Waste Reduction Flashcards
Reduce, reuse, Recycle (the three Rs)
Promotes ideas of diverting materials from the waste stream
Sources reduction
Approach to waste management that seeks to cut waste by reducing the use of potential waste materials in the early stages of design and manufacture
Examples of source reduction
-Using fewer materials
-Two sides paper prints
-Less packaging material
-Substituting to materials (less toxic, like paints) or ceramic mug vs. plastic
Reuse examples
Use of a material that would otherwise be discarded:
_Soda/milk bottle
-Mailing envelope
-Newspapers for animal bedding
-Ebay
Recycling
Process by which materials destined to become MSW are collected and converted to raw materials that are then used to produce new objects.
Closed-loop recycling
Recycling something into the same produce. EX: aluminum cans
Open-loop recycling
Recycling one produce into a different produce. EX: Plastic bottles into different plastic product.
Recycling is good when done correctly but..
Reducing the amount of waste generated and reusing waste is even better!
Recycling Advantage
Reduces he current global demand on materials (raw)
Recycling Disadvantage
Energy intensive and costly
Composting Advantages
-Organic material breaks down aerobically (with oxygen) releasing CO2 (better than releasing CH4 like in landfills)
-The product of this decomposition can be used as fertilizer
Composting disadvantage
Odor and rodents
E-waste contains hazardous chemicals like
heavy metals like lead and mercury, which when disposed in landfills can leach into drinking water and harm the human brain and nervous system.
Ways to reduce E-waste
harvest it’s parts
reuse it.
(disadvantages = lots of sorting, energy intensive)
Recyclable products include
-Wood
-Paper
-Metal
-Glass
-Lawn water
Recycling can be incentivized used
fees and fines
Composting produces
topsoil
Laws relevant to E-waste include
-RCRA: Res_____ Con___ and Rec____ Ac_
-CERCLA: Comp____e En____ Res___, Com___, and Lia___ Act
-Clean Air Act
-Safe Drinking Water Act
Water incineration can
generate heat which can be used in energy plants
Waste to energy plant pros and cons
-Reduces amount of waste in landfill
-Some waste still produce: ash, hazardous waste, air pollution
Methane gas capture and use pros and cons
-Can burn methane to generate electricity
-Some gas can escape: greenhouse gas
-gas is low quality, requires refining
Capping (putting vegetation on surface) of landfills pros and cons
-Improves the aesthetic of an area, and generates revenue
-Still had to be monitored
Ways to dramatically reduce E-waste
-encourage recycling/reuse (trade-in incentives, rebates, repurchase/buy-back, mail-in)
-Make devices smaller and/or more durable
-Establish cradle-to-grave and/or cradle-to-cradle tracking of manufactured products.
Life cycle analysis (A.K.A cradle-to-grave analysis)
A system that looks at materials used and released throughout a lifetime of a product - from procurement of raw materials through their manufacture, use, and disposal.
Integrated waste management
No community should be forced into one method of waste disposal. Employs several waste reduction, management, and disposal strategies to reduce the costs and reduce the environmental impact of MSW.
Primary treatment of sewage is the
removal of large objects, often through the use of screens and grates, followed by the settling of solid waste in the bottom of a tank.
Secondary treatment is the
Biological process in which bacteria break down organic matter into carbon dioxide and inorganic sludge, which settles in the bottom of a tank. The tank is aerated to increase the rate at which the bacteria break down the organic matter.
Tertiary treatment is the use of
Ecological or chemical processes to remove any pollutants left in the water after primary or secondary treatment.Prior to discharge, the treated water is exposed to one or more disinfectants (usually chlorine, ozone, or UV light) to kill bacteria.
Cultural eutrophication
The increased fertility of a body of water , the result of anthropogenic inputs of nutrients.
Which step of sewage treatment uses filters, screens, and sieves?
Primary treatment - removes solid waste/large objects
Which step of sewage treatment can produce nitrates and phosphates?
secondary treatment - bacteria produce inorganic nutrients
Explain how sewage treatment plants create solid waste
Particulates and other substances removed from wastewater during primary and secondary treatment create a significant amount of solid material which must then be disposed of elsewhere.
Describe environmental problems associated with disposing waste into landfills
-Takes up space
-Groundwater contamination (toxins. contaminants, heavy metals)
-Methane
Describe environmental problems associated with spreading sewage waste onto agricultural fields
-Bacteria waste impacting food/crops then animals/humans
-Groundwater/food chain contamination
-Runoff contaminates surface water –> eutrophication, oxygen depletion
Pollutants targeted during disinfection include
E. coli bacteria
Coliform bacteria
Pathogens
Cholera
Viruses
LSD helps to explain outcomes of
biomagnification
