

• We are moving toward ______________.

• Even better-- source _____________.

Source Reduction Goals & Status

1. ________________ the amount of waste that must be managed

2. _______________ resources• Peaked in 1990 at 4.5 lbs/person• _________ highest per capita in the

world.• Consumer spending has continued to

grow, but the waste stream has _______________off.

Examples of Source Reduction

• ____________ the weight of materials

• _______ = potential to reduce paper waste

• ____________, rather than buying new, (garage sales, flea markets, etc.

• ________________ a product’s life (But cheap products don’t usually last)

• _______________ yard waste.

• Take your name off _________ _________.

The Recycling Solution

• More than ______ of MSW is recyclable material.

• ____________ recycling: a process in which the original waste material is made back into the ____________ material. Ex: newspapers

• ____________ recycling: process in which materials are made into ___________ _______________ that may or may not be recyclable. Ex: cardboard from newspapers

Why Recycle?

1. It saves ___________ and __________.– Ex: 1 ton of recycled steel cans saves 2,500

lbs. of _______ _______, 1,000 lb. of coal, and more than 5,400 BTUs of energy.

2. It _____________ pollution.• For every ton of waste processed, 620 lbs.

of CO2, 30 lbs. of methane, 5 lbs. of CO, 2.5 lbs. of _________________ matter, and other pollutants are eliminated as pollution

What Gets Recycled?

• Paper and paperboard (45% recovery)– Can be remade into ________ and reprocessed

into paper, cardboard, etc.– Finely ground for cellulose for ____________

• Most glass (19%)– Crushed, remelted, made into other containers

or fiberglass, or “_____________”

• Some plastic (5.5%)– _______ fibers, outdoor ___________ , sheet

plastic

What Gets Recycled, Cont…• Metals (25%): remelted & ______________

– Saves 90% of energy vs. _________ _______– Reduces ________ ___________ (we import it)

• Yard Waste (57%)– Can be composted to produce ____________

• Textiles (14.6%)– Shredded & used to __________ recycled paper

• Old Tires (38%)– Can be remelted or shredded to use in ______– Can be burned in _________________ facilities

Successful Recycling Programs

1. Pay As You _______ (PAYT) & free recycling

2. ____________ recycling with sanctions.3. ____________ recycling with free bins.4. Drop off sites for __________ materials5. Ambitious but _______________ goals6. Effort to involve ________________.7. ___________ and committed coordinator

Recycling Rates

Critics of Recycling

• Based on __________________• Markets for recyclable materials

_______________ wildly.• Residents often ____________ recycling.• __________ ranges from $20-$135 ton.• Critics say: If it doesn’t ____ for itself,

don’t do it.• Critics don’t take into account ______

_____________ for virgin materials.

Support for Recycling• In most areas, _______ of households will

recycle if there is _____________ pickup.

• Percentage up with _____________.– Ex: Dover, New Hampshire– Trash declined from ____ lbs. to ______ lbs/

household– Cost ______________ from $123 to $73/year– City’s solid waste management costs dropped 27%

even with ____________ ______________

Paper Recycling

• Newspapers _______________ waste stream• _______ of newspapers recycled• 25% of trees harvested in U.S. are for ______• Generally, a 1 meter _____ = pulp from

_____• Manufacturers can say product made of

recycled paper- even when it is their own ____________.

• _______________ recycled paper- paper that was used before and brought back to be recycled

Markets for Recycled Paper• Improved _________________ = virtually

impossible to tell the difference between recycled and virgin paper

• Fluctuating market– 1980s ___________: Cities had to _____ to get rid

of newspapers – 1995 _____: People would ______ out of recycle

bins– Late 90s ______: cities had to pay again, but

______________ than landfill costs

• Foreign market: – Europe & ______ purchase wastepaper from U.S.

Glass Recycling• Nonreturnable ___________ containers =

– 5.5% of solid waste _______________– 50% of _______________ portion– 90% of nonbiodegradable portion of _______

• ___________________ Costs (of not recycling) – ____________ of materials & ________________

process creates pollution– ______________ to clean litter– Broken glass _________ to people and ________

Bottle Laws• _____________ on beverage containers: retailers

____________ to accept used containers and pass them along for recycling or reuse

• Fierce _______________ from beverage and container industries– claim bottle laws = loss of __________ & higher beverage

__________

• States with bottle laws prove ___________________– More jobs __________________ than lost– Costs did not rise– Significant _______________ in can & bottle __________

• Why _______________ bottle laws not passed– Same opponents say would ____________ recycling

• But, national bottle law would reach ______ ________________– States with bottle laws report 80%-_______ return rate

Plastics Recycling

• Do not ________________ in environment- ____________ unable to digest them.

