Costs solid waste disposal

Site Selection Factors that must be considered in evaluating potential solid-waste-disposal sites are summarized in Table 25-71. Final selection of a disposal site usually is based on the results of a preliminary site survey, results of engineering design and cost studies, and an environmental-impact assessment. 

Economic evaluations of waste-reduction options should involve a comparison of operating costs to illustrate where cost savings would accrue. For example, a waste-reduction measure that reduces the amount of raw material lost down the drain during the process will reduce raw-material costs. Raw-material substitution or process changes may reduce the amount of solid waste that must be transported offsite, reducing the transport costs for waste disposal. 

Critics of waste incineration argue that these plants often create more environmental problems than they solve. They point out, for example, that incinerators are a major source of dioxin, mercury, and halogenated hydrocarbon release into the atmosphere. In addition, incinerators are very expensive to build and to maintain, and they provide fewer jobs to members of the surrounding community than other methods of solid waste disposal. Also, companies have a dismal record of siting incinerators in disadvantaged communities, where residents suffer the worst consequences of incinerator use. Finally, waste-to-energy incinerators are of little value in tropical and subtropical countries, where the cost of plants and the availability of additional energy sources make them impractical. 

A major application of these types of molded products would be for interior uses in automobiles, such as head liners, door panels, and dashboards. Although this is a low-cost, low-performance application, it represents a very laige-volume market. Indeed, wood is already utilized in applications of this type, but as a finely ground flour that serves as a filler (up to 40%) in extrusion-molded polyolefin products. The use of recycled fiber in this process and the one described above offers the potential of even greater cost reductions, combined with alleviation of solid waste disposable problems. 

A novel process for toxic waste handling is suggested in U.S. 4,764,282 (to Uniroyal Goodrich Tire Company). A waste liquid is soaked up into ground tire rubber to form a stable solid that can be transported with reduced risk of spillage. The resulting product can then be incinerated in a fluidized bed combustor, similar to the fluidized bed combustors used in coal-fired power stations. Estimate the cost of waste disposal via this route, allowing for a credit for the electricity produced. How does this compare to the cost of toxic waste disposal by conventional incineration ... 

Solid waste disposal has traditionally been an economic cost to industry, institutions, and municipalities. Numerous disposal methods have been used with combustion, for purposes of volume reduction, i.e., incineration, an acceptable method in limited applications. The current energy picture in the United States has resulted in many industries, institutions, and municipalities taking a new view of solid wastes in many instances they are now seen as energy sources. 

Allocated costs, Cgnoo nre included to provide or upgrade off-site utility plants (steam, electricity, cooling water, process water, boiler feed water, leMgeration, inert gas, fuels, etc.) and related facilities for liquid waste disposal, solids waste disposal, off-gas treatment, and wastewater treatment. Some typical capital investment costs for utility plants, estimated by Busche (1995), are shown in Table 16.12. Cogeneration plants can provide both steam and electricity by burning a fuel. When utilities, such as electricity, are purchased firom vendors at so many cents per kilowatt-hour, that cost includes the vendor investment cost. Thus, a capital cost for the plant is then not included in the capital cost estimate. 

Unfortunately, the slow rate of the degradation processes [50], the additional cost of manufacturing these polymers, and the fact that they may produce materials that could leach from the landfill sites means they are not considered to be a feasible method of reducing the problem of solid-waste disposal [51]. 

As solid wastes are becoming a matter of increased world concern due to their amoimt as well as difficulty and cost of final disposal, ceramic products can well supply as matrices for industrial residues incorporation snch as giving an option for the solid waste disposal with a possible increase in the properties of the clay ceramic products. The incorporation of wastes from several industrial activities is a technological alternative to reduce the environmental impact due to their indiscriminate disposal. One such measure is the waste incorporation into intensive-produced clay ceramics like bricks and tiles (Parsons et al., 1997). This incorporation is now a common practice and benefits both, the industry... 

It focuses the organisation on wastes generated by its operations. The term wastes has a wide interpretation and includes the excessive use of water and energy, and solid waste disposal costs. Opportunities to reduce costs by reducing these waste streams can be identified by the application of such a system. 

---