Waste Management Flashcards
Two types of solid waste
Industrial and Municipal
Solid waste
Any unwanted or discarded material we produce that are not solid or gas
Industrial solid waste
Anything that is produced by miners,farms,and industries that supply goods and services
Municipal Solid Waste
Often called garbage or trash,it is waste that often comes from homes and work places
Produces the most solid waste in the USA
Mining,agriculture,and industry
Leader in solid waste per person and total solid waste and hazardous waste
United States
Hazardous waste
Solid or liquid waste that is toxic,chemically reactive,flammable,or corrosive
Waste water
Water used in a household,business,or industry, as well as polluted runoff from our streets and storm drains
Two classes of hazardous waste
Organic and toxic heavy metal compounds
How can we safely dispose of hazardous waste?
Detoxify it and bury it directly deep in the ground
Why is integrated waste management good?
Produces less hazardous waste,converts to less hazardous substances and then out to rest in long term,safe storage
What items in your home have harmful chemicals?
Disinfectants,window cleaners,batteries,glue and cement,gasoline, weed killers
U.S solid waste breakdown
Paper: 34.2% Wood:5.7% Metals:7.6% Plastics:11.8% Food Scraps:11.9%
How we should deal with solid waste?
The two main reasons why waste is a problem is the amount of solid and hazardous waste we produce is at least three fourths of these products are unnecessary consumption of the worlds natural resources. Waste creates huge amounts of air pollution, green house gas, and water pollution
Two types of recycling and definitions
Primary recycling: Collecting the recycled material and putting it back into the same product
Secondary Recycling:Wasted materials are converted into different products
Sanitary Landfills
Waste buried in the ground or piled in large,engineered mounds
Incineration:A controlled process in which mixed garbage is burned at very high temperatures
Priorities when reducing waste
First priority: using less harmful products reusing packaging and materials,making products last longer and are recyclable,reusable,or easy repair
Second priority:Reuse,repair,recycle,buy reusable, and recyclable products
Third:treat waste to reduce toxicity bury waste is landfill and burn waste
Communications and industries can use to reduce resource use and pollution by:
Redesign manufacturing processes and products to use less materials and energy
Development products that are easy to repair,reuse,remanufacture,compost or recycle
Ways to reuse
Buy groceries in bulk
Bring your own cup to coffee shops
Buy rechargeable batteries
Rent or borrow items instead of buying them
Advantages of burning solid waste
Reduces trash volume
Produces energy
Concentrates hazardous substances into ash for burial
Sale of energy reduces cost
Disadvantages of burning solid waste
Expensive to build
Produces a hazardous waste
Emits some CO2 and other air pollutants
Encourages waste production
Burning solid waste
Advantages
Low operating costs
Can handle large amounts of waste
Filled land can be used for other purposes
No shortage of landfill space
Burning solid waste disadvantages
Noise,traffic,and dust releases greenhouse gases
Encourages waste production
Eventually leaks and can contaminate groundwater
How should we deal with hazardous waste?
Produce less of it,then to reuse or recycle it then to convert it to less hazardous materials and finally to safely store what is left
