WASTE

Dirty Jobs

Land Fill

Fresh Kills Landfill

Located in New York, New York Last landfill in New York City, covering

over 3,000 acres Closing after 50 years New era for the environment to restore

the ecology and natural resources of the entire city

Area had really bad odors Barges where lined up at all times of the

day in order to dump 14,000 tons of waste a day

Objectives

Define waste Recognize the difference between waste

in the natural environment and waste created by humans

Describe Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) Know the seven types of Municipal Solid

Waste

What is waste?

Any unwanted or discarded matter It can be a solid, liquid, or in a gaseous

form A product, material or container is not

considered waste until someone throws it away

Today we will focus mainly on solid waste

Waste Facts Americans create a third

of the world’s total waste Each person creates 44

tons of waste per year Each person generates

90,000 pounds of waste in a lifetime

Bumper to bumper convoy of garbage trucks

Discarded office paper 12 foot high from coast to coast

Enough plastic film is produced in Texas to shrink wrap the state every year

Where does waste come from?

All living things create waste In natural systems, trees, animals, and

other organisms contribute to waste Humans create waste as they alter

natural systems through extraction, processing, and use of natural resources

Differences in wastes

Natural Environment Fallen branch Nature processes its own

waste Balance between

production & breakdown of organic wastes

Branch will decompose over the years, & return to the soil

There are environmental elements in nature to help with discomposure

The ecosystem remains in balance

Human Environment The tremendous quality &

concentration of human solid waste has great demands

Collection, processing, storage, and disposal systems have to be set in place

Organic wastes created by humans (like vegetable peelings) can be processed by nature in a compost pile

Municipal Solid Waste

Is all the waste material from the activities of a city or town

There are seven categories: -Domestic Solid Waste-Commercial Solid Waste-Medical Waste-Municipal Solid Waste -Industrial Solid Waste-Construction & Demolition Solid Waste -Agriculture Solid Waste

What is Domestic Solid Waste?

Solid waste from homes and apartments It is solid waste from the daily activities

of people’s lives Usually placed in garbage containers Items include: garbage, rubbish, ashes,

and bulky materials

What is Commercial Solid Waste? Refuse from offices, retail stores,

schools, and restaurants Offices create mostly paper wastes Most restaurants separately store waste

cooking oil for special disposal Some school wastes may be hazardous

from laboratories

What are Medical Wastes?

Include those from human health care and veterinary medicine

Be careful in disposing of syringes, and human bodily fluids and tissues

Over three-fourths of all medical wastes are created by hospitals

Physicians Offices-6%

Dental Offices-2% Clinics & Labs-

13% Vets-1% Funeral homes &

blood banks-1%

What is Municipal Solid Waste?

Includes materials from cleaning streets and parks, dead animals, abandoned cars, furniture, and wastewater treatment plants

What is Industrial Solid Waste?

Is from manufacturing It could be large amounts of refuse, such

as material that remains from smelting copper or iron

Waste raw materials such as sawmills producing sawdust

Food processing facilities produce waste food and products

What is Construction & Demolition Solid Waste?

Construction Include scraps of

lumber broken brick pieces of electrical

wire roofing material

scraps unused concrete

Demolition Materials remaining

after a building is destroyed

Some materials may be salvaged

May include such items as:-Plaster-Brick-Mortar-Glass

What is Agriculture Solid Waste? Created in raising animals and growing crops Most of the wastes are returned to the land to

improve the fertility of the soil The wastes vary depending on the animal Chicken excrement is used for what? What is cattle manure used for? Crop residues that are left in the field

decompose and improve productivity of the soil by being plowed under

Crop residues may be used as animal feed Also includes, bulky items such as worn-out

equipment, and junk tractors

Activity

Materials needed-Construction paper-Magazines-Glue-Scissors-Pen or Pencil

Get into groups of three As a group construct a collage of Municipal Solid Waste using

the categories we just talked about Use the magazines to cut out pictures, words, or cut out letters

to make words, in order to show the different types of wastes When your group has finished, sit quietly until everyone has

finished, and we will use the collages to review today’s objectives together

Review Questions

So what did we define waste to be? What are the differences in natural waste

and human waste? What is the definition of Municipal Solid

Waste? Can anyone name to me again the seven

categories of Municipal Solid Waste?