8.3: solid domestic waste

Question 1

what is SDW

Answer 1

solid domestic waste/ municipal solid waste is our trash, garbage, rubbish from residential and urban areas

it is a mixture of paper, packaging, organic materials, glass, dust, metals, e-waste etc

waste we can control

Question 2

types of SDW

Answer 2

biodegradable (eg. food,paper, green waste)
recyclable ( eg. paper, glass, metals, batteries)
e-waste (eg. laptops, phones, fridges)
hazardous (eg. paints, chemicals, light bulbs)
toxic ( eg. pesticides, herbicides)
medical (eg. needles, drugs)
inert ( eg. concrete, construction waste)
mixed ( eg. tetrapaks, plastic toys)

Question 3

aims of a circular economy (sustainable)

Answer 3

• be restorative of the environment
• use renewable energy sources
• eliminate or reduce toxic waste
• eradicate waste through careful design

Question 4

what do producers do in a circular economy

Answer 4

they take back the products after use, disassemble, refurbish and return them back to the market

Question 5

circular economy practices

Answer 5

• recycle plastics, materials
• use efficient manufacturing
• shift taxation from labour to non-renewable energy
• do not produce waste

Question 6

how to manage SDW

Answer 6

1. minimise SDW
2. dispose SDW

Question 7

how to minimise SDW

Answer 7

1. reuse (/returned to producer)
   - returnable bottles
   - compost food waste
   - old clothes as cleaning rags
   - hire DVDs, dont buy
   - read e-books
2. reduce
   - use products in a way so they last longer
   - change shopping habits ( buy products with less packaging, made from recycled materials, domestically produced, energy efficient)
3. recycle
   - seperate bins

Question 8

strategies for waste disposal

Answer 8

• put it in landfill sites
• incineration
• anaerobic digestion
• compose organic waste

Question 9

what are landfill sites

Answer 9

-where waste is buried together
-cost is very cheap (main method of disposal)
-not close to areas with high population density, watercourses, aquifers
-lined with plastic liner to prevent liquid waste seeping through
- soil is pushed over everyday to reduce smells and pests
- fermenting organic material releases methane into the atmosphere (which may be used for energy production)

Question 10

what is incineration

Answer 10

• burning waste at high temperatures
• waste to energy: heat generated from the burnt waste is turned to steam and sent to drive a turbine which generates energy; however it is expensive
• causes air pollution ( dioxins, heavy metals, nitrogen oxides)

Question 11

what is anaerobic digestion

Answer 11

when biodegradable matter is broken down by microorganisms in the absence of oxygen. methane produced is used as fuel while the waste is used as a soil conditioner/fertilizer.

Question 12

pollution management

Answer 12

altering human activity

• reduce packaging, goods
• compose organic matter
• reuse clothes, goods etc.

controlling release of pollutant
- seperate waste
- tax disposable items
- educate/ legislate about seperation

clean up/ restoration
- reclaim landfills
- incinerate
- collect plastics