02 SW Intro

How Should We Deal with
Solid Waste?
• A sustainable approach to solid waste is first to
reduce it, then to reuse or recycle it, and finally to
safely dispose of what is left.
• Waste Management
• Waste Reduction
• Integrated waste management
Waste vs. Resource
Integrated Sustainable Waste Management (ISWM)
1) Source avoidance & reduction

- reducing quantity and quality (toxicity)
☞ design, manufacturing, packaging with
minimum toxic contents
selective buying patterns and reuse
2) Recycling
- separation & collection of waste material
☞ reuse, reprocessing, remanufacturing
reducing demand on resources & amount
of landfill site
3) Waste transformation
- physical, chemical, biological alterations
☞ Improving of solid management system
Recovering of reusable materials
Reducing use of lanfill capacity
4) Final disposal
- landfilling of residual material
☞ protection environment, minimize
environmental effect
1. Source Reduction
•Source Reduction: reducing the amount of waste created and reusing whenever possible
•Waste Prevention: includes the design, manufacture, purchase, or use of materials, such as
products and packaging, to reduce their amount or toxicity before they enter the MSW
management system
•Seven strategies:
(1) Redesign manufacturing processes and products to use less material and energy
(2) Redesign manufacturing processes to produce less waste and pollution
(3) Develop products that are easy to repair, reuse, remanufacture, compost, or recycle
(4) Eliminate or reduce unnecessary packaging
(5) Use fee-per-bag waste collection systems
(6) Establish cradle-to grave responsibility
(7) Restructure urban transportation systems
2. Reuse
•Extends resource supplies

•Saves energy and money
•Reduces pollution
•Creates jobs
•Reusable products
3. Recycling
•Recycling: turns materials and products that would otherwise
become waste into valuable resources.
•Mechanical recycling is a major part of the solution but has Disadvantages

limitations. Can cost more than
burying in areas with
•Recycling has environmental benefits at every stage in the life ample landfill space
cycle of a consumer product—from the raw material with which
it’s made to its final method of disposal
May lose money for
items such as glass and
•The ultimate benefits from recycling are cleaner land, air, and some plastics
water, overall better health, and a more sustainable economy.
•Primary (closed-loop) Reduces profits for

•Secondary (open loop) landfill and incinerator
•Pre-consumer waste (internal waste) owners
•Post-consumer waste (external waste)
Source separation is
Q. Do items actually get recycled? inconvenient for some
people
Q. What are the numbers?
Q. Will the consumer buy recycled goods?
Encourage Reuse and Recycling
• What hinders reuse and recycling?
• Encourage reuse and recycling

– Government
• Increase subsidies and tax breaks for using such products
• Decrease subsidies and tax breaks for making items from virgin
resources
– Fee-per-bag collection
– New laws
– Citizen pressure
E-waste—An Exploding Problem
• Electronic waste, e-waste: fastest growing solid waste problem
• Composition includes
– High-quality plastics
– Valuable metals
– Toxic and hazardous pollutants
• Shipped to other countries
– What happens in China?
• International Basel Convention
– Bans transferring hazardous wastes from developed countries to developing countries
• European Union
– Cradle-to-grave approach
• What should be done?
– Recycle
– E-cycle
– Reuse
– Prevention approach: remove the toxic materials
Integrated Management of Hazardous Waste
• Integrated management of hazardous wastes
– Produce less
– Convert to less hazardous substances
– Rest in long-term safe storage
• Increased use for postconsumer hazardous waste
Produce Less Convert to Less Hazardous or Put in Perpetual

Hazardous Waste Nonhazardous Substances Storage
Change industrial Natural decomposition Landfill
processes to reduce or Incineration Underground
eliminate hazardous injection wells
waste production Thermal treatment
Chemical, physical, and Surface
Recycle and reuse biological treatment impoundments
hazardous waste Dilution in air or water Underground salt
formations

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How Should We Deal with

1) Source avoidance & reduction

•Extends resource supplies

•Mechanical recycling is a major part of the solution but has Disadvantages

•Primary (closed-loop) Reduces profits for

• Encourage reuse and recycling

• Increased use for postconsumer hazardous waste

Produce Less Convert to Less Hazardous or Put in Perpetual

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