8.9: Solid Waste Disposal

What is Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)?

Solid waste from cities (houses and buisnesses)

What does waste “stream” refer to?

flow of solid waste to recycling centers or land fills

What is E-waste?

Old computers, TVs, phones, and tablets

What percent of MSW is E-waste?

2%

Why is E-waste considered hazerdous?

Contains metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury, and PBDEs

How can MSW be harmful?

Can be an endocrine disruptor

Sanitary landfills

Where developed nations dispose of trash

Clay/plastic bottom liner

layer of clay/plastic on the bottom of a hole in the ground of the sanitary landfill; prevents pollutants from leaching into groundwater and soil

Leachate Collection System

System of tubes/pipes at the bottom of a sanitary landfill to collect leachate for treatment and disposal

Methane Recovery System

System of tubes/pipes to collect the methane produced by anaerobic decomposition in the landfill

What can the methane from a methane recovery system be used for?

Can be used to generate electricity and heat buildings

Clay Cap

Clay-soil mixture used to cover the landfill once its full; keeps out animals, eeps in smell, and allows vegetation to regrow

Why do Landfills have a low decomposition rate?

due to low oxygen, moisture, and organic material composition

What are some things that shouldn’t be landfilled?

Hazardous waste, metals, and old tires

What things should be landfilled?

Cardboard/food wrappers, rubber, styrofoam

How can landfills be harmful to the environment?

Lead to groundwater contamination and releases GHG

How can groundwater be contaminated by landfills?

It can be contaminated with heavy metals, acids, medications, adn bacteria

How do landfills emit greenhouse gases?

CO2 and CH4 are released from landfill decomposition

What is NIMBY?

(Not In My Back Yard) Idea that communities don’t want landfills near them for a number of reasons

Where are landfills usually placed?

low-income or minority communities that don’t have the resources or political power to fight against these decisions

Why is landfill waste incinerated?

To reduce the volume of the landfill

What are the positives of landfill incineration?

Can reduce the volume of the landfill by 90%

What are the cons of landfill incineration?

Releases CO2 and air pollutants, as well as toxic metals

How can the burning of landfill waste be used?

It can be used to make electricity.

How can waste dumped into oceans be bad for aquatic environments?

Can suffocate animals if they ingest it. They can also be trapped in them and starve.

Where does most illegal ocean dumping occur?

In countries where there are few environmental regulations