ESS Topic 7.3 Solid Waste - SL and HL (new syllabus)

Solid waste (7.3.1)

Materials discarded as unwanted that are not liquid or gaseous, generated from households, industries, and agriculture. Examples: plastic bottles in household trash (USA), construction debris in Beijing (China), agricultural residues in Punjab (India), electronic devices in e-waste facilities (Ghana)

Domestic waste (7.3.2)

Waste materials generated from day-to-day activities in homes, including organic, recyclable, toxic, and general refuse. Examples: food scraps in kitchen bins (UK), plastic packaging in households (Japan), batteries and paint (toxic waste, Australia), cardboard boxes (Germany)

Industrial waste (7.3.1)

All waste produced by industrial activities including scrap metals, chemicals, concrete, masonry, textiles, and food from restaurants. Examples: chemical waste from manufacturing plants (South Korea), scrap metal from automobile factories (Detroit, USA), concrete from construction sites (Dubai, UAE), textile waste from garment factories (Bangladesh)

Agricultural waste (7.3.1)

Substances or objects generated by farming activities not used for food or feed, including plant residues and animal waste. Examples: corn stalks and branches (Iowa, USA), rice straw (Vietnam), manure from dairy farms (New Zealand), pesticide containers (Argentina)

Electronic waste (e-waste) (7.3.1)

Items with electronic components such as televisions, computers, cell phones, and household appliances discarded as waste. Examples: old smartphones (globally 50 million tonnes/year), computer monitors in landfills (USA), refrigerators containing mercury (Europe), cell phone circuit boards processed in Agbogbloshie (Ghana)

Food waste (7.3.1)

Any food not consumed by humans or animals that is not composted or recycled. Examples: unsold produce from supermarkets (UK), restaurant plate waste (USA), spoiled vegetables from distribution centers (India), expired packaged foods (Australia)

Biohazardous waste (7.3.1)

Biological substances that threaten human or animal health, including pathogens, viruses, toxins, spores, and fungi. Examples: used syringes from hospitals (globally), infectious animal waste from veterinary clinics (Canada), contaminated vaccines (healthcare facilities), body parts from surgical procedures (medical centers worldwide)

Biodegradability (7.3.5)

The ability of organic matter to be broken down by living organisms such as bacteria and fungi over time. Examples: paper biodegrades in 2-4 weeks, apple cores decompose in 2 months, cotton fabric breaks down in 1-5 months, cardboard boxes degrade in 2 months, wood gloves take 1 year

Pollution (7.3.5)

Introduction of harmful substances into the environment at rates faster than they can be transformed into harmless substances. Examples: methane gas from landfills contaminating air (globally), leachate from waste sites polluting groundwater (developing nations), microplastics in Thames River (UK), heavy metals in soil near dumps (Senegal)

Landfill (7.3.7)

Disposal site where waste is buried in holes, either natural or created by quarrying, designed to prevent soil and groundwater contamination. Examples: Mbeubeuss dump in Senegal (475,000 tonnes/year), Fresh Kills Landfill in New York (closed 2001), modern engineered landfills with impermeable clay linings (Europe), old quarries converted to waste sites

Incineration (7.3.7)

Burning waste to convert it into ash and gas particulates, with heat used to generate electricity through turbines. Examples: Singapore incinerates 8,200 tonnes daily producing energy for 900 homes, waste-to-energy plants in Sweden, municipal incinerators producing electricity (Japan), clinical waste incineration in hospitals

Recycling (7.3.7)

Saving scarce raw materials by processing used items into new products, reducing pollution and waste. Examples: paper recycling in Germany (high rates), glass bottle recycling programs (Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland), aluminum can recycling (global), plastic bottle collection schemes (Norway)

Composting (7.3.7)

Biological decomposition of organic waste by microorganisms into nutrient-rich soil amendment. Examples: household food waste composting (home gardens globally), agricultural residue composting (farms), municipal green waste facilities (California, USA), vermicomposting with worms (India)

Waste-to-energy (7.3.7)

Form of energy recovery where burning waste creates heat that turns turbines to generate electricity. Examples: Singapore's waste-to-energy plants, Sweden importing waste for energy production, Puente Hills facility in Los Angeles, incineration plants in Japan and Denmark