Urban waste disposal

Question 1

When did the UK peak in recycling?

Answer 1

2018
Recycled 46% of its waste

Question 2

What percentage of what goes into incinerators is recyclable?

Answer 2

60%

Question 3

What percentage of UK households claim they recycle regularly?

Answer 3

87%

Question 4

What are the 7 methods of waste disposal?

Answer 4

1. Recovery - using waste instead of new products
2. Recycling - waste is reprocessed into new products
3. reduction (incineration) - when waste is burnt
4. Trade - waste can be bought and sold between countries
5. Burial (landfill) - waste is placed in disused mines, quarries or landfill sites
6. Unregulated - waste is dumped in places that aren’t official disposal sites
7. Submergence - disposing of waste by dumping it into oceans

Question 5

Give an example of a landfill site?

Answer 5

Payatas - Manila, the Philippines

Question 6

Pros and cons for landfill?

Answer 6

pros;
- cost effective
- methane can be vented and used as fuel

cons;
- attracts vermin, flies
- leachates percolating the groundwater can be toxic

Question 7

pros and cons for incineration?

Answer 7

pros;
- safe disposal of hazardous waste
- heat, steam and ash produced are valuable resources

cons;
- CO2 emissions
- chimney emissions can be toxic

Question 7

pros and cons for recycling?

Answer 7

pros;
- organic waste can be composted and sold to enrich garden soil
- more recycling means less landfill

cons;
- difficult to manage public separation of paper, plastic, etc
- public recycling facilities require expensive, safe operation to avoid hazardous leakage