Managing Waste Flashcards
What are the three components of waste management
1) Minimize amount of waste we generate
2) Recover discarded materials; find ways to recycle them
3) Dispose of waste safely and effectively
Waste Management
decisions to minimize waste safely and effectively
Municipal Solid Waste
non hazardous refused from household waste
How much municipal solid waste is created by people in the U.S.
245 million tons; 1500 lbs per person
What are the 5 household waste categories
Reusables, reycyclables, compostables, toxins, avoidables
When did the Resource and Recovery Act start
1976
What did the resource and recovery act start
Started national waste management policies in the U.S.
Sanitary Landfills?
Land disposal sites for solid waste
Where can landfills not be sited? (5 sites)
Flood plains, wetlands, earthquake zones, unstable lands, airports
In 1980, where did 80% of waste go?
Landfills
What is Integrated Waste Management?
a set of waste management alternatives
What is source reduction
reduce the quantity and toxicity of waste produced when products are no longer usable
What is Pre-Cycling?
Consumers making environmentally sound decisions at point of purchase of products
What is inceneration?
Combustion of waste at high temps (> 1650 farenheit)
Waste-to-energy facilites
an incenerator that uses heat from its furnace to boil water to create steam that provides electricity or heat
Recycling
Reprocessing of discarded materials into new, usable products
What is the greatest potential for solid waste reduction?
Recycling and Reuse
What is composting
Biochemical process in which organic materials are decomposed into a soil-like material
How many tons of hazardous waste are in households per year?
1.6 million tons per year
What are surface impoundments used for?
liquid or dissolved hazardous waste
What are deep well injections?
wells drilled deep beneath water into rock where waste is injected
True or false; Dilution is not the solution for most pollution. Elimination is.
True
Industrial Solid Waste
non liquid, non hazardous refuse from production of consumer goods
Hazardous waste
toxic and chemically reactive waste
Primary Recycling
involves a final product that has traits similar to the original product
Secondary Recycling
creates material with traits that are not similar to the original product
