Solid Waste Management

Japan Incineration

1. Burns 75% of garbage 2. 3-10X as much dioxin in air than other industrialized countries 3. Dioxin concentrates in breast milk: increased mortality rate for infants in towns downwind of the incinerators

Garbage Responsibility?

1. Considered now to be government and consumers responsibility 2. Historically and in other countries= manufacturers

Landfills (continued)

1. Human health- 15 million people throughout the developing world earn a living collecting garbage, mostly children a. high levels of carcinogens, heavy metals and dioxins b. physically dangerous-run over 2. Environmental Justice a. Put in African American Neighborhoods b. Race was strong predictor of where landfills are 3. Low income communities have large burden of landfills a. Near industrial activities that are sources of wastes b. Characterized by lower land prices c. Fewer resources to put towards lawsuits d. Municipalities more eager for job opportunities, tax revenu or new public services

Methods of waste Disposal

Landfills, Incineration, Compost, Recycling

1987 Garbage Barge Incident

highlighted problem of waste disposal a. barge was turned away from all the coastal states and other countries b. $1 million to drive barge all around c. triggered national discussion about waste disposal- increase recycling

1982: PCB Landfill, Warren County, NC

1. Landfill for hazardous waste soil 2. selected county with highest african american population for landfill 3. Failed lawsuits=civil disobedience- 6 weeks of protest.... Environmental and social justice work together

Recycling

1. Melting and reusing materials 2. In the US, diverts 30% of solid waste stream from landfills /incinerators 3. Mostly Paper

Solid Waste Management cuts across disciplines

1. Physical disposal of garbage 2. Ecological impacts of plastic in the environment 3. Social justice of where garbage is disposed of 4. Economic incentives to reduce the use of material in the first place

History

1. Prior to 1950 all bottels were re-usable-coke introduced disposable ones which increased litter 2. Keep America Beautiful Campagin-founded by American businesses (ie Coke) 3. Shift responsibility from producers to consumers and municipalities (facilities) a. Corporations no longer take bottles back 4. Reusable bottles are promoted with deposits 5. States have bottle bills.

1979: Whispering Pines Sanitary Landfill, Houston TX

1. Proposed landfill in black community 2. lawsuit which failed but brought attention to issue

Movement towards US Cooperate Responsibility

1. Stonyfield Farms-Bottle collection bins to become toothbrushes 2. Starbucks- turned cups into paper

Incineration

1. The process of burning refuse in a controlled manner 2. Currently, about 15% of US municipal solid waste is incinerated 3. In Japan and some European countries, much higher

Source Reduction

Incentives to reduce waste 1. Plastic bags-taxes/banned plastics bags (Ireland, San Fran) 2. Design change in plastic water bottles -reduces by 25%

Plastics vs Glass

Plastics are persistent whereas glass (silica) naturally breaks down

Incineration Pros and Cons

Pro a. Reduce the amount of municipal solid waste, up to 90% by volume & 75% by weight Cons a. Increases in air quality problems b. Chlorine-based chemicals release dioxin when burned c. Ash still needs to be disposed d. Toxic substances more concentrated in ash

Recycling Pros and Cons

Pros a. Resources & energy conservation b. Job creation c. Less need for landfills and incinerators Cons a. Degeneration of materials with each use-can't turn plastic into plastic b. Increased cost to local governments

Maine Product Stewardship Law

Puts responsibility on manufacturers for disposing certain things such as electronic waste, cell phones, batteries, etc.

Definition of Solid Waste

Solid or semisolid waste material -Mining waste -Agricultural waste - Industrial waste -Medical waste -Municipal solid waste - Garbage - Toxic waste

Landfills

Traditional primary method a. Construction issue: protect water table from liquid and gas materials generated by the contents of the landfill b. typically built above an impermeable clay layer, lined with an impermeable membrane. c. Pros - cheap and convenient - Methane can be collected and used for electricity d. Cons - Take up space - Potential groundwater contamination - Methane gas production

Garbage

Underscores our consumerism a. Heart of efforts to clean environment b. average american=4.6 pounds of garbage per day

Composting

Using natural decomposition to transform organic material into compost Pro a. Can transform large quantities of organic material into compost over a short period of time b. Produces a humus-like product that can be used in gardening Cons a. limited usage: grass clipping, vegetable scraps, dry leaves, twigs, solid paper towels etc. Colby-compost to Unity, ME, were mulched and fertilizer then sold

Municipal Solid Wast

a. Waste from households, commercial establishments & institutions b. US produces ~ 210 million metric tons annually c. per capita waste has almost doubled since 1960 d. Higher standard of living/large metropolitan areas= more waste e. Mostly paper (35%) in US