Waste and Plastic Shopping Bags Essay

Submitted By vanafranco
Words: 1398
Pages: 6

Ch. 16
1. E-waste problems: discarded TV. sets, cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices.

2. Hazardous pollutants in e-waste: polyvinylchloride (PVC) brominates flame retardants, lead, and mercury. This can contaminate air, surface water, ground water, and soil. And can cause serious life threatening problems for e-workers.

3. Solid waste- any unwanted or discarded material we produce that is not a liquid or gas.

4. Industrial solid waste- produced by mines, farms, and industries that supply people with good and services.
Municipal solid waste (garbage or trash)- the combined solid waste produced by homes and workplaces other than factories.

5. (413) In 2008, the organization for economic cooperation and development projected that between 2005 and 2030, the worlds output of MSW will almost double.

6. Hazardous toxic waste- threatens human health or environment because it is poisonous, dangerously chemically reactive, corrosive, or flammable.

7. Organic compounds- various solvents, pesticides, PCBs, and dioxins.
Non-degradable toxic heavy metals- lead, mercury, and arsenic.

8. U.S. population of 4.5% worlds’ people produces about 33% (1/3) world’s waste.

9. Largest MSW (2009) were cardboard or paper (28% total), food waste (14%), yard waste (14%), plastics (12%), metals (9%), rubber, leather, and textiles (8%), wood (7%), glass (5%), misc. (3%).

10. (414) Stuff we throw away:
-enough tires to circle planet 3X
-enough diapers ea. Yr. to reach the moon and back 7X
-enough carpet to cover state of Delaware.
-2.5 mill. (non-returnable plastics) reach the earth to moon 6X
-274 mill. Plastic bags (3,200) per second.
-enough paper to build a wall 3.5 meters high from NYC to SF, CA.
- 186 bill. Pieces of junk mail (about 45% unopened)

11. Integrated waste management- variety of coordinated strategies for both waste disposal and waste reproduction.

12. 3 R’s
Reduce- consume less and live a simpler lifestyle.
Reuse- rely more on items we can use repeatedly.
Recycle- separate and recycle paper, glass, cans, plastics, metal, and other products or buy from recycled materials.

13. Solutions to reducing solid waste:
-follow 3 R’s
-ask yourself if you really need a particular item, refuse, packaging.
-rent, borrow, or barter goods, buy second hand, donate or sell unused items.
-buy things that are reusable, recyclable, or compostable.
-avoid disposables
-use e-mail or text instead of paper mail.
-read newspapers or magazines online and e-books.
-buy products in bulk or concentrated form.

14. (416) Ireland, Taiwan, and the Netherlands taxed shopping bags. Ireland taxed about 25 cents per bag. And cut plastic bag litter about 90 %

15. Bangladesh banned the use of all or most types of plastic shopping bags.

16. (416 box) Things to do:
-buy beverages in refillable glass containers.
-use reusable plastic or metal lunchables.
-carry food in reusable containers instead of aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
-use rechargeable batteries.
-when eating out bring your own reusable silverware and napkins
-bring reusable container for takeout food or leftovers.
-carry groceries in reusable basket or cloth-bag.

17. PAUT- Pay-as- you-throw or fee-per-bag waste collection system.

18. (418 box) Recycling advantages:
-reduces energy and mineral use and air and water pollution.
-reduces green house gas emissions.
-reduces solid waste.
-can save landfill space.

Disadvantages:
-can cost more than burying in areas with ample landfill space.
-reduces profits for landfill and incinerator owners.
-source separation inconvenient for some.

19. (418 bottom box) Recycling by MBA Polymers- they succeeded by designing a 16-step automated process that separates plastics from non plastic items in mixed waste streams, and then separates plastics by type or grade.

20. (419) Bio plastics- are a good idea. They can be lighter, stronger, and cheaper, would require less energy