Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources Chapter 2

Renewable and Renewable and Nonrenewable Nonrenewable

ResourcesResources

Chapter 2Chapter 2

Theme OutlineTheme OutlineLesson 2.4Lesson 2.4

• Solid Waste ManagementSolid Waste Management• Municipal Solid WasteMunicipal Solid Waste• Reduce, Reuse, RecycleReduce, Reuse, Recycle

PA Academic Standards for PA Academic Standards for Environment & EcologyEnvironment & Ecology

Standard 4.2.10.DStandard 4.2.10.D• Explain different management alternatives involved Explain different management alternatives involved

in recycling and solid waste management.in recycling and solid waste management. Analyze the manufacturing process (before, during and Analyze the manufacturing process (before, during and

after) with consideration for resource recovery.after) with consideration for resource recovery. Compare various methods dealing with solid waste (e.g., Compare various methods dealing with solid waste (e.g.,

incineration, compost, land application).incineration, compost, land application). Differentiate between pre/post-consumer and raw materials.Differentiate between pre/post-consumer and raw materials. Illustrate how one natural resource can be managed through Illustrate how one natural resource can be managed through

reduction, recycling, reuse or use. reduction, recycling, reuse or use.

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

• Students will compare various methods dealing with solid Students will compare various methods dealing with solid waste, including incineration, composting, and the use of waste, including incineration, composting, and the use of landfills.landfills.

• Students will analyze several manufacturing processes Students will analyze several manufacturing processes with consideration for resource recovery.with consideration for resource recovery.

• Students will learn how aluminum and other resources are Students will learn how aluminum and other resources are managed through reduction, recycling, refuse, or use.managed through reduction, recycling, refuse, or use.

• Students will differentiate between pre/post-consumer and Students will differentiate between pre/post-consumer and raw materials.raw materials.

Solid Waste ManagementSolid Waste Management

• Natural resources harvested from the Earth are Natural resources harvested from the Earth are typically processed. typically processed.

• This processing generates waste products that can This processing generates waste products that can either be either be • Released into the environmentReleased into the environment• Recovered and soldRecovered and sold• Recycled within a manufacturing processRecycled within a manufacturing process• Taken to landfills or other waste management Taken to landfills or other waste management

facilities for disposal.facilities for disposal.

Natural Resources…Natural Resources… What are the two types of natural resources? What are the two types of natural resources?

RenewableFood and FiberFood and FiberSoilSoilWindWindThe SunThe SunWaterWaterBiomass FuelsBiomass FuelsGeothermal EnergyGeothermal Energy

Non-Renewable

OresOresRocks as ResourcesRocks as ResourcesFossil FuelsFossil Fuels

Municipal Solid WasteMunicipal Solid Waste• DefinitionDefinition: : waste that consists of paper, yard waste, food,waste that consists of paper, yard waste, food,

and plasticsand plastics

Yard Waste

Food Waste

Other

Plastic

Paper andCardboard

Glass

Metals

How is municipal waste handled?How is municipal waste handled?

CompostingComposting CombustionCombustion LandfillsLandfills Source Reduction Source Reduction RecyclingRecycling



CompostingComposting• DefinitionDefinition: : biological method of waste disposal in which biological method of waste disposal in which

worms, bacteria, fungi, and other organisms decompose worms, bacteria, fungi, and other organisms decompose piles of fruit and vegetable food scraps, wood, and lawn piles of fruit and vegetable food scraps, wood, and lawn clippingsclippings

The pros…The pros…

• Removes materials from Removes materials from the waste streamthe waste stream

• Processed product can be Processed product can be used for erosion controlused for erosion control

• Provides nutrients to the Provides nutrients to the topsoiltopsoil

• InexpensiveInexpensive• Free fertilizerFree fertilizer

The cons…The cons…

• Time consumingTime consuming• Time intensiveTime intensive



CombustionCombustion• DefinitionDefinition: : process of waste disposal by which waste process of waste disposal by which waste

material is burnedmaterial is burned

The pros…The pros…• Reduces volume by 90%Reduces volume by 90%• Reduces mass by 75% Reduces mass by 75%

• Conservation of mass still applies, thus the mass Conservation of mass still applies, thus the mass that is reduced is actually redistributedthat is reduced is actually redistributed

• Destroys bacteriaDestroys bacteria• Waste to energy facility (W-T-E) Waste to energy facility (W-T-E)

The cons…The cons…• Air pollutionsAir pollutions• Disposal of excess waste in landfillsDisposal of excess waste in landfills



LandfillsLandfills• DefinitionDefinition: : regulated area where wastes are placed in regulated area where wastes are placed in

the land the land

Landfill VolumesLandfill Volumes

Landfill Volume of MSW

Other

Plastics

Glass

Metals

Yard Waste

Paper

Food Waste

How are landfills constructed?How are landfills constructed?

