ESS Topic 5.

5 - Solid Domestic Waste

5.5 Solid Domestic Waste

5.5.1 Outline the types of solid domestic waste.
Solid domestic waste (SDW) is garbage or trash which has no value to the producer. The
amount of rubbish produced by people varies depending on their lifestyle (people in
MEDCs generate more trash than those in LEDCs; rural residents generate more organic
waste than people living in cities; LEDCs tend to have less food waste because people eat
most of it or feed it to livestock).
USA = 3.5 kg SDW per day

EU = 1.4 kg SDW per day

Solid domestic waste is made of many different things, but the primary components are as
follows. The italicized ones are the most important to remember for the IB exam! (the
percentages represent the portion of SDW in an analysis done in the UK; these numbers
will be slightly different for other countries):
paper (16%)

glass (2%)

metal (3%)

plastics (18%)

organic waste (40%)

packaging materials

textiles

hazardous materials (paints, chemicals, batteries)

dust (aka fines)

The table below shows the analysis of a high-density neighborhood in Lilongwe, Malawi.
How does the composition of SDW in Malawi compare to that in the UK? (Table source:
http://practicalaction.org/docs/consulting/20100120_1.1.3.h.Waste_analysis_Malawi.pdf)

International School of Tanganyika IBDP ESS 2010-2011

Instructor: Mr Brad Kremer

ESS Topic 5.5 - Solid Domestic Waste

International School of Tanganyika IBDP ESS 2010-2011

Instructor: Mr Brad Kremer

ESS Topic 5.5 - Solid Domestic Waste

Heres a table showing the analysis of SDW in Kano, Nigeria, for comparison. (Source:
http://www.krepublishers.com):

Lastly, heres the analysis of SDW in Bangladesh. The gray colors are difficult to
differentiate, but the explanation below should help clarify. (Source: http://www.necsi.edu)

5.5.2 Describe and evaluate pollution management strategies for solid domestic
(municipal) waste.
By now you are all familiar with the 3 Rs: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
reduce - produce less waste in the first place; this is the cheapest strategy

reuse - use something again; requires less energy than recycling; also fairly simple

to implement on a household level

recycle - becomes more economically feasible if recyclable materials are sorted

into bins first, which is how most municipal recycling programs operate
Strategies for dealing with SDW:
International School of Tanganyika IBDP ESS 2010-2011

Instructor: Mr Brad Kremer

ESS Topic 5.5 - Solid Domestic Waste

recycling: materials are collected, separated, and processed first. Success

depends on how much energy and raw materials are required to produce the material in
the first place.
plastics
glass can be melted and re-shaped into new bottles or jars indefinitely; this requires
less energy than making new bottles and jars
paper
metals (aluminum is most common and cost-effective material for recycling; steel is
also frequently recycled)
incineration

SDW burned at very high temperatures

can be used to produce electricity (waste-to-energy plants)
may produce dioxins and heavy metal deposits from materials burned
takes up much less space than landfills
ash often used to build roads
composting

nutrients returned to soils in agriculture, parks, or home gardens

already used on large-scale basis in many MEDC farming systems
tricky problem with composting human waste from sewage systems
landfill

primary way SDW is disposed of

may have every category of SDW, including hazardous materials
initially cheap, but costs increasing rapidly as sites fill up
good sites difficult to find
must be lined to prevent leachate infiltrating ground or surface water sources
methane from decomposition may be captured for energy production

International School of Tanganyika IBDP ESS 2010-2011

Instructor: Mr Brad Kremer