Disposal of Waste
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Questions and Answers

What was banned in 2018 due to health risks?

  • Shipping of recyclable materials
  • Shipping of e-waste to China (correct)
  • Incineration of municipal waste
  • Disposal of waste in landfills

    • What percentage of the original waste volume remains as residual ash and unburnable residues after incineration?

  • 30 to 40%
  • 20 to 30%
  • 10 to 20% (correct)
  • 5 to 10%

    • What is one concern about incinerators?

  • High construction costs
  • Inability to produce electricity
  • Inability to burn all types of waste
  • Uncertainty about availability of waste (correct)

    • Why do some communities buy garbage from their neighbors?

    <p>To meet contractual obligations to waste-to-energy facilities</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a benefit of incineration?

    <p>Reducing landfilling costs</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a use of the heat derived from incinerated refuse?

    <p>All of the above</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a challenge faced by incinerators?

    <p>Competition with recyclers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a characteristic of municipal incinerators?

    <p>They are designed to burn thousands of tons of waste per day</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the most crucial factor for incinerators to operate effectively?

    <p>Proper waste sorting by municipalities</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary purpose of recycling?

    <p>To reprocess discarded materials into new products</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main concern with dumping waste in oceans?

    <p>Contribution to air, water, and soil pollution</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What challenge do low-value materials pose to recycling?

    <p>They are heavy and expensive to transport</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Which material is normally the easiest and most valuable to recycle?

    <p>Aluminum</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why did developed countries like the US previously dump waste into the ocean?

    <p>Limited land for waste disposal</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary function of a modern sanitary landfill?

    <p>To compact and cover trash</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a major obstacle to recycling plastics?

    <p>Contamination</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the impermeable clay and/or plastic lining in landfills?

    <p>To prevent leakage to groundwater and streams</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What can be produced from recycled PET bottles?

    <p>Carpet, fleece clothing, plastic strapping, and nonfood packaging</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is new plastic made from oil often cheaper than recycled plastic?

    <p>Collecting and transporting used plastic is expensive</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the drainage system in landfills?

    <p>To catch drainage and monitor chemical leaks</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary advantage of recycling aluminum?

    <p>It is lightweight and high-value</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the purpose of the collection pond in landfills?

    <p>To store leachate for chemical testing</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why is it important to reduce smells and litter in landfills?

    <p>To reduce pest attraction</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the typical design of a modern landfill?

    <p>A layer of clay, then plastic</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a common method used by European cities to dispose of organic waste?

    <p>Methane bio-gas plants</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary advantage of reusing materials over recycling or composting?

    <p>Saves cost and energy of remaking them into something else</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the average number of round-trips a reusable glass container can make before it needs to be recycled?

    <p>15</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Why do national companies favor recycling over reuse?

    <p>Because they don't want the responsibility of collecting and reusing containers</p> Signup and view all the answers

    In which type of economies is reusing manufactured goods an established tradition?

    <p>Less affluent nations</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the primary reason industries are reducing their waste production?

    <p>Because it saves money</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What has been the trend in waste production in recent decades?

    <p>It has greatly increased</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What has contributed to the increase in waste production in recent decades?

    <p>Increase in consumer goods and global economies</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is the main goal of integrated hazardous waste management?

    <p>To minimize waste production and promote sustainability</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a benefit of reusing and recycling hazardous waste?

    <p>It reduces the production of new hazardous waste</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a grassroots movement approach to waste management?

    <p>Bottom-up citizen movements</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a way to promote reuse and recycling according to the text?

    <p>Increasing government subsidies and tax breaks for reusing and recycling</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a challenge faced by communities regarding waste management?

    <p>Environmental injustice and NIMBYism</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a step in integrated hazardous waste management?

    <p>Producing less hazardous waste</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is an effect of incineration according to the text?

    <p>Conversion of hazardous waste to non-hazardous substances</p> Signup and view all the answers

    What is a grassroots movement strategy?

    <p>Organizing community protests against waste facilities</p> Signup and view all the answers

    Study Notes

    Disposal of Waste

    • E-waste is transported to villages in China, where workers, including children, retrieve valuable metals, posing health risks; shipping e-waste to China was banned in 2018, but illegal smuggling continues.

    Incineration

    • Many cities have built waste incinerators to burn municipal waste, reducing waste volume by 80-90%.
    • Incinerators produce energy, using heat to heat buildings or generate steam and electricity.
    • Residual ash and unburnable residues are sent to landfills, representing 10-20% of the original volume.
    • The cost-effectiveness of garbage incinerators is debated, with high initial construction costs (between $100-300 million USD).
    • Incinerators compete with recyclers over paper and plastics, which are high-energy fuels.
    • Cities have contracts guaranteeing a certain amount of waste daily, and some communities buy garbage from neighbors to meet contractual obligations.

    Ocean Dumping

    • Oceans are not large enough to absorb waste without harm, and even remote beaches are littered with non-degradable trash.
    • Developed countries like the US used to dump waste into the ocean until federal legislation prohibited it.
    • Plastic debris is a growing problem in the world's oceans.

    Landfills

    • Modern sanitary landfills are designed to contain waste, with operators compacting trash and covering it daily with a layer of dirt to reduce smells and litter and discourage insects and rats.
    • Landfills require an impermeable clay and/or plastic lining to prevent leakage to groundwater and streams.
    • Drainage systems are installed to catch leachate and carry it to collection ponds for chemical testing.

    Recycling

    • Opponents of incineration argue that we should invest more in recycling than in building expensive incinerators.
    • Recycling is the reprocessing of discarded materials into new products.
    • Materials can be recycled for their original purpose or made into entirely new products.
    • Aluminum is one of the easiest and most valuable materials to recycle due to its high value, lightweight, and multiple uses.

    Reuse

    • Reusing materials in their present form saves energy and cost, and is more efficient than recycling or composting.
    • Reusing glass and plastic containers is more efficient than producing new ones.
    • Reusable glass containers make an average of 15 round-trips between factory and customer before being recycled.

    Reduce

    • Industries can save money by reducing waste, and companies are finding ways to use less material in their products.
    • However, waste production has increased in recent decades due to consumerism and economic growth.

    Management of Hazardous Waste

    • Integrated Hazardous Waste Management aims to produce less hazardous waste, reuse or recycle it, convert it to less hazardous materials, and safely store what's left.

    Transition to a Sustainable Low-Waste Society

    • Organizing grassroots movements can prevent the construction of incinerators, landfills, and treatment plants.
    • Encouraging reuse and recycling through government subsidies and tax breaks can reduce waste production.
    • Environmental justice movements can raise awareness and pressure governments and businesses to act on environmental issues.

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    Learn about the different methods of waste disposal, including the impact of e-waste smuggling and the health risks associated with it.

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