WASTE MANAGEMENT Think about your waste disposal from today. What items have you thrown away?
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Transcript of WASTE MANAGEMENT Think about your waste disposal from today. What items have you thrown away?
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Think about your waste disposal from today.What items have you thrown away?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2009/jun/05/waste-world-environment-day?picture=348339050
Slide showhttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/
wastehttp://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/
video/2010/mar/26/beijing-rubbishBejing vide0
Waste ManagementMore people more waste less space With our human population on the rise,
more waste is produced. There is less space available to dispose
of this waste!
Do Now:You stop at a fast-food restaurant on your
way home from school and buy a burger, fries, and soda. Within minutes, the food is gone, and you toss your trash into the nearest wastebasket.
Name what you have just thrown away:
That was ONE MEAL!!! Imagine the garbage that you produce in one day!
There are two types of waste produced each day by the human populationSOLID WASTECHEMICAL/HAZARDOUS WASTE
Two Types of Waste
SOLID WASTEAny discarded solid
materialCars, paper, food scraps,
computers, plastic, cardboard Amount has doubled since
1960’s Mining and manufacturing
makes up 70% of solid waste
CHEMICAL/HAZARDOUS WASTE
Any waste that is a risk to the health of humans or other living things
Examples: Paints, fertilizers, pesticides, varnishes, cleaners
Where does all of this waste go once we dispose of it?LANDFILLRECYCLEDINCINERATED
Where does our waste go?
LandfillArea of land or an excavation where wastes
are placed for permanent disposalMore than 50% of municipal (household &
businesses) and manufacturing waste ends up in landfills
New Jersey LandfillAverage resident produces 6.7 pounds of
trash per day (50% higher than the national average)
State has 21 landfills which extract methane to produce electricity
Active vs. Non-active Landfill
ACTIVE LANDFILL NON-ACTIVE LANDFILL
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/30218-really-big-things-americas-landfills-video.htm
2 min – how landfills work
http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/30218-really-big-things-americas-landfills-video.htm
Ocean pollution
LandfillsMust contain the waste that is buried
inside and keep it from causing problems with the environment
Especially hazardous wastes!!!
Maintaining Landfills
Landfills are maintained by covering wastes each day with a layer of soil and/or plastic.
Leachate and Methane inside a landfill must NOT come into contact with the soil, air, and groundwater surrounding the landfill.
Florida Landfill (10 min)http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=i90BQQ9YAzw
http://ec.environmentalcountdown.org/_Love-Canal-Lois-Gibbs/video/438378/4315.html
Love canal video clip 10 min
Landfill ToxinsLeachate
Liquid that has passed through solid waste and has extracted, dissolved, or suspended materials
Collected, stored, treated by landfills and used as waste water
MethaneHighly flammable gas formed from
decomposers can be pumped out of landfill to generate
electricity
IncinerationIn 1999, the U.S. had 102 operational
incinerators that were capable of burning up to 94,000 metric tons of municipal solid waste per day.
Incinerators are one option for reducing the amount of solid waste in landfills. Incinerated materials do not disappear, but the weight of solid waste is reduced
Incinerated materials can be more toxic than before it was incinerated.
Special air pollution control devices help control the amount of toxins released into the air.
However, even incinerators with these
special air pollution control devices release small amounts of poisonous gases and particles of toxic heavy metals into the air.
Incineration
Incineration Process
How long does it take to decompose?
NEWSPAPER
A. 3 daysB. 3 weeksC. 3 monthsD. 3 years
How long does it take to decompose?3 MONTHS
How long does it take to decompose?
PLASTIC WATER BOTTLE
A. 450 daysB. 450 weeksC. 450 yearsD. Never
How long does it take to decompose?450 YEARS
How long does it take to decompose?
ALUMINUM SODA CAN
A. 200-500 daysB. 200-500 weeksC. 200-500 monthsD. 200-500 years
How long does it take to decompose?
200-500 YEARS
How long does it take to decompose?
CIGARETTE BUTT
A. 10-12 daysB. 10-12 weeksC. 10-12 monthsD. 10-12 years
How long does it take to decompose?
10-12 YEARS
How long does it take to decompose?
PLASTIC BAG
A. 10-20 weeksB. 10-20 monthsC. 10-20 yearsD. Never
How long does it take to decompose?
10-20 YEARS
How long does it take to decompose?
GLASS BOTTLE
A. 500 daysB. 500 weeksC. 500 monthsD. 500 years
How long does it take to decompose?500 YEARS
How long does it take to decompose?
DIAPER
A. 75 daysB. 75 weeksC. 75 monthsD. 75 years
How long does it take to decompose?75 YEARS
How long does it take to decompose?
ORANGE PEEL
A. 6 daysB. 6 weeksC. 6 monthsD. 6 years
How long does it take to decompose?6 MONTHS
How long does it take to decompose?
STYROFOAM CUP
A. 500 weeksB. 500 monthsC. 500 yearsD. Never
How long does it take to decompose?
NEVER
Do Now What are the advantages and
disadvantages of the following:1) Landfills2) Recyling/Composting3) Incineration
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
Requires that landfills be properly lined with plastic and safety precautions taken to prevent leakage leachate and methane
Requires that ALL incinerators and hazardous treatment and disposal facilities be built and operated according to standards that are designed to prevent the facilities from polluting the environment
Superfund Act (1980)Gives the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) the right to sue the owners of hazardous waste sites who illegally dump waste
EPA forces the owners to pay for the cleanup
The EPA created a fund to pay for cleaning up abandoned hazardous waste sites.
Superfund ActCleaning up improperly discarded waste is
difficult and extremely expensive.
Cleanup has been completed at only 75 of the roughly 1,200 approved or proposed Superfund sites.
Where does the garbage go?
Landfills in the U.S. :The materials we bury in landfills are not
decomposing as fast as we can fill landfills.
Even biodegradable materials, like newspapers, take several years to decompose.
What is the effect?
What’s in your garbage?1988 – 8,000 active
landfills
1999 – 2,300 active landfills
Landfills are filling to full capacity!
Biodegradable MaterialsMaterial that can be broken down by
biological processes
Examples: Plant and animal matter are biodegradableProducts made from natural materials,
including newspapers, paper bags, cotton fibers, and leather
Nonbiodegradable MaterialsMaterial that CANNOT be broken down by
biological processes
Examples: Synthetic compounds are NOT biodegradablePolyster, nylon, plastic
PlasticMade from petroleum or natural gasCannot be broken down and so accumulateConsumed by marine life and NOT digestedMake up 80% of the GREAT GARBAGE
PATCH
So, if we are running out of our land due to landfill and hazardous waste sites, and incineration causes more air pollution, then…
What are some solutions to waste disposal?
Solutions to Waste Disposal
REDUCE
REUSE
RECYCLE
Source Reduction (Reduce)Any change in the design,
manufacture, purchase or use of materials or products to reduce their amount of toxicity before they become municipal solid waste
If we produce less waste, then we use less landfills, and save energy by not needing to recycle it
Buy products with less packaging or that can be used more than once.Before 1965, bottles were designed to be
returned and refilled at bottling plants
Use a cloth reusable bag instead of a plastic disposable bag
Use a refillable water bottle instead of disposable
Redesign products to use less material and to last longer.
Paper vs. Plastic?Both consume energy when madePaper decomposes quicker but both consume
energy and therefore harm the environment!
Design materials to break down quickly
Photodegradable PlasticDesigned to become weak and brittle when left
in the sun for many weeks and decomposesBreaks down quickly
Buy products that decompose quickly
Green PlasticConsists of plant sugars with chemicalsUses 20-50% less fossil fuelDecomposes within 45 days of being used BUT
does not disappear, only breaks into smaller pieces
Properly Dispose of Household Hazardous Wastes
Dispose of paints, pesticides, motor oil, batteries, cleaners, fertilizers in a proper facility
RecycleProcess of
recovering valuable or useful materials from waste or scrap
Reusing items
Why recycle?Consume less energy making products from
recycled products, however, if you don’t buy them at all then even more energy is saved!
Making products from recycled materials usually saves energy, water, and other resources.
For example, 95% less energy is needed to produce aluminum from recycled aluminum than from ore.
About 70% less energy is needed to make paper
from recycled paper than from trees.
The Steps of Recycling1.Collecting and sorting discarded materials by
type2.Taking the materials to a recycling facility3. Cleaning the discarded materials so they can be
shredded or crushed4. Reusing the shredded or crushed material to
manufacture new products5. Selling the new products to consumers
If more people purchase products made from recycled materials, there would be an increase in demand for these products.
Manufacturers would then build more facilities to make recycled products and, in turn, make it easier for communities to recycle.
Recycled ProductsNewspapers recycled into:
CardboardEgg CartonsBuilding Materials
Aluminum recycled into:Soda cans
Plastic recycled into:ToysInsulationCarpetCrates
Buy Recycled Products (or don’t buy the product at all)!
CompostMixture of plants,
soil, decomposing matter (food scraps) and decomposers (worms) to make fertilizer
Converts yard waste/food scraps into soil
Yard waste often makes up more than 15% of a community’s solid waste.
Composting can be an effective way of handling biodegradable waste from businesses and homes.
If all biodegradable wastes were composted, the amount of solid waste going to landfills could be reduced.
In summary….Simply changing the materials we use could
eliminate much of the solid waste we produce.
Recycling/Reusing common household products into useable products could also help eliminate solid waste.
For example, plastic beverage containers can be recycled to make nonfood containers, insulation, carpet yarn, textiles, fiberfill, and more.
Degradable plastics can help reduce the harmful effects that plastic litter has on animals in the environment.
Problems with WasteLandfills - We’re running out of spaceIncinerators – Produce toxinsRecycling – Still consumes energy
Where should we put all of our garbage?
Can We Send Garbage Into Space?
Would interfere with satellites and other spacecrafts that orbit the Earth/Universe
Takes significant energy to launch a rocket into space
Solutions…What if we found a way to use these
materials as fuel in the future? Then it would be all gone!
Why can’t we just dump it in the ocean?Example: Great Pacific Garbage Patch
The patch is characterized by exceptionally high concentrations of suspended plastic and other debris that have been trapped by ocean currents.
It is estimated that 80% of the garbage comes from land-based sources, and 20% from ships at sea.
SOLUTIONS?STOP before you buy!
Is it recyclable?Is it biodegradable?Can it be composted?Do you REALLY need it?
Remember…REDUCE – (most important step!)REUSERECYCLE
SOLUTIONS?Don’t LITTER!
If you see garbage, PICK IT UP!
Will THIS be our future?
E-waste
E-waste in Ghana (6:20 min)http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=pr1zQrXM_7s
Mobro BoatSailed from Islip, NY
for 5 months to find a place to dispose of 3200 tons of garbage
Returned to NY and burned the garbage which produced 430 tons of ash
MobroTraveled along
east coast to Belize, Cuba and back to New York
Through Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico
Love Canal, NY Town near Niagara Falls in
which 21,000 tons (21,000,000 lbs) of toxins were found in the ground
City of Niagara Falls allowed the town to be built and a school to be built on this old dumping ground
Electrochemical company dumped their chemical waste at the site in the 1940’s
1952 – site was covered with dirt
Love Canal, NY 1978 – people began getting
sick; were many health problems (epilepsy, asthma, urinary tract infections, leukemia, miscarriages, nervous disorders, birth defects, deafness, cleft palates, mental retardation)
Government relocated 800 families; houses destroyed
Superfund Act was establishedEPA sued electrochemical
company for $129 million
http://ec.environmentalcountdown.org/_Love-Canal-Lois-Gibbs/video/438378/4315.html
Love canal video clip
Do Now Give specific examples as to how garbage affects marine
life.
How does garbage affect marine life?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLrVCI4N67M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a4S23uXIcM&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w6YgEEZybU
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
What is the Patch?a swirling, 3-million-pound mass of plastic
and other trash…a “plastic soup”
Covers an area twice the size of Texas, according to researchers with the Algalita Marine Research Foundation, which has been tracking the
Patch for a decade.
……..And it's not going away.
Great Ocean Patch in the Pacific Ocean
Garbage in the Ocean affects ecosystems
Organisms affected by GarbagePlastic closely resembles zoo plankton, and
are eaten by jellyfish Turtles eat plastic bags, thinking they are
jelly fishSeals and other marine animals get tangled
in the garbageplastic enters the food chain
A Closer Look: Albatrossnest in the Northwest Hawaiian Islandsmistake trash for food, and feed it to their
chicks40 % of albatross chicks die from trash filling
their bellies (including cigarette lighters, toothbrushes,
syringes, toys, clothespins and every other type of plastic)
Chicks eat about 5 tons of plastic a year
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Albatross_chick_plastic.jpg
Picture of waste in albatross
What is the Solution?None!
Since this garbage is in “international waters” no specific country is held responsible
It is too expensive to haul the garbage out of the water
There is “no place” to put the garbage-which country should fill their landfills with “global garbage”?
What can YOU do?Prevention: reduce, reuse, recycle!
Reduce the amount of plastic that you use so it does not end up in the ocean or landfill
Reuse-Example: buy a resuable water bottle instead of buying disposable plastic bottles
Recycle: bring the plastic you use to the recycle center
AwarenessTell your friends, family and community about reducing,
reusing and recycling!
You are the future! You can make a difference
Do NowHow are humans affected
when marine life consumes waste?