3.4) Waste

Question 1

• Why has global waste production INCREASED?

Answer 1

1. A rising population (about 0.6% per annum) will naturally create more waste 👪
2. An overreliance on packaging.
   ➞ Some of this is necessary to protect perishable foods, but much of it is due to sales and marketing strategies 📦
3. The constant replacing of technology with the latest trendy gadgets.
   ➞ This is known as “psychological obsolescence”, where we often replace perfectly working mobile phones or other electronic goods with the latest models, creating a mountain of electronic waste 📱
4. A historical reluctance to recycle and the convenience of using landfill sites.
   ➞ Germany, with a population 25% larger than the UK, produces only a tenth of our waste 🗑️

Question 2

• What is a Life Cycle Analysis?

Answer 2

• A Life Cycle Analysis is the investigation and evaluation of the total environmental impact of a given product or service.

Question 3

• What is the PURPOSE of a Life Cycle Analysis?

Answer 3

• A Life Cycle Analysis examines the total environmental impact of a product through every step of its life, from obtaining raw materials to disposal.
  ➞ It is a systematic process, identifying and quantifying all inputs (materials, energy, fuels) and outputs (products, waste, emissions) for a whole life cycle or for individual stages.
  ↳ Manufacturers can then evaluate the results and consider where changes might be made.

Question 4

• What are the Circular and Linear Economic Models?

Answer 4

• The traditional model of economic development is described as linear; where products are made, used and then disposed of.
• The circular economy has been devised as an alternative to the ‘take, make,
  dispose’ nature of the linear model as a solution to waste generation.

Question 5

• Define globalisation.

Answer 5

• Globalisation is the process by which businesses or other organisations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale (the free movement of goods, services and people across the world).

Question 6

• Define supply chain management.

Answer 6

• Supply chain management in commerce is the management of the flow of goods and services, involves the movement and storage of raw materials of work-in-process inventory, and of finished goods from point of origin to point of consumption.
• It’s the broad range of activities required to plan, control and execute a product’s flow, from acquiring raw materials and production through distribution to the final customer, in the most streamlined and cost-effective way possible.
• (Therefore, as the rate of products being made and then transported across the world increases, more waste is generated via packaging etc.)

Question 7

• What is TECHNOLOGICAL OBSOLESCENCE?

Answer 7

• Technological obsolescence
  is when a technical product (e.g. mobile phone/laptop) or service is no longer needed or wanted even though it could still be in working order.
• Technological obsolescence generally occurs when a new product has been created to replace an older version.

Question 8

• What is PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE?

Answer 8

• Planned (or programmed) obsolescence refers to the deliberate shortening of a product’s useful life by the manufacturer in order to increase consumption.
• Planned obsolescence is a serious environmental problem for the planet.
  ➞ Every year, up to 50 million tonnes of electronic waste are generated, a very high percentage of which - around 85% - is usually discarded randomly, ending up in waste tips in developing countries, creating a risk for the environment and the health of people, plants and animals.

Question 9

• What is PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSOLESCENCE?

Answer 9

• Psychological obsolescence
  is when a consumer is persuaded that they need a new product even when their existing product is working well.

Question 10

• What is the PURPOSE of packaging?

Answer 10

• Packaging is used to facilitate transport and storage of products to protect them from damage.
  ➞ It is used to display products such as food and technological gadgets.
  ↳ Packaging protects against unnecessary waste, but is itself considered waste.
• Pressure from government and society is forcing the packaging industry to consider how its products can be made more sustainable.
  ➞ In addition to reducing the volume of packaging, focus is on the use of renewable energy in sourcing, manufacturing, transporting and recycling processes; use of renewable or recycled source materials; and amending production practices.

Question 11

• What is the PURPOSE of the waste hierarchy?

Answer 11

• The waste hierarchy ranks waste management options according to what is best for the environment.
• It gives top priority to preventing waste in the first place.
  ➞ When waste is created, it gives priority to preparing it for re-use, then recycling, then recovery, and last of all disposal (e.g. landfill).