• 2 most ____________ recyclable plastics– _________(high density polyethylene) code 2– ________ (polyethylene terephthalate) code 1

• Melted down- but some ______________ from original container means can’t make food or beverage containers with it

Critics of Plastics Recycling

• Recovering plastics more _________ than starting from petroleum derivatives

• Plastics in landfills create no toxic _____________ or dangerous biogas

• Plastics ______ ___________ in combustion facilities and leave almost no ash

Materials Recovery Facility

• MRF or “_____________”

• Basic _______________ at curbside or at recycling station

• Waste _________ to MRF & sorted on 3 racks– 1st for metal _________ & ______ containers– 2nd for ____________ products– 3rd for ____________

MRF Process Continued…

• Glass– Sorted by ______ & Crushed into small _______– Shipped to glass ___________________

• Cans– Sorted, ___________________– Sent to ___________ plant or aluminum

process.

• Plastics- sorted into 4 ______________, sold• Paper-

– sorted, ___________, sent to repossessing mills

Advantages of MRF

• Economy of ______________

• Ability to make high ___________ end product

• High Tech MRFs– ______________ pulleys– _______________sensors– I___________________ can cut costs

Mixed Waste Processing

• _________________ waste just as if it were going to the landfill

• MSW loaded on ______________ belt and sorted for recyclable materials before landfill or combustion

• ________ in U.S.

Mixed Waste and Yard Trimmings

• A few facilities ___________ MSW (after removing large items and metals)

• Often, treated __________ sludge is added- provides rich source of bacteria & nutrients

• Often _______________ problems• Sometimes serious _____________• __________ trimming composting

programs more common

Public Policy and Waste Management

Chapter 18.3

Public policy: federal legislation and waste management

• Local governments used to manage ____ MSW– __________ and state agencies now regulate,

encourage, and facilitate waste management• Solid Waste Disposal Act (_______): gave

the Bureau of Solid Waste Management jurisdiction over MSW– Financial and technical, not ________________

• ___________ and Recovery Act (1970): gave the EPA jurisdiction over waste management– Directs attention to _____________ programs– Encouraged __________ to develop

management programs

More federal legislation• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

(________; 1976)– A _____________ (command-and-control) approach– The EPA can ______ dumps and set landfill regulations– Combustion facilities were covered by air pollution and

hazardous-waste regulations– States must develop ______________ management

plans

• The Superfund Act (1980): addresses abandoned _______________

• Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments (1984): the EPA sets _______________ for hazardous wastes – Closer monitoring of all landfill and combustion criteria

Integrated waste management• It is not necessary to use only one method of handling

MSW– Source reduction, waste-to-energy, combustion, recycling,

MRFs, landfills, composting all have ________

– Integrated waste management uses _________ processes

• Waste reduction: the U.S. produces the most waste– We are a “throwaway society”

– True management of MSW begins at ___________

• WasteWise: an EPA-sponsored program that partners with local governments, ____________, corporations– Partners design their own waste-reduction programs

The throwaway society

PAYT and EPR

• PAYT: people pay curbside charges for ____________ MSW– Instead of paying taxes for collection and disposal– Used by 25% of the U.S. population– 25%–45% waste reduction– 32%–59% increase in recycling– The EPA is a _______________, not regulator

• EPR: extended product ________________– Companies take ______ used items and

manufacture more _______________ goods– The EPA provides information

Waste disposal issues

• There will always be MSW– Landfilling will decrease and more MSW will go to

WTE ___________ facilities and _______________• Policy makers have opted for _________-term

solutions with low political costs– Resulting in long-distance ____________ of MSW

• Areas required to handle their own trash will find suitable landfill sites and use the best ________________– People don’t want trash from other areas– It will take an act of ________ to address this

problem

Just say no!

• The Solid Waste Interstate Transportation Act (2009)– Local and state governments could limit or

_____________ transportation of out-of-state wastes to landfills

• It is unfair that states that are working hard on managing their wastes must receive unrestricted wastes from other states

• Another policy goal: encourage more MSW ______________– The best way to handle nonrecyclable mixed

waste

Recycling and reuse

• Recycling is the wave of the _____________• Making more _____________ goods is

overlooked and underutilized• ______________ the disposal of recyclables in

landfills and at combustion facilities makes sense– Massachusetts bans yard wastes, metals, glass,

paper, and plastics• A national _____________ law would be a

giant step forward• Closing the “recycling _________” would

encourage recycling

Closing the recycling loop

• Set ______________ postconsumer levels of recycled content for newsprint and glass containers

• Require purchases of certain goods that include recycled products– Even if they are more _____________

• Require that all packaging be reusable or made of ___________ materials

• ______ credits or incentives encourage the use of recycled or recyclable materials in manufacturing

• Help develop recycling ____________