Cue 8 Urban Waste

Question 1

List the 3 types of waste in urban areas

Answer 1

1 industrial waste - any waste that has been produced in manufacturing or industrial activity eg scrap metal, solvents and chemicals
2 commercial waste - waste produced by a business eg food, cardboard plastic
3 personal waste - produced by private homes eg plastic bottles, food packaging, paper

Question 2

Globally what are the main components of waste

Answer 2

Organic materials 46%
Paper 17%
Plastic 10%
Glass 5%

Question 3

What is a waste stream

Answer 3

The flow of waste from its origin to its eventual disposal

Question 4

What happens to waste

Answer 4

1 recycled
2 broken down into component parts and each part disposed of separatly

Question 5

What are the factors that effect waste streams and components

Answer 5

1 economic characteristics
2 lifestyles
3 Attitudes

Question 6

Describe how ecconomic characteristics effect waste streams and components

Answer 6

1 as people get richer they consume more goods so developed countries produce more waste than developing
2 components of waste vary depending on development level of country in developed countries main components are plastic paper and organic material , was
3 waste streams vary between countries but no link to wealth most developing countries don’t have formal recycling systems but many collect recyclable goods and sell them

Question 7

Describe how lifestyles effects waste streams and components

Answer 7

1 amount and type of waste varies depending on if people live in the its or country
2 urban dwellers produce more waste than rural residents
3 rural residents produce more organic waste and people in cities produce mor manufactured waste
4 facilities available affect waste systems they use - people are more likely to recycle if it is accessible and authorities encourage it
5 diet effects waste components and streams and finished products tend to come in lots of packaging

Question 8

How do attitudes effect waste streams and components

Answer 8

1 many developing countries have a throw away culture resulting in high levels of waste lots of which can’t be recycled or has a long complex waste stream
2 increased concerns about health may cause people to throw food close to its sell by date resulting in high levels of food waste
3 people have different attitudes to the environment - people who are concerned

Question 9

List the methods of waste disposal

Answer 9

1 unregulated
2 recycling
3 incineration
4 recovery
5burial (landfill)
5 submergence
6 trade

Question 10

Describe unregulated and the environmental impacts

Answer 10

Waste is dumped in unofficial disposal sites - this damages the ecosystem and animals and birds could be harmed if swallow or become tangled in plastic

Question 11

Describe recycling and the environmental impacts

Answer 11

Waste is reprocessed into new products
It reduces the demand for raw materials and decreases the environmental impacts of resource extractions
Producing recycled products uses less energy so less greenhouse gasses are emitted
Recycling requires separate collections and the construction of new facilities to process waste these contribute to green house gas’s emission and air pollution

Question 12

Describe incineration and the environmental impacts

Answer 12

Burning waste
Reduces amount of waste going into landfill but emits greenhouse gases and causes air pollution
Waste that is burned can be used to generate electricity - energy recovery this reduces fossil fuels but burning can release toxic chemicals into water and air

Question 13

Describe recovery and its impact on the environment

Answer 13

This uses waste instead of new products
It reduces amount of waste sent to landfill and means fewer natural resources are exploited as goods are reused

Question 14

Describe burial and its impact on the environment

Answer 14

Waste is placed in disused mines quarries or landfill sites
Many sites are lined with clay or plastic to prevent leaching but if site is poorly regulated hazardous chemicals can contaminate groundwater while gases cause air pollution
Some countries collect gases for energy production reducing air pollution and fossil fuel use

Question 15

Describe submergence and its impact on the environment

Answer 15

Disposing of waste by dumping it in the oceans it is illegal cut common in some areas
Submerged east can release toxic or radioactive substances damaging ocean ecosystems

Question 16

Describe trade and its impact on the environment

Answer 16

Waste can be bought and sold by countries but developing countries may not dispose of hazardous waste safely meaning it damages local environments