8.9
Answer B Correct. Compared to the other choices, wood does not make up the largest percentage of MSW, but it is the best candidate for incineration because it is easily combustible and has less harmful air pollutants than other materials.
Incineration is one solution to reduce the volume of municipal solid waste. Municipal solid waste can be used to produce energy at waste-to-energy plants. Based on the data in the graphs, which of the following materials would be best suited for incineration to reduce total volume, produce energy, and have minimal release of air pollutants? A Glass B Wood C Metals D Plastics
tires, recyclables, electronics, appliances, paints
Items not allowed in landfills
NIMBY
Not In My Backyard attitude. People don't want things like landfills to be put where they live.
municipal solid waste (MSW)
Solid materials discarded by homes and businesses in or near urban areas.
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The Great Pacific garbage patch, also described as the Pacific trash vortex, is a gyre of marine debris particles in the central North Pacific Ocean discovered between 1985 and 1988.
Superfund Act
The common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA); a 1980 U.S. federal act that imposes a tax on the chemical and petroleum industries, funds the cleanup of abandoned and nonoperating hazardous waste sites, and authorizes the federal government to respond directly to the release or threatened release of substances that may pose a threat to human health or the environment.
Siting
The designation of a landfill location, typically through a regulatory process involving studies, written reports, and public hearings.
Incineration
The process of burning waste materials to reduce volume and mass, sometimes to generate electricity or heat
ash
The residual nonorganic material that does not combust during incineration
tipping fee
a fee charged for disposing of material in a landfill or incinerator
Storm water collection
aptures and retains stormwater for beneficial use at a different time or place than when or where the stormwater was generated
clay cap
clay-soil mixture used to cover the landfill once it's full; keeps out animals, keeps in smell, and allows vegetation to regrow
Brownfields
contaminated industrial or commercial sites that may require environmental cleanup before they can be redeveloped or expanded
e-waste
discarded electronic equipment such as computers, cell phones, television sets, etc.
plants, nutrients, water, energy
ecological system inputs
waste
ecological system outputs
hazardous waste
liquid, solid, gaseous, or sludge waste material that is harmful to humans or ecosystems
methane collection system
methane is extracted from a landfill (produced in closed cells) and burned off or collected for use as fuel
Leachate
polluted liquid produced by water passing through buried wastes in a landfill
plastic liner
prevents soil and water contamination
closed-loop recycling
recycling a product into the same product
open-loop recycling
recycling one product into a different product
waste stream
the flow of solid waste that is recycled, incinerated, placed in a solid waste landfill, or disposed of in another way
planned obsolescence
the strategy of deliberately designing products to fail in order to shorten the time between purchases
reuse
using a product or material that was intended to be discarded
D.
(A) Safe Drinking Water Act (B) Clean Water Act (C) Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) (D) Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (E) Toxic Substances Control Act Establishes cradle-to-grave tracking of hazardous waste A Safe Drinking Water Act B Clean Water Act C Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) D Resource Conservation and Recovery Act E Toxic Substances Control Act
waste-to-energy system
A system in which heat generated by incineration is used as an energy source rather than released into the atmosphere
leachate collection system
A system that collects fluid that leaches from the trash to treat the liquid on the bottom.
source reduction
An approach to waste management that seeks to cut waste by reducing the use of potential waste materials in the early stages of design and manufacture.
sanitary landfills
An engineered ground facility designed to hold municipal solid waste (MSW) with as little contamination of the surrounding environment as possible.
Answer C Correct. A single-stream recycling program allows for individuals to throw all recyclable waste, such as paper, glass, and plastic, into one large recycling bin. This would reduce any work required by individuals to prepare waste for recycling, thus making it easier for individuals to recycle.
Based on the data in the graphs, which of the following strategies would best increase the total volume of municipal solid waste being recycled? A Free or low-cost pickup of grass trimmings by municipal waste haulers B Increased use of plastic packaging for consumer products C Enacting a single-stream recycling program and providing bins to residential homes D Digitization of news and use of e-mail for communication
Answer A Correct. Composting of municipal solid waste, like yard trimmings and food waste, which make up a significant portion of total MSW, would result in a largest reduction in the volume of wastes sent to landfills.
Based on the data in the graphs, which of the following would result in the largest reduction in volume of municipal solid waste disposed of in landfills? A Introduce composting programs for yard trimmings and food waste B Increase programs to recycle glass and metals C Promote reusing plastics and wood products D Increase funding to clothing donation programs
recycling
Convert waste into reusable material.
composting
Creation of organic matter (humus) by decomposition under controlled conditions to produce an organic-rich material that enhances soil structure, cation exchange capacity, and fertility.
Solid waste Pollution:
Garbage and Sludge --Great Pacific Garbage Patch
