ENVR CHAP 18

variety of strategies for both waste reduction and waste management designed to deal with the waste we produce.

Partially decomposed organic plant and animal matter used as a soil conditioner or fertilizer.

solid materials discarded by homes and businesses in or near urban areas.

Reusing parts over and over in other products. Thinking of solid wastes and pollution as potentially valuable materials and chemicals

Refuse–don’t use it

Reduce–use less of it

Reuse–use it over and over

Recycle

hazardous (toxic) waste: any liquid, solid, or containerized gas that can catch fire easily, is corrosive to skin tissue or metals, is unstable and can explode or release toxic fumes, or has harmful concentrations of one or more toxic materials that can leach out. These substances are usually byproducts of manufacturing processes.

reducing the amount of waste produced; wastes that are produced are viewed as potential resources that can be reused, recycled, or composted.

fields or holes in the ground where garbage is deposited and sometimes covered with soil. They are rare in developed countries, but are widely used in developing countries, especially to handle waste from megacities.

waste-disposal site on land in which waste is spread in thin layers, compacted, and covered with a fresh layer of clay or plastic foam each day.

burning waste

waste to energy incineration

advantages - reduces trash volume, produces energy concentrates hazardous substances into ash for burial, sale of energy reduces cost

expensive to build, produces a hazardous waste, emits some CO2 and other air pollutants, encourages waste production

using plants to remediate sites by removing pollutants from soil and water

the use of either naturally occurring or deliberately introduced microorganisms or other forms of life to consume and break down environmental pollutants, in order to clean up a polluted site.

Recycled form more useful than original item

solid waste produced by mines, factories, refineries, food growers, and businesses that supply people with goods and services.

Pre-consumer waste is basically any material that is discarded before it reaches the consumer. It might be material trimmings, faulty items, overstock raw materials, excess inventory — basically anything that doesn't make it to the consumer that is brought back into the manufacturing process to be given a new life

used electronics that are nearing the end of their useful life, and are discarded, donated or given to a recycler. Though “e-waste” is the commonly used term, EPA considers e-waste to be a subset of used electronics and recognizes the inherent value of these materials that can be reused, refurbished or recycled to minimize the actual waste that might end up in a landfill or improperly disposed in an unprotected dump site either in the US or abroad.

An undetermined amount of used electronics is shipped from the United States and other developed countries to developing countries that lack the capacity to reject imports or to handle these materials appropriately. Without proper standards and enforcement, improper practices may result in public health and environmental concerns, even in countries where processing facilities exist.

We have serious concerns about unsafe handling of used electronics and e-waste, in developing countries, that results in harm to human health and the environment. For example, there are problems with open-air burning and acid baths being used to recover valuable materials from electronic components, which expose workers to harmful substances. There are also problems with toxic materials leaching into the environment. These practices can expose workers to high levels of contaminants such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic, which can lead to irreversible health effects, including cancers, miscarriages, neurological damage and diminished IQs.

Plastics have categories based on their resin components

Not all plastic categories are as recyclable as the others

The book cites that 7% of plastics are recycled in the US – but that number is lower in 2023, it’s closer to 3%

Plastic recyclability is also dependent on facilities designed to recycle that particular type of plastic – if there are not facilities in the region, then all plastics of that particular category will be discarded and not recycled

paper

Organic compounds

Toxic heavy metals

Radioactive waste

Cleaning products, Disinfectants ,Drain, toilet, and window cleaners Spot removers ,Septic tank cleaners, Paint Products, Paints, stains, varnishes, and lacquers, Paint thinners, solvents, and strippers, Wood preservatives, Artist paints, Dry-cell batteries (mercury and cadmium), Glues and cements, Pesticides Weed killers, Ant and rodent killers, Flea powders, Gasoline, Used motor oil, Antifreeze, Battery acid Brake and transmission fluid

USA

International treaty (not ratified by the United States) drafted as a result of hazardous waste from developed nations being shipped overseas to developing countries. It requires that developing countries must give full permission to accept the hazardous waste.

reduces trash volume, produces energy, concentrates hazardous substances into ash for burial, sales of energy reduces cost

expensive to build, produces a hazardous waste, emits some CO2 and other air pollutants, encourages waste production

It doesn’t move

It is compacted and buried

It has no oxygen

Biodegradable materials

Food scraps

Metals

Gold

Copper

Glass

Lithium

Organic compounds are carbon-containing compounds

paper

land burial