Urban Waste And Its Disposal

Question 1

Why is the amount of waste produced in cities increasing?

Answer 1

Urbanisation -> affluence (wealth), industrialisation

Question 2

Why is urban waste particularly a concern for LICs?

Answer 2

They may not have the resources to deal with the waste

Question 3

Name the different sources of waste

Answer 3

Residential 
Industrial
Commercial
Construction + demolition
Urban services
Institutional

Question 4

What is residential waste? Give examples

Answer 4

Waste produced in households.

Eg food, plastics, paper, metals, electronics, ashes.

Question 5

What is industrial waste? Give examples

Answer 5

Waste produced by eg manufacturing, power / chemical plants.

Eg packaging, construction / demolition materials, hazardous industrial waste.

Question 6

What is commercial waste? Give examples

Answer 6

Waste produced by businesses - eg shops, hotels, restaurants, markets, office buildings.

Eg paper, plastics, food, glass, metals, e-waste.

Question 7

What is construction + demolition waste? Give examples

Answer 7

Waste produced by new construction sites, road repair, renovation sites, demolition of buildings.

Eg wood, steel, concrete, dirt, bricks, tiles

Question 8

What is urban services waste? Give examples

Answer 8

Waste produced by services eg street cleaning, landscaping, parks, beaches, recreational areas, water, waste water treatment plants.

Eg street sweepings, landscape / tree trimmings, general waste from parks / beaches, sludge.

Question 9

What is institutional waste? Give examples

Answer 9

Waste produced by institutions eg schools, hospitals, prisons, government buildings, airports.

Eg paper, plastics, food, glass,metals, e-wastes

Question 10

Name some of the main waste items

Answer 10

Food
Paper
Plastics
Glass
Metals
E-waste

Question 11

What factors affect the composition of waste?

Answer 11

Level of economic development.
Cultural norms.
Geographical location.
Energy sources.
Climate.

Question 12

Give some effects of urban waste

Answer 12

• Waste accounts for 5% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
• Treating waste is expensive -> LICs can use 20-50% of their budget.
• Untreated / uncollected waste -> health problems eg breathing problems.
• Lack of landfill space -> dumping of waste by roads, rivers, bridges -> civil unrest.

Question 13

By what percentage is the amount of urban waste increasing each year?

Answer 13

7%

Question 14

How much waste are lower middle countries predicted to generate by 2025?

Answer 14

956 million tonnes each year

Question 15

Mining and quarrying accounts for what percentage of worldwide waste?

Answer 15

23%

Question 16

Name the strategies used to deal with waste

Answer 16

Landfill
Incineration
Recycling
Trade

Question 17

What are the most common methods of waste disposal in HICs?

Answer 17

Landfill / incineration

Question 18

How do LICs tend to deal with their waste?

Answer 18

Open dumps

-> unregulated -> not controlled / supervised by regulation of law.

Question 19

What is the issue that comes with solid waste that hasn’t been properly disposed of?

Answer 19

Breeding ground for insects, vermin, scavenging animals

-> pass on air / water borne diseases.

Question 20

What are the environmental threats associated with urban waste?

Answer 20

Contamination of groundwater / surface water.

Air pollution -> burning of waste that isn’t properly collected and disposed of.

Question 21

What is recycling and why is it used?

Answer 21

Materials are processed into new products.

Significantly save energy -> 95% saving by recycling aluminium.

Question 22

Give the impacts caused by recycling

Answer 22

• Large global market for recyclables.
• Reduces the quantities of disposed waste.
• Return of materials to the economy.
• Can contribute to greenhouse gases.

Question 23

What is trade as a method of waste disposal?

Answer 23

Global waste trade - the movement of waste between countries for treatment, disposal, recycling.

Question 24

What system controls movement of hazardous waste as part of the global waste trade?

Answer 24

The Basel Convention

Question 25

Give the impacts caused by the global waste trade

Answer 25

• Disposal of waste may not be controlled properly in countries with few guidelines / restrictions.
• May create environmental issues in the recipient country.

Question 26

What is incineration?

Answer 26

General waste is burned at high temperatures and under safe conditions

Question 27

Give the impacts caused by incineration of waste

Answer 27

• Can reduce volume of waste by up to 90%.
• Can produce energy output.
• Can cause severe air pollution if not properly managed.
• Quite expensive.
• Air pollution / ash disposal are environmental concerns.

Question 28

What is landfill?

Answer 28

The burial of waste in man made / natural excavations eg pits / landfill.
In richer countries the types of waste sent to landfill are strictly controlled.

Question 29

Give impacts caused by landfill

Answer 29

• Less regulated in poorer countries -> may just be a hole in the ground.
• Gas produced can be collected -> electricity.
• Methane, bleach, ammonia produced -> contamination of air / groundwater.
• Take up a lot of space.
• Unsightly.