Waste Management Flashcards
In the UK on average how much household waste is processed?
517kg
How much waste was recycled/composted in 2008, compared to 33% in 2004?
45%
What are the main four different waste management methods?
landfill, composting, recycling, energy recovery
What is landfill?
waste dumped in old quarries
How much does it cost to dispose of 1million tonnes of nappies a year?
£40million
What percentage did UK landfill contribute to methane emissions?
36%
Is landfill sustainable?
No
What are problems with landfill?
running out of space, toxic chemicals leach, its increasingly expensive, unsightly
What is composting?
organic waste used for fertilising gardens/farmland
What is done with the gases produced from composition?
burnt to generate electricity
Whats a negative with the composting plants?
very expensive to set up
How much of UK household waste is organic material?
38%
Is composting sustainable?
yes
Why is composting good?
reduces waste going to landfill and creates renewable energy resource
Whats are the negatives of recycling?
start up costs high, relies on individuals
What are examples of hidden costs which can occur from recycling?
transport, materials for cleaning and processing
What are the positives of recycling?
recycling materials uses less energy than making new things, its quicker and cheaper than making from scratch, it reduces demand for raw materials
What is the main form of energy recovery?
incineration
Whats are the negatives of incineration?
adds CO2 emissions, and releases pollutants
What has happened in Sheffield in regards to incinerators?
Energy Recovery Facility provides heat for 140 buildings in city centre and saves 21,000 tones of CO2 a year
What is the best way of managing waste?
prevent it
What was introduced in regards to plastic bags in 2016?
a 5p charge
What are the 4 key aspects to Singapore’s approach to waste?
reduce packaging, separating rubbish and regular waste collection, charges for disposal of waste, incinerator ad electricity generator
What was Sinagpore’s waste reduction target, was it achieved?
in 2006 set a target to recycle 60% of waste by 2012, by 2008 it was 56%
In Singapore by what % is the volume of waste reduced from incineration?
90%
What were the groups involved in Rio Cuarto’s waste collection?
scavenger families, university-based group of engineers, local authority, environment minister, 400 firms in the city, local paper mill
