SOLID WASTE

What is Solid Waste Management?

Solid waste is the solid materials that are
generated from activities of living things and are
discarded as useless or unwanted.
The National Solid Waste Management Authority
is a statutory body established by the National
Solid Waste Management Act 1995, with the
specific responsibility for the storage, collection,
transport, treatment and handling of all solid
waste generated within the state of Antigua and
Barbuda.

The Three Rs
(the Waste Hierarchy)

Reduce - the lessening of the amount of items

consumed and discarded.
Purchase durable items which are reusable and
produced with little raw materials

Reuse-

extending the life of an item after original

use instead of discarding or throwing it away
Reusing items reduces waste.

Recycle-

series of steps to treat or process (used or

waste materials) so as to make them suitable for reuse.
Recycling conserves both energy and landfill space and
reduces consumption of natural resources. Products
made from recycled materials saves resources for future
generations and reduce pollution.

Reducing Waste

Waste Reduction
Processes such as reusing and recycling
materials help slow down the rate at
which solid waste is generated. These
materials include
Glass
Paper
Plastics
Metals (e.g. steel and aluminum)

RECYCLING GLASS (its 100% recyclable!)

Glass may be reused several times before the
recycling process which initially consists of
collection, cleaning and sorting by colour. It is
then crushed glass (which is called cullet) is then
melted and added to soda ash (Na2CO3),
limestone and sand.
Labels, covers,
coloured cullet

Cullet melts at a lower temperature than the

manufacture of new glass from soda ash,
limestone and sand.
This saves about half the energy normally
required for making glass.

RECYCLING GLASS (its 100% recyclable!)

Glass can be continually recycled without
losing its quality.
Recycling of glass usually focuses on glass
bottles and jars since they make up a larger
portion of the glass that is thrown away.
Light bulbs, ceramics, glass mirrors and
window panes are not recycled with glass
since they do not contain the same starting
materials.

Recycling PAPER the #1 Trash Item

Paper may be reduced by using

electronic mail/documents and may
be reused by double side printing
or donating books to a library.

Recycling steps:
1) Paper placed in to a pulper with
water: the paper is chopped up into
small pieces to become pulp.
2) The slurry pulp is pushed
through screens with holes of
various sizes to remove particles
that are larger than the pulp fibres.

Recycling PAPER the #1 Trash Item

Recycling steps:

3) The ink is then removed from the paper by a process

called de-inking.
4) The clean pulp can then be processed into paper
products.
Paper can only be recycled up to 7 times as the fibers get
shorter & weaker.

Benefits:
Reduces land pollution by occupying less landfill space
Reduces air pollution by about 70%
Reduces water pollution by about 35% and energy usage by
about 50%.

Recycling PLASTIC
the slow decomposer

Most plastic products can be reused several times before recycling

which saves energy and reduces the demand for raw materials.
The industry will decrease production for that purpose, and the
associated problems such as energy use, pollution and adverse
health effects will diminish.

Plastics are relatively more complicated to recycle as there are

various types requiring specific handling. They therefore carry a
resin identification code to aid sorting before recycling. During the
process, plastic is chopped into flakes, heated under pressure and
filtered to remove contaminants. The molten plastic strands formed
are cooled and cut into pellets to make new products which
include: low-maintenance fencing and decking, benches, carpeting,
building and construction products, shopping carts etc.

Manufactures however find it profitable to use new plastic (despite

being produced from petroleum) than recycled plastic.

Types of Plastics

blog.ecycler.com

RECYCLING STEEL

Scrap metal can be divided into two main

categories:
Ferrous metals: Scrap iron an steel. (They are
magnetic)
Non-ferrous metals: Any metal other than iron
and steel. For example, aluminium, copper,
zinc, nickel, chromium, silver, and gold.

RECYCLING STEEL
Steel virtually exists in a state whereby it may
forever be recycled (with negligible yield loss).
More energy efficient (60% less energy) to
make steel from recycled materials than from
mined iron ore reduced in a blast furnace.
Steel scrap is collected, separated (by
magnets), cleaned and then melted in a
furnace. It is then poured into casters which
roll and flatten the steel into sheets.

RECYCLING STEEL
Steel virtually exists in a state whereby it may forever be
recycled (with negligible yield loss).
More energy efficient to make steel from recycled
materials than from mined iron ore reduced in a blast
furnace.
Steel scrap is collected, separated (by magnets),
cleaned and then melted in a furnace. It is then poured
into casters which roll and flatten the steel into sheets.
Recycled steed can be made into new cars, appliances,
girders for buildings etc.
Recycling steel reduces energy required for mining
and refining processes, cuts air and water pollution
and consumption of natural resources.

RECYCLING ALUMINIUM (takes 400

years to decompose!)
Recycling aluminum only takes 5% of the energy
used for extraction from bauxite! It is the
most cost effective material to recycle.
After collection, aluminum is sorted and
cleaned for reprocessing. It is shredded into
small pieces and ink/coatings are removed by
hot air.
The shreds are melted in a furnace to form
ingots which are sent to mills to be rolled out
and form aluminum products such as: cans,
chocolate wrappings and other packaging.

*Creative ways to reuse aluminum

Because aluminum is a durable and sustainable metal,

two-thirds of the aluminum ever produced is still in
use today.
But while more than 50 percent of aluminum cans
produced is recycled, aluminum may be reused is
various ways:
Belts, wallets, bags, earrings and even a fully
functioning stove!

IMPACT OF SOLID WASTE

Glass
broken glass is sharp and may cause harm
tiny glass particles may cause irritation of the lungs
may act as a lens, focusing light rays and cause heating
leading to fires.
Paper (Biodegradable)
inks contain heavy metals (e.g. cadmium and arsenic),
residual bleach and organochlorine compounds in
small quantities which are potentially toxic substances
and leach into the soil when paper gets wet.
easily blown away by the wind to spread litter.

IMPACT OF SOLID WASTE

Plastics
danger to wildlife especially sea life as animals may get
tangled in plastic nets or suffocate when the plastic gets into
the lungs.
Toxic additives may leach out from plastics.
non-biodegradable plastics remain in the environment for a
long period of time
biodegradable plastics may only break down into
microscopic particles which create further harm to sea life
Metals(e.g. Iron, Aluminum)
alloys react with water and air, corroding to form soluble
compounds which diffuse into the soil or water. Iron rusts
and may form unsightly pools of red waste which reduce
plant growth.
Some are poisonous (e.g. lead & cadmium from car
batteries)
Waste from aluminum smelting may still contain high
amounts of aluminum which react with water forming
ammonia and flammable acetylene and hydrogen.

NUCLEAR WASTE
(N.B. Some radioactive isotopes have long half
lives in the millions)
Radioactive waste may cause radiation burns, damage to the skin as
well as immune system and may cause animals to become sterile.
(Nuclear waste requires special treatment so that it is complete
isolated and cannot escape into ground, water or air). Methods
used include:
Vitrification- heating and then mixing the substance with molten
glass. Glass doesnt dissolve or react with water.
Adsorption- Iron hydroxide (or any other ion-exchanging resin is
added to the water to adsorb and concentrate the solution forming
a sludge which is then mixed with cement.
(Once cooled, these are stored safely in steel cylinders underground)
Above ground disposal- (Low level waste)- waste is put in a steel
cylinder and inