The Solid-Waste Problem and Product-Design Solutions

THE SOLID-WASTE PROBLEM AND PRODUCT-DESIGN SOLUTIONS 

The waste-management problems of the United States and the rest of the world continually threaten to reach crisis proportions. The U.S. takes top billing, with each person producing at least lb./day of waste, and to date it has literally done little to take corrective action. Such other countries as Germany and Japan generate about 2 Ib./day/person but have taken some positive corrective action. 

Industrialized countries have generated a lot of garbage for a long time but now are rapidly running out of environmentally acceptable landfills. Unfortunately, this problem expands with the world population. At present, more than 2 billion lb. of solid waste are pouring into waste streams annually worldwide. 

This overview includes information and positive actions being now taken to provide solutions that will affect all materials. Because plastics usually receive the biggest emphasis, they are the main focus here. Plastics as well as other materials must all definitely be seen as problems (see Table 12-2). Practically all plastics can be made recyclable, incinerable, or degradable, but the conflict of product-performance requirements as against economics in most past applications has prevented these factors from being viable. Actions have thus been taken by the plastics industry here and abroad to make positive steps toward helping to reduce plastics waste by recycling, incineration, and so on. 

Unfortunately, generalizations that plastics are bad and burning plastics always generate toxic products are too often heard from customers and media representatives. More unfortunately, plastics packaging is a highly visible element in the waste stream. And the negative public perceptions about plastics sometimes lead to negative opinions about the companies that use them. These companies must then respond to consumer opinions to maintain their reputations. 

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