Environmental Science CENV 1119 - Solid and Hazardous Waste PDF

1 Environmental Science CENV 1119 Instructor: Dr. Ali Al Jibouri, P.Eng. Office: SW01-1580 Email: [email protected]  2 Waste Production in N...

1 Environmental Science CENV 1119 Instructor: Dr. Ali Al Jibouri, P.Eng. Office: SW01-1580 Email: [email protected]  2 Waste Production in North America  One-third of all global waste comes from less than 5% of the global population.  Municipal solid waste § Increased 3x from 1960–2005 § Per capita increase of Source: Data from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Bureau of Mines, and Statistics Canada. 70% from 1960–1990  3 Municipal Solid Waste  Per person, 777 kg of garbage is produced  Waste management costs $2.6 billion  E-waste growing rapidly (725 000 tonnes) Source: Statistics Canada  4 Living in a High-Waste Society  Wasting valuable resources North Americans spend more $ on trash bags than 90 other countries spend on everything Each year, we throw away  670 000 tonnes of edible food  186 billion pieces of junk mail  50 million computers  Enough diapers to go from the Earth to the moon and back seven times  5 Producing Less Waste  Waste Management High-waste approach Burying, burning, shipping  Waste Reduction Low-waste approach Refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, rethink, and recover  6 Priorities in Waste Reduction  7 Reduction of Solid Waste  Consume less  Redesign manufacturing processes and products to Use less material and energy Produce less waste and pollution  Develop products easier to repair, reuse, remanufacture, compost, and recycle  Design products to last longer  Eliminate or reduce unnecessary packaging  8 Industrial Ecology  Design industrial processes to mimic nature Recycle and reuse Resource exchange webs (like food webs) Biomimicry in innovation  9 Industrial Ecosystem  10 Service-Flow Economy  Renting services instead of buying things  Companies makes more profit if they use minimum materials, product easy to maintain, repair, remanufacture, reuse, or recycle  Eco-Leasing Renting the services that goods provide Minimal ownership of physical goods  11 Reuse  Reduces resource use  Saves input energy and money  Reduces pollution and waste  Creates local jobs  Design products for reuse Shopping bags, food containers, shipping pallets, etc.  12 Energy Consumption Source: Data from Argonne National Laboratory.  13 Recycling  Primary (closed-loop) Turn waste into same class of product  Secondary (open-loop) Downcycling  Pre-Consumer vs. Post-Consumer  14 Composting  Recycling plant nutrients to soil  Of biodegradable wastes, Some European cities compost 85% North Americans only compost 5%  Large-scale vs. backyard vs. vermicompost  15 Solid Waste Recycling Option 1: Centralized recycling of mixed waste (MRF)  16 Solid Waste Recycling Option 2: Separation at source  Less air and water pollution  Lower cost  Uses less energy  Provides more jobs  Produces more valuable recyclables  Education benefit but dependence on consumer  17 Recycling Plastics Only 10% recycled Challenges  Difficult to isolate from mixed resins and stabilizers  Low material yield  Low primary resource cost Source: Adapted from Society of the Plastics Industry  18 More Reuse and Recycling  Prices do not reflect the product life-cycle.  Higher tax breaks on resource extraction © Syda Productions/Shutterstock  Low tipping fees  Fluctuating demand  Minimal product stewardship  19 Waste-to-Energy Incineration Advantages Disadvantages High cost Reduced trash Air pollution volume (especially toxic dioxins) Less need for Produces a highly landfills toxic ash Low water Encourages pollution waste production Quick and easy Discourages recycling and waste reduction  20 Waste-to-Energy Incinerator Source: Adapted from EPA, 1990, Let’s Reduce and Recycle.  21 Burying Solid Wastes  Open dump (illegal in Canada)  Sanitary landfill Leachate collection Monitoring wells Landfill gases  22 Sanitary Landfill  23 Sanitary Landfills Advantages Disadvantages Noise and traffic No open burning Dust Little odour Air pollution from toxic gases Low groundwater pollution if and volatile organic compounds sited properly Releases greenhouse gases Can be built quickly (methane and CO2) unless they Low operating costs are collected Can handle large amounts Groundwater contamination of waste Slow decomposition of wastes Filled land can be used for Discourages recycling and other purposes waste reduction No shortage of landfill space Eventually leaks and can in many areas contaminate groundwater  24 Hazardous Waste  Any discarded solid or liquid that has the potential to harm people  Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) Labelling Training Information  25 Hazardous Waste in Your Home  26 Hazardous Waste  Management  Reduction Output approach – Input approach Burning or burying – Reuse or recycle Expensive Pollution outputs – Consider non-hazardous alternatives  27 Dealing With Hazardous Waste Source: Data from U.S. National Academy of Sciences.  28 Detoxifying Hazardous Waste  Physical methods Distillation, filtration, precipitation  Chemical methods  Bioremediation Using bacteria or enzymes  Phytoremediation Using plants or algae  29 Phytoremediation  30 Phytoremediation: Trade-offs  31 Deep Underground Wells: Trade-offs  32 Surface Impoundments: Trade-offs  33 Secure Hazardous Waste Landfills