Waste

• The U.S. produces 11 billion tons of waste per year.

• Industrial waste– about 400 million metric tons

per year in the U.S.

• Municipal Waste- A combination of household and commercial refuse

Waste Water Treatment

Waste Stream

• The Waste Stream - flow of varied wastes that we all produce, from domestic garbage and yard wastes to industrial commercial, and construction refuse.

– Many would be valuable if they were not mixed with other forms of garbage.

Open Landfills

Ocean Dumping

• Sources– Unregulated dumping

• Ships• Coastal Communities

– 14 Billion pounds of garbage are dumped in the ocean each year

Landfills

Incineration

Recycling

Recycling

» Recycling is so rapid that half of all the aluminum cans now on grocery shelves will be made into another can within two months.

» Challenges» Americans still throw away nearly 350,000 tons of

aluminum beverage containers each year, enough to make 3,800 Boeing 747s

» Benefits» Costs less than disposal ($35/ton vs. $80/ton)» Reduces pressure on landfills» Reduces demand for raw resources.» Reduces energy consumption and air pollution.» Producing aluminum from recycling saves 95% of

the energy.

Recycling is Catching On

Composting – biological degradation or breakdown of

organic matter under oxygen rich conditions.

Remember, Reduce and Reuse, first, then Recycle

Hazardous Waste