8.3 Solid Domestic Waste

solid domestic waste/ municipal solid waste

garbage and waste from from residential and urban areas

what does solid domestic waste consist of (7)

paper, packaging, organic materials (food), glass, metal, plastic and electronic waste

circular economy

an economic model in which all waste renters the chain and is reused or recycled- manufacturers and producers must take responsibility from the waste produced from their products

what does the circular economy aim to do

be restorative to the environment

use renewable energy sources

eliminate or reduce toxic waste

eradicate waste through careful design

what are the four points of the circular economy

design/ manufacture > retailer > consumer > reuse/ repair/ recycling > repeat

what are the 5 rs

refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle

how can we aim to reduce our waste (2)

maintain products to last for longer and change shopping habits

how can we change our shopping habits to help reduce waste (6)

buy things that will last, look for items with less packaging, buy products made from recycled materials, choose energy-efficient products, avoid imported products and be aware of resource use at home and try to reduce it

how can we reuse waste for something else (4)

return bottles to manufacturers

compost food waste

use old clothes as cleaning rags

donate old clothes and possessions

what is recycling

sorting waste into separate containers so it can be processed through recycling for reuse

3 main strategies for waste disposal

landfills, incinerators and anerobic digestion

advantages of landfills (2)

easy process of disposal with no segregation needed, not close to densely populated areas generally so small impact on human life

disadvantages of landfills (6)

take up a lot of space

air pollution from the decomposition of waste

noise pollution from garbage trucks

methane builds up due to decomposition and leads to explosions

toxic gasses and materials are released from the waste- leachate makes soil acidic

loos of habitat due to space used and polluted by landfill site

solutions to problems caused by landfills (4)

leachate collection pipes to collect it and use it to produce biogas

plastic liners to prevent leachate from seeping into soil (however this creates more plastic waste)

methane gas recovery well to prevent explosions- gas is either released (bad for climate change) or used to produce energy

sanitary landfilling- soil is put over the waste to reduce smells and the spread of disease

what is a landfill

when waste is taken to a suitable site to be dumped there

what is incineration

burning waste at high temperatures

advantages of incineration for waste disposal (3)

the heat can be used to generate steam to power turbines and generate electricity

ash can be used to build roads

take up less space than landfills

disadvantages for incineration as a method of waste disposal (4)

expensive to build

can cause air pollution of gas isn’t used for turbines

heavy metals can release toxic materials like lead and aluminum

it does not reduce waste output as the plant needs waste to run

what is anaerobic digestion as a method of waste disposal

a machine which uses microorganisms to break down organic waste without the use of oxygen- produces methane and a waste layer

advantages of anaerobic digestion as a method of waste disposal (4)

the methane produced can be used as fuel

the waste layer can be used as fertilizer and soil conditioner (however this can lead to eutrophication if not used properly)

if the methane is not used as biogas it can contribute to climate change

only works for organic waste

the waste hierarchy

reducing > reusing > recycling > incinerating > landfill

what types of sdw are the top 5 most produced in the us in descedning order

paper, food waste, vegetative waste, plastic and metals

linear economic model

the current economic model in which we use natural capital to produce a product and discard of this product when it is no longer useful- this is unsustainable

what is the role of the manufacturer and producer in a circular economic model

they retain ownership of their products and sell the use of the products rather than the products themselves- they take back the products when they are no longer needed and disassemble or refurbish them and return them to the market

examples of biodegradable SDW

food waste, paper, green waste

examples of recyclable SDW

paper, glass, metals, some plastics, clothes, batteries

examples of electrical waste

TVs, computers, phones, fridges

examples of hazardous waste

paints, chemicals, light bulbs

examples of toxic waste

pesticides, herbicides

examples of medical waste

needles, syringes, drugs

examples of inert waste

concrete, construction waste

what is inert waste

waste which is neither chemically or biologically reactive

examples of mixed waste

tetrapaks, plastic toys

5 principles of a circular economy model and their applications

design out waste (recycle plastics and metals)

build resilience through diversity (build for connections and reuse of components)

use renewable energy sources (shift taxation from labor to non-renewable energy)

think in systems (increase effectiveness and interconnectedness in manufacturing)

think is cascades (do not produce waste- use it to make more products)

what constitutes a suitable site for a landfill

far away from areas of high population density, water courses and aquifers