Urban Waste And Other Contemporary Issues Flashcards
State 2 reasons urban waste needs to be managed
-Health issues e.g. cholera. Large killer in LDEs.
-Waste sector accounted for 3% of UK GHG emissions 2021.
Give 2 reasons why waste is growing
-Greater disposable incomes.
-Creation of products designed to be disposed of quickly.
Types of waste: Explain if possible
Domestic
Commercial
Animal/veg
Institutional
Ashes
Bulky
Street sweeping
Dead animals
Construction/demolition
-Domestic: Household
-Commercial: Offices/businesses
-Animal/veg: Food waste. Putrid if left.
-Institutional: Schools/hospitals (may need special disposal)
-Ashes; Burnt compound.
-Bulky: Large household goods e.g. white goods/furniture.
-Street sweep: Uneconomic to separate all different types.
-Dead animals: Big, small, natural or carrion. Disease potential.
-Constructin/demolition: Rubble of earth/waste.
Define Municipal Solid Waste.
Explain, if possible:
-Biodegradable
-Recyclable
-Inert
-Electrical
-Composite
-Hazardous
Domestic waste that varies with location (MSW).
-Bio: Green waste
-Recyclable: Plastic bottles, glass jars, paper
-Inert: Construction/demolition
-Electrical: TVs, light bulbs
-Composite: Clothes, toys
-Hazardous: Fertilisers, batteries.
Define waste stream
Flow of waste from its source to to its final disposal or recycling.
Describe an HIC waste stream
What LIC has started to develop Energy From Waste
-Regulated and managed
Landfill, recycle, trade or incinerate.
-Kenya (Nairobi) to be more sustainable.
LIC waste stream
-No waste treating services and waste is dumped.
-Source (lose recycled materials due to misplacement)
-Landfill (leachates can contaminate land/water)
-Energy From Waste burning (air pollution locally with carcinogenic substances).
-Risk respiratory or skin health
Singapore Waste Stream Success: Small country large population
Semauku Landfill. What is it sealed by to prevent contamination?
-Perimiter sealed by impermeable membrane and clay. Clearly working because mangroves nearby, where the ashes are dumped, are thriving.
What % does incinerating a substance decrease the volume by?
90%.
Why do LICs only account for 5% of global waste (HICs are highest)?
-Less disposable income/products. More resourceful. Might be issue when they develop in future
What is the global waste trade? Who makes most waste? Describe waste process in LDEs.
-International exchange of refuse for disposal, treatment or recycling.
-Most from HDEs. 50 million tones of electronic waste shipped each day year.
-LDEs have less regulation for health and safety. New Delhi where people deconstruct obsolete computers
Manila. Phillipnes. How much of waste if officially recycled? Why might more be? What is the large dump called?
10 percent officially recycled. 4k waste pickers who sell parts to recycling companies. Smokey mountain. Lots of illness for nearby settlers or workers
What is landfill? Give 2 pros and cons. Give 1 that is either a pro or con
-Digging up earth and burying waste.
Can be sealed and recreation can occur on top eg open golf course in Arizona
Easily managed and relatively cheap
Attracts vermin and flies
Leachates if liners break impacting groundwater
Methane gas (pro an con).
Give 2 pros and cons of incineration (case study is Bristol)
Energy to be used locally
Cost effective. Saves space (90 percent)
Harmful pollutants (carcinogens)
Costly to manage particulate emissions.
Recycling: What? 2 pros and cons
Wheelie bin collection is safe and convenient.
Reprocessing of materials (resource recovery). Less space for landfill.
Misplacement
Expensive and safe operations
