Recycling waste reduction

Fig. 6. An iategrated approach to the management of municipal soHd waste (MSW), advocated by the U.S. EPA, that links source segregation, recycling, waste-to-energy (WTE), and landfilling ia a single system. Source segregation refers to the separation of compostable and recyclable components from the balance of the trash at the poiat where MSW is collected. In source reduction (not shown), another action to reduce waste to landfills, changes are made ia...

Waste Reduction, Recycling, Treatment, and Disposal of Hazardous Wastes The Fouith Biennial Repoii, CaUfornia, 1988, p. 110. 

Calculate the annual operating costs for the existing process that needs waste treatment, and estimate how these costs would be altered by the introduction of waste-reduction options. Tabulate and compare the process and waste-treatment operating costs for both the existing and proposed waste-management options. If there are any monetary benefits (such as recycled or reused materials or wastes), then these should be subtracted from the total process or waste-treatment costs as appropriate. The expanded cost-analysis scheme discussed in Chapter 8 is appropriate to include at this point in the process. 

G. E. Myers and C. M. Clemons, Final Report for Solid Waste Reduction and Recycling Demonstration, U.S. Dept, of Agriculture, Madison, Wisconsin, Project No. 91-5 (1993). 

Spent sulfuric acid. Spent sulfuric acid may be recycled to produce virgin sulfuric acid. To promote waste reduction and recycling, such recycled spent sulfuric acid is excluded from the definition of solid waste, unless the facility accumulates the material speculatively. 

Closed-loop recycling. To further promote waste reduction and recycling, spent materials that are reclaimed and returned to the original process in an enclosed system of pipes and tanks are excluded from the definition of solid waste, provided that the following conditions are met ... 

Landfill methods are considered the most economical and environmentally acceptable way of disposing of solid wastes throughout the world. Even with the implementation of waste reduction, recycling, and transformation technologies, disposal of residual solid waste in landfill will still remain an important component of an integrated solid waste management strategy.4... 

Hazardous waste collection Hazardous waste reduction Hazardous waste toxicity reduction Hazardous waste recycling... 

With plastics taking up 20% of volume of municipal solid waste and costs of landfilling and incineration rising rapidly, waste reduction efforts focus on development of plastics recycling technology. 

EPA s Office of Solid Waste has proposed that an integrated system of waste reduction, recycling, incineration, and landfilling be established. This view seems to be supported by most industries and many legislative and environmental groups, but with different emphasis on the different components. EPA has also set a goal for recycling 25% of solid waste nationwide. 

This factor is used to categorize the option within the waste reduction hierarchal structure. The preferred hierarchy is source reduction, resource recovery and recycling, and alternative treatment (The fact sheet on waste reduction for metal finishers can help identify an option s place within the hierarchy.) Each category or level has a point value assigned to it. The six levels are ... 

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