Lecture 8 - Waste and Recycling

What should we do with all our trash?

Burn → Bury

What should we do with all our plastic?

Trash → Recycle

Solid waste

Any discarded or unwanted material that is solid.

Where does solid waste come from?

• 56% from agriculture

• 34% from mining, oil, and gas

• 6% from industry

Total MSW generation in the United States by type of waste, 2014

• Paper: 26.6%

• Food waste: 14.9%

• Yard trimmings: 13.3%

• Plastics: 12.9%

MSW

• US: 20% of the world total MSW

• US: 4% of the world's population

• This is projected to increase by ~50% by 2050

Who generates the most waste?

• U.S.: 624,700 metric tons per day

• China: 520,548

• Brazil: 149,096

• Japan: 144,466

• Germany: 127,816

What do we do with all of this waste?

• Ditches or streets→ pollution→ disease

• Dumping in water→ pollution→ disease

• Industrial revolution→ water dumping→ Immense Environmental Pollution

Examples of solid waste

Lake Eerie and Cuyahoga River, Cleveland OH, 1969

• River had caught fire, last fire in 1969 sparked early environmental movement. EPA started in 1970, first Earth Day.

• Pollution seen as positive thing = industry booming.

Waste Management

The processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal.

Examples of Waste Management

• Landfills

• Recycling

• Burning

Types of waste

• 56% from agriculture

• 34% from mining, oil, and gas

Collected and disposed in landfills:

• 6% from industry

• 4% from MSW

Landfill

A place to dispose of refuse and other waste material by burying it and covering it over with soil.

How is landfill done?

• ~60% of MSW in US

• Lined with clay and plastic

• Topped with clay and soil

Basic Landfill Process

Prepare cell→ Line with impermeable material→ Dum days trash→ Compact trash into thin layers→ Cover with plastic and dirt→ Collect leachate and methane

Burial Disposal is..

Becoming a very expensive method. Why?

• SPACE

What is happening with waste management?

• Numbers decrease because of leaching regulations

• Increases operation costs

• Older landfills abandoned without cleanup

• Leachate can be sent to municipal water treatment

• Methane can be sold to energy producers

Pro’s of Burial

• Reduce pollution

• Reduces odors

• Large volume

• Reusable land

• Methane production

Con’s of Burial

• Prone to leakage→ leachate

• Some material never degrades

• Older abandoned landfills are toxic

• 20% of all Superfund sites

Incinerator

An apparatus for burning waste material, especially industrial waste, at high temperatures until it is reduced to ash.

Incinerators are…

• 15% of MSW

• 7% of Hazardous Waste

• Produces Energy!

• Expensive

Minneapolis-St. Paul

• Saves Space

• Produces energy for 25,000 homes

• High rates of air pollution

• Increased asthma near incinerators

Minato City, Japan

• Incinerates 80% of trash

Waste management costs

Incinerate 1 Ton in Texas:

• $300

Cost to bury 1 Ton in Texas:

• $35

Pro’s of Incineration

• No landfills needed

• Power generation

Con’s of Incineration

• Air pollution

• Major CO2 emissions

• High costs

Recycling

Modern Recycling started in 1960’s

• Bottle Refunds (90% successful)

• Curb side recycling (30% successful)

Recycling and WW2

World War 2 introduced single use products

• American demanded more single use items

• MSW Soared

• Profits Soared?

Why did the world’s recycling system stop working?

China refusal to become the wests dumping ground is forcing the world to face up to a waste crisis.

Recycling and China

Accepted up to 10% environmental contamination (0.3% recommended)

• 55% of world’s paper

• 45% of world’s plastic

• 70% of world’s e-waste

First Chinese female billionaire was a scrap paper importer.

Recycle in China..

• 4,000 Containers return to China filled with recyclables each day.

• ~60% of containers still return empty

Operation National Sword

• Increased container inspections

• Doubled waste import tariffs

• Banned 24 categories of solid waste

Blue Sky 2018

• Stricter enforcement

• Requires inspection before leaving US

• 100% solid waste ban starting 2021

• 100% textile import ban starting 2021

Which states in the US recycle?

• California

• Alaska

• Arizona

• Idaho

• Montana

• New Mexico

• New York

• Oregon

• Washington

Texas and recycling

• Best recycling in the US

• 100% Privatized

• Still more expensive than trashing

• City pays for collection

• Send to private facility

Texas, recycling, and revenue

• Revenue share is after profits determined

• Most Texas cities are losing money now

• Long contracts ensure citizens continue subsidizing the profit

needs of the private companies

Reality of recycling

• Increased carbon footprint to recycle plastic

• Only cost-efficient recycling

• Aluminum

• Paper

• Cardboard

• Recycling makes us feel better about over consumption

Pro’s of Recycling

• Reduces waste sent to landfills

• Conserves natural resources

• Prevents pollution

• Saves energy

• Creates jobs ($38 billion in wages)

Con’s of Recycling

• Getting more expensive

• Cost of recycled goods can be more expensive than new

• Recycling plastic & glass can have zero environmental benefits*

• Misleading psychological effect

E-waste

Anything with plugs, cords, and electronic components.

• ~2% of all MSW

• Contain toxic substances (Pb, Hg, & more)

• Cases and cables coated in carcinogenic chemicals

Which countries generate the most e-waste?

• China: 7.2 metric tons

• U.S.: 6.3 metric tons

• Japan: 2.1 metric tons

• India: 2.0 metric tons

Other Waste (Tires)

• US generates ~300,000,000 per year!

• Non biodegradable

• Flammable

• Leach toxic chemicals

• Hold rainwater

• Burning releases toxic particulate matter

What is being recycled for tires?

• Combustion fuel

• Asphalt for tracks

• Dock bumpers

• Crash barriers

• Floor mats

• Soaker hoses

• more

Tires produce..

• As much energy as oil & 25% more than coal

• Less emissions than coal

• ~45% used for fuel today

Other Waste (Plastic)

Every piece of plastic ever created still exists on Earth today!

• NEVER Degrades!

How is plastic disposed?

• 6% recycled

• 8.5% incinerated

• 55.4% discarded

• 30% still in use

• 47% used for packaging

• 3% enters ocean per year ( 8 million metric tons)