Solid Waste Disposal

Blackboard - Discussion Pages

TOPIC 12: SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL

Online Lecture Discussion:

Two Questions are required:
One major Question # 1 in all parts is required for Topic 12 on-line discussion. (5pts).

Landfills Students ID: 1-3, 13,14, 21,22

Incineration Students ID: 4-6, 15, 16, 23, 24

Recycling,Reuse, Reduce Students ID: 7-9, 17, 18, 25, 26

Composting Students ID: 10-12, 19, 20, 27-30

A second Question (1pt ) is a follow up response to another waste disposal method or respond or comment to someone else, or use General Questions to ask a general question the Prof or others might answer.

Check answers already completed in
Blackboard - Discussion Pages

Write out answers to questions in a WORD PROCESSOR
and then copy and paste into Blackboard

Requirements for the Lecture On-Line Discussion
Method to list references and citations.

INTRODUCTION TO SOLID WASTE:

Chap 19 - p. 558-563

Chemical Concept: Law of Conservation of Matter is related to various disposal methods - all you can do is change the form of matter but you cannot "destroy" it. In a "throw away" society such as ours there is no "away".

Municipal Solid Waste Management - EPA
Municipal Solid Waste - Basics - EPA
Municipal Solid Waste Disposal - Landfills, Incineration - EPA
Municipal Waste - Reduce, Reuse. Recycle - EPA

Where it Goes When You Dispose - virtual tour - During this tour, you will have the opportunity to visit five solid waste management facilities: a transfer station, a household hazardous waste facilitiy, an energy recovery or combustion facility, a recycling center and a landfill.

Sierra Club Policy: Municipal Solid Waste Management Comprehensive analysis of all options for the management of solid wastes.

Consumer Handbook on Solid Waste - EPA

Life Cycle of a Plastic

1. Types, Sources, Quantities of Solid Waste
Reading - p. 560-61 ProfO Notes: Solid Waste

A. Agriculture Water quality - Feed lot controls

B. Mining

Large man-made piles of mining waste that stretch for several miles. Piles are on the edge of the town of Globe, Arizona.

Notice cars and electric poles on bottom to get a sense of the scale.

C. Industrial

D. Municipal and Household - 4 lbs. per person per day in U.S. ProfO Notes: Solid Waste

QUES. 1: For this discussion, each student is assigned one method of municipal waste disposal as assigned. All parts a-d should be discussed for full credit.

a.Discuss and explain in brief detail how the method is used. Explain any scientific principles used in the disposal of the waste. How does it "get rid" of the of the waste?
b.What are the good points about this method of disposal?
c. What are some of the negatives about this method of disposal?
d. Have new improvements been made to solve problems from the past more carelessly used methods?

.

Assignments are as follows:

Landfills Students ID: 1-3, 13,14, 21,22

Incineration Students ID: 4-6, 15, 16, 23, 24

Recycling,Reuse, Reduce Students ID: 7-9, 17, 18, 25, 26

Composting Students ID: 10-12, 19, 20, 27-30

2. Methods of Waste Disposal

A. Landfill

p. 560-63
Inspect a Municipal Waste Landfill at Simi Valley, CA Virtual graphic tour of a modern landfill. Shows the construction of the landfill and then using it. Very complete.
Graphic of a land fill design showing the double liner and leachate collection system
The Basics of Landfills and why they will leak. Contains many web links to related issues and articles

NOTES: History of Landfills: Until 1960, most municipal wastes was disposed in open, burning dumps to reduce the volume. Refuse under these conditions does not burn well causing smoldering clouds of smoke and obnoxious fumes. Landfills were also breeding grounds for flies, rats and other undesirable animals. Some cities used incinerators without air pollution controls. Air pollution laws and public protest caused the end to open burning in landfills and most other uncontrolled incinerators by the mid 1960s and early 1970s.
Landfills were largely uncontrolled until the 1980s. Little thought was given to location other than a convenient hole or depression in the ground such as a ravine or gully, but also including wetlands and old stone quarries. Little thought was given to what went into the landfill and the subsequent decomposition of the land filled materials.

B. Incineration

p. 562-63

ProfONotes: Incinerator in Vienna, Austria

Incinerator Burns garbage/Produces steam, Good description of how an incinerator works. Wikipedia

Waste to Energy Plant - Onondaga County, NY - also includes a virtual photo tour.

Waste to Energy Plant - Emissions - Onondaga County, NY

Incineration in England - con side
Green Peace - con side

C. Recycling (Resource Recovery)

p. 563-64

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - EPA

A New Approach to Waste - incentives to increase recycling
Recycled Plastics - more on the con side
Recycled Plastic Water Bottles - something to think about
Backgrounders on recycling
100% Recycling

D. Composting Composting - EPA
Composting Yard Waste -

E. Waste Reduction or Reusable Products Plastics in Perspective

F. Little Known Facts Contrary to Public Perceptions
ProfONotes: Paper bags vs. Plastic Grocery bags: Graphic -Which is more environmentally more friendly?

Plastic vs. Paper - Discussion

1. Types, Sources, Quantities of Solid Waste Reading - p. 560-61	ProfO Notes: Solid Waste
A. Agriculture	Water quality - Feed lot controls
B. Mining	Large man-made piles of mining waste that stretch for several miles. Piles are on the edge of the town of Globe, Arizona. Notice cars and electric poles on bottom to get a sense of the scale.
C. Industrial
D. Municipal and Household - 4 lbs. per person per day in U.S.	ProfO Notes: Solid Waste

A. Landfill p. 560-63	Inspect a Municipal Waste Landfill at Simi Valley, CA Virtual graphic tour of a modern landfill. Shows the construction of the landfill and then using it. Very complete. Graphic of a land fill design showing the double liner and leachate collection system The Basics of Landfills and why they will leak. Contains many web links to related issues and articles
NOTES: History of Landfills: Until 1960, most municipal wastes was disposed in open, burning dumps to reduce the volume. Refuse under these conditions does not burn well causing smoldering clouds of smoke and obnoxious fumes. Landfills were also breeding grounds for flies, rats and other undesirable animals. Some cities used incinerators without air pollution controls. Air pollution laws and public protest caused the end to open burning in landfills and most other uncontrolled incinerators by the mid 1960s and early 1970s. Landfills were largely uncontrolled until the 1980s. Little thought was given to location other than a convenient hole or depression in the ground such as a ravine or gully, but also including wetlands and old stone quarries. Little thought was given to what went into the landfill and the subsequent decomposition of the land filled materials.
B. Incineration p. 562-63	ProfONotes: Incinerator in Vienna, Austria Incinerator Burns garbage/Produces steam, Good description of how an incinerator works. Wikipedia Waste to Energy Plant - Onondaga County, NY - also includes a virtual photo tour. Waste to Energy Plant - Emissions - Onondaga County, NY Incineration in England - con side Green Peace - con side
C. Recycling (Resource Recovery) p. 563-64	Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - EPA A New Approach to Waste - incentives to increase recycling Recycled Plastics - more on the con side Recycled Plastic Water Bottles - something to think about Backgrounders on recycling 100% Recycling
D. Composting	Composting - EPA Composting Yard Waste -
E. Waste Reduction or Reusable Products	Plastics in Perspective
F. Little Known Facts Contrary to Public Perceptions	ProfONotes: Paper bags vs. Plastic Grocery bags: Graphic -Which is more environmentally more friendly? Plastic vs. Paper - Discussion