Municiple Solid Wastes

MSW = Pollution or Resource?

Pollution is the contamination of air, water, or soil with undesirable amounts of material or heat.

“Ecosystems dispose of wastes and replenishnutrients by recycling all elements”

Factors Contributing to Increasing Amounts of MSW

Factors Contributing to Increasing Amounts of MSW

• Increasing populations• Changing lifestyles• Disposable materials*• Excessive packaging*

* = two largest contributors to waste volume

Changing Lifestyles of More People

MSW Components in the US

The Fate of MSW in the US

Old Landfills

• Leachate generation

• Groundwater Contamination

• Methane production

• Incomplete decomposition

• Settling

Siting: Public Reactions

• LULU (locally unwanted landuse)

• NIMBY (not in my backyard)

• NIMTOO (not in my term of office)

Trash to Treasure

• Highest (more than 1 million tons) net importers of MSW– Illinois– Indiana– Ohio– Pennsylvania– Virginia

Waste to Energy: WTE

Waste to Energy: WTE

• 80% MSW burned for electrical energy production

• 12% recovered and recycled

• 8% put into landfill

• Methane capture for electrical energy production.

Reduction and Recycling

• 75% MSW recyclable if:

– Mandatory

– Easy to do

– $ Benefits

Secondary Recycling

• Paper• Glass• Plastic• Metals• Yard wastes• Textiles• Old tires

• Compost• Refabrication• Synthetic lumber• Sand or gravel• Insulation• Strengthens recycled

paper• Highways

Match

Sustainable MSW Management

• Waste reduction

• Safe waste disposal

• Recycling and reuse

• Electrical power generation