Waste and the Modern WorldAre We Living Sustainably?

“More Garbage: A History of Trash”

What is it?

How does it apply to Modern Society? There are 2 problems:#1

#2

Waste is a human concept. There is no waste in nature!

The Law of Conservation of Matter

Landfills: Magical Holes in the Ground?1. What are the problems associated with the use of Landfills?

2. What types of societies generally have trash problems?

3. Is trash biodegradable in a landfill? Why or Why not?

4. Describe below the newer, modern landfills of today.

5. The future of landfills. Will we still need them?

6. Do we live in a dumping ground in Pa?

7. Trash is an economic commodity/natural resource regulated by Federal Law! The Fight is on!

1976 U.S. Supreme Court Ruling

• States cannot ban trash imports from other states due to U.S.Interstate Commerce Laws! Trash is an economic commodity that can be bought and sold like other items such as corn, steel, lumber or other free market products.

• Gov. Casey, Ridge, Schweiker and Rendell have been fighting the U.S. Congress to have the law changed.• Who is fighting to keep the law intact as it is?

Pa. Law Update: Trash Tax for the Environment! New law prohibiting new landfills challenged in Pa.Supreme Court!

What ever happened to common sense and recycling?

1. We had a efficient recycling system during WWII. What happened in the U.S. after the war?

2. Describe the benefits of recycling.

3. What can be recycled locally?

Activity: A quick look at Aluminum!

4. Recycling is becoming more popular in the U.S. but the system still faces some major obstacles what are they?

5. Recycling Update: One man’s trash pile is another man’s gold mine!

Recycling means business in Pa.

• Recycling and reuse establishments: 3,247• Recycling and reuse employment: 81,322 people• Annual sales receipts: $18.4 Billion• Annual payroll: $2.9 Billion

Is Recycling Worthwhile?

Describe the step by step process needed to produce plastic below.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Where does plastic come from?

E-Trash! What have we Created?Science Expert Report

• Foreign Countries such as Europe and Japan are requiring Manufacturers to engineer products that can be recycled.• California and Massachusetts banned electronics trash from entering into state landfills. What do you do with old TV’s and Computers, etc.? Go to www.dep.state.pa.us and search for “electronics discard”.• How can you affect Discretionary Law?

Trash to Steam: Do We Really Want to Burn This Stuff?

1. List the major parts of Japan’s IntegratedWaste Management Program.

2. The operation of a “state of the art” Trash to Steam Plant in the U.S.

3. We have built a lot of Trash to Steam Plants in our area. What have we temporarily done?

Toxic Waste/Household Hazardous WasteDo We Really Want to Live This Way?

1. Describe the effects of Toxic Waste in Japan and Love Canal in the U.S.?

2. What was the reaction worldwide and what finally happened as a result?

3. What is Los Angeles doing about Toxic Waste?

4. Describe Denmark’s Toxic Waste program?

5. What are the best solutions to the Toxic Waste problem?a) Eliminate the production of toxic waste with safer methods/products.Example: TCE and Superior Tube in Montgomery Co.b) Bioremediation: The use of microbes to clean up

toxic waste.Example: BAV1 Bacteria was found underground

digesting Vinyl Chloride.c) Institute an effective collection, recycling and

treatment system.

6. Do we have an effective Toxic Waste Program in the U.S.?Yes:

No:

7. What can we do with our Household Hazardous Waste in Montgomery County? Montco HHW Hotline 610-278-3618

Toxic Waste and The Law

• 1976 U.S. Toxic Substances Control Act Gives the EPA the power to demand testing of any chemical in the market place but only if:

a) The EPA can prove that there is a potential risk.

b) The EPA can prove that the “Risks outweigh the Benefits”

c)Example: It took a decade to prove that asbestos causes Lung Cancer.

d) Other examples of suspected problems today:

Polybrominated Diphenyl- Chemical Flame Retardant now found in Human Breast milk. Causes brain damage and low fertility in animals.

Bisphenol A- Used to produce baby bottles, dental sealants and linings of food cans. Causes mutations and low fertility in animals.

Perfluorinated Compounds in Teflon. Found in Human blood and Breast milk. Causes cancer in animals.

European Law and Toxic Waste

Beginning in 2006, safety testing must be performed on new chemicals before they can be sold in Europe.

Final SummaryWhy do we have a trash problem?

We produce too much trash! If we do not REDUCE the volume of trash that we are producing, we will never solve the solid waste problem.

•USA: 220 Million Tons Trash/Year• Garbage Trucks end to end around the equator 8 times! • The average American throws away 4.5# trash/day and 1600# trash/year!

What else can you do to help solve the problem?

Reduce and Reuse!

• How can you reduce the amount of trash that you produce?

• What about composting? Science Expert Report!

Solutions Needed to SolveThe Solid Waste Problems

Of Modern Society

Concept Map Review

Reduce! Recycle!Reuse!

Composting! An EffectiveToxic Waste Program!

Modern Landfills!(smallest part of the Solution)

Trash to Steam Power Plants!

Some Final Thoughts on Sustainability!

• The New Eco-Industrial Park in Demark!

• The New Product Design Laws in Europe and Japan.