Question 12

• What are the PREVENTION strategies in the waste hierarchy? (No. 1)

Answer 12

• Preventing waste means reducing the amount of waste generated, reducing the hazardous content of that waste and reducing its impact on the environment.
• It is based on a simple concept: If you create less waste, you consume fewer resources and you don’t have to spend as much money to recycle or dispose your waste.
  ➞ (For instance, repairing your old bicycle instead of buying a new one is a perfect way to reduce waste)

Question 13

• What are the MINIMISATION strategies in the waste hierarchy? (No. 2)

Answer 13

• Minimising waste means checking, cleaning or repairing recovery operations, by which products or components of products that have become waste are prepared so that they can be re-used without any other pre-processing.

Question 14

• What are the REUSE strategies in the waste hierarchy? (No. 3)

Answer 14

• Reuse means any operation by which products or components that are not waste are used again for the same purpose for which they were conceived.

Question 15

• What are the RECYCLE strategies in the waste hierarchy? (No. 4)

Answer 15

OPEN LOOP RECYCLING:
* In open loop recycling, a loss of quality often occurs with each recycling cycle, limiting the number of times the material can be recyled.
➞ An example is plastic, which is reprocessed into a lower grade product each time. Eventually, it will not be recycable and will become waste.

CLOSED LOOP RECYCLING:
* In closed loop recycling, a product can be recycled indefinitely back into itself without any impact on its quality.
➞ An example is aluminium, where recycling aluminium requires approximately 5% of the energy to produce it from bauxite, reducing waste, resource depletion and anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions.

Question 16

• What are the ENERGY RECOVERY strategies in the waste hierarchy? (No. 5)

Answer 16

• Energy recovery is a waste treatment process that involves the burning or incineration of waste materials.
• In the UK, around 10% of waste products are incinerated, although in Scotland this is much lower (around 3%).
• Most of the waste that is burned is used to produce electricity, in a similar way in which coal and oil fired power stations work.
• This process is known as ‘waste-to-energy’ (WtE).

Question 17

What are the DISPOSAL strategies in the waste hierarchy? (No. 6)

Answer 17

• Disposal means any operation which is not recovery, even where the operation has a secondary consequence, the reclamation of substances or energy.
  ➞ If disposal strategies are to be used, often this results in the use of landfills.
• The burying of waste as landfill, usually in disused quarries or pits, is a common approach to waste disposal in most countries. The UK has over 4000 landfill sites which recieve 50 million tonnes every year.

Question 18

• What is the environmental impact of waste on AIR QUALITY?

Answer 18

• The management of waste has been poor and includes the incineration of waste which releases harmful substances into the air that impact the environment/atmosphere.
• The breakdown of waste management sites, like landfills, release methane (a greenhouse gas).

Question 19

• What is the environmental impact of waste on WATER QUALITY?

Answer 19

• There is a possibility of water runoff from landfill sites that may pollute nearby waterways.
• The discharge of sewage and other forms of waste into water bodies contain chemicals (i.e., nitrates and phosphorous) which stimulate the growth of algae that reduce oxygen levels, killing aquatic life.

Question 20

• What is the environmental impact of waste on LANDSCAPE?

Answer 20

• The creation of waste management sites (e.g., landfills) can be seen as an eyesore to the environment.
• The mismanagement of landfill sites attracts vermin and pests.

Question 21

• What is the environmental impact of waste on MARINE ENVIRONMENT?

Answer 21

• Waste (or ‘marine debris’) can injure or kill marine and coastal wildlife and degrade habitats.
• Microplastics broken from plastic waste can be absorbed by marine wildlife, absorbing toxins which have the ability to block the digestive tract in some specific species, leading to starvation.

Question 22

• What is the environmental impact of waste on BIODIVERSITY?

Answer 22

• Habitat loss and degradation are incurred from the pollution of landfill sites.
• In marine environments, plastics pose a serious threat to biodiversity with the impact of microplastics.

Question 23

• What is environmental impact of waste on CLIMATE CHANGE?

Answer 23

• Solid waste contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions.