Chapter 16

Solid Waste

Introduction to Solid Waste

Regulations
1965 Solid Waste Disposal Act 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 1984 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to RCRA 1990 Pollution Prevention Act

Classification of Solid Waste

Non-Hazardous Solid Waste (according to RCRA) Any garbage, refuse, sludge from a waste treatment plant, water supply treatment plant or air pollution control facility and other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semisolid, or contained gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, mining and agricultural operations and from community activities Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Paper, cardboard, glass, ferrous metals, plastics, aluminum, rubber and leather, textiles, wood, food wastes and other.

Classification of Solid Waste

Hazardous Waste (according to RCRA)

1) cause or contribute significantly to serious, irreversible incapacitating illness or mortality, OR 2) pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of or otherwise managed

Toxic, Reactive, Ignitable or Corrosive

MSW Collection & Disposal Historic emphasis on collection Unacceptable disposal methods:
Feed for hogs Dumping in water Open dumping

MSW Collection & Disposal Current Acceptable disposal methods:

A. Source reduction & reuse
Product package reuse Package or product redesign that reduces material or toxicity Reducing use or modifying practices.

MSW Disposal
B. Resource recovery
Recycling
1) source separation 2) materials recovery facility (MURFs) 3) producing and selling recyclable material Advantages? Disadvantages? Government incentives: bottle bills Prohibition of disposal of certain wastes Minimum recycled content mandate

MSW Disposal
Composting
Utilizing natural biochemical decay to transform organic wastes into products for use as soil conditioner,. preparation digestion curing finishing

MSW Disposal
C. Landfilling
Disadvantages:
tipping fee Ground settling Anaerobic decomposition Leachate

MSW Disposal
Solution to proper landfilling:
Careful site selection RCRA subtitle D (1993): new landfill requirements

Landfilling has become expensive as a result but is still the most used waste disposal method in the US (61% in 1999).

MSW Disposal
D. Combustion
 Waste to Energy (WTE) plants.  Advantages?  By mid 1990s, increased  By 1999 just 119 incinerators were operational  Air emissions: dioxins, heavy metals, other pollutants  1991 tighter controls approved by the Clean Air Act Amendments:
o Air emission controls to capture products of incomplete combustion