1.1. Select a locationSelect a location

Pits and quarries…. Why?Pits and quarries…. Why?

2.2. Liner installedLiner installed..3.3. Layer of clay deposited.Layer of clay deposited.

Why clay?Why clay?

4.4. Ready to accept trash.Ready to accept trash.

5.5. Trucks are weighed, waste Trucks are weighed, waste deposited, trash deposited, trash compacted by heavy compacted by heavy machinery, trucks machinery, trucks weighed again.weighed again.

6.6. Daily cover Daily cover

Why?Why?

7.7. Trash, dirt, trash, dirt… Trash, dirt, trash, dirt…

8.8. Cap or seal installed to Cap or seal installed to contain waste.contain waste.

http://polaris.umuc.edu/mts/ENVM/newsimu/02-constr/html/build.html

LeachateLeachate• DefinitionDefinition: : waste material (liquid) that collects in the waste material (liquid) that collects in the

bottom layers of landfills as waste material decomposesbottom layers of landfills as waste material decomposes

Landfill Gas (LFG)Landfill Gas (LFG)• DefinitionDefinition: waste material (gas) that collects at the top of : waste material (gas) that collects at the top of

landfills as waste material decomposes producing gases landfills as waste material decomposes producing gases such as methanesuch as methane

What’s the problem with these gases?What’s the problem with these gases?

• Methane contributes to…Methane contributes to…• Local smog Local smog • Air pollutionAir pollution• Depletion of the Ozone layerDepletion of the Ozone layer

So what’s the solution?So what’s the solution?

Gases can be burned using a flare.Gases can be burned using a flare.

Gases can be processed, converted to fuel, and Gases can be processed, converted to fuel, and sold to supply energy.sold to supply energy.

Modern approach to LFG production?Modern approach to LFG production?

SELL IT!!!SELL IT!!!

Landfills in PennsylvaniaLandfills in Pennsylvania

Landfills in perspectiveLandfills in perspective

• The number of landfills in the United States has The number of landfills in the United States has decreased sharply in the past decade for various decreased sharply in the past decade for various reasons. reasons.

• What do you think are those reasons?What do you think are those reasons?

Landfills have closed because…Landfills have closed because…

• Posed environmental concerns.Posed environmental concerns.• Leakage of leachate.Leakage of leachate.• Improperly handled hazardous waste.Improperly handled hazardous waste.

• Have reached their capacity.Have reached their capacity.

Pennsylvania and it’s trash…Pennsylvania and it’s trash…

• Pennsylvanian’s recycle about ¼ of their MSW.Pennsylvanian’s recycle about ¼ of their MSW.• Pennsylvania’s deposit about 3 million tons of MSW Pennsylvania’s deposit about 3 million tons of MSW

in landfills yearly.in landfills yearly.• So what happens with all the extra landfill space?So what happens with all the extra landfill space?

Importers Tons Exporters Tons

Pennsylvania 9,764,000 New York 5,600,000

Virginia 3,891,000 New Jersey 1,800,000

Michigan 3,124,000 Missouri 1,793,000

Illinois 1,548,000 Maryland 1,547,000

Indiana 1,531,000 Massachusetts 1,218,000

One time you might not want to be #1...One time you might not want to be #1...

Ten years down the road…Ten years down the road…

Trends in Solid WasteTrends in Solid Waste



Source ReductionSource Reduction• DefinitionDefinition: : alteration of the design, manufacture, or use alteration of the design, manufacture, or use

of materials to reduce the amount of toxicity of the waste of materials to reduce the amount of toxicity of the waste generatedgenerated

Source reduction, generally speaking, means reducing the amount of solid waste which enters the waste stream. It means that waste is prevented before it is created by using materials more efficiently, using reusable products and extending life of products.

• In other words, source reduction can be achieved by reducing the total volume of disposable packaging material generated for domestic, commercial, industrial and governmental use by: reducing the disposal impact of packaging waste by changing to more environmentally benign packaging material increasing the recyclablility of packaging products that cannot be reduced increasing the recycled material content of packaging products.

Source reduction example…Source reduction example…

http://www.cleaning101.com/environment/source_reduction.cfm

http://www.cleaning101.com/environment/source_reduction.cfm

RecyclingRecycling• DefinitionDefinition: series of activities that reuse a product’s raw : series of activities that reuse a product’s raw

materials to manufacture new productsmaterials to manufacture new products

• These symbols are used to mark recyclable These symbols are used to mark recyclable materials as “recyclables.”materials as “recyclables.”

• The different symbols represent the materials The different symbols represent the materials from which the current product was made.from which the current product was made.• Example: HDPE stands for Example: HDPE stands for high-densityhigh-density

polyethylene.polyethylene.

Aluminum Recycling facts…Aluminum Recycling facts…

Some 119,482 cans are recycled Some 119,482 cans are recycled every minuteevery minute nationwide. nationwide.

Used aluminum cans are recycled and returned to store Used aluminum cans are recycled and returned to store shelves as new cans shelves as new cans in as few as 60 daysin as few as 60 days. .

Recycling saves 95 percent of the energy required to make Recycling saves 95 percent of the energy required to make aluminum cans from virgin ore. In 1995, aluminum aluminum cans from virgin ore. In 1995, aluminum companies saved the equivalent of over 20.6 million barrels of companies saved the equivalent of over 20.6 million barrels of oil -- or 12.3 billion kilowatt hours by recycling. oil -- or 12.3 billion kilowatt hours by recycling. This This represents enough energy to supply the electrical needs of a city represents enough energy to supply the electrical needs of a city the size of Pittsburgh for about six years. the size of Pittsburgh for about six years.

IncompleteIncomplete CycleCycle• Definition:Definition: process by which materials (wastes) do not process by which materials (wastes) do not

complete a full cycle in the waste recovery system and are complete a full cycle in the waste recovery system and are disposeddisposed

Closed-Loop CycleClosed-Loop Cycle

• Definition:Definition: process by which materials (wastes) process by which materials (wastes) complete a full cycle in the waste recovery system and are complete a full cycle in the waste recovery system and are partially reused and recycledpartially reused and recycled

What happens to recyclables?What happens to recyclables?• Recyclables have a series of different paths they can take, Recyclables have a series of different paths they can take,

once entering the recycling stream.once entering the recycling stream.

RubberRubberMatsMatsPlayground PadsPlayground PadsFuel SourcesFuel Sources

PlasticsPlasticsPackagingPackagingLawn furnitureLawn furnitureVideotape cassettesVideotape cassettesInsulationInsulation

MetalsMetals MetalsMetals Melted, Sorted & Recast

PaperPaper PaperPaper Reduced to pulpReduced to pulpReprocessedReprocessed

What are some interesting statistics about recycling?

Hotels will create 1.5 pounds of solid waste per day per room Each person produces 3.5 pounds of solid waste per day There are 6 two liter bottles in one pound of PET One three foot stack of newspapers is equal to one tree, approximately 30 feet tall One three foot stack of newspaper weighs 100 pounds To make one ton of virgin paper uses 17 trees (3 2/3 acres of forest) 62,860 trees must be cut to provide pulp for a single edition of the Sunday New York Times. Recycling one aluminum can saves the energy equivalent to one cup of gasoline. A steel mill can reduce its water pollution 76% and mining wastes 97% using scrap metal, such as steel cans, instead of iron ore. In the summer, nearly one third of all summer waste handled by garbage haulers consists of grass clippings. In the fall, leaves comprise as much as half of all waste generated by residents. One dollar out of every $11 spent on groceries goes to pay for packaging 32% of all municipal waste is from packaging. Americans are the world’s trashiest people. US citizens consume more goods per capita than any other nation in the world. Each year we throw away: enough aluminum to rebuild the entire American Airlines air fleet 71 times. enough steel to reconstruct Manhattan enough wood and paper to heat 5 million homes of 200 years. one third of all of the food we buy

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Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources Chapter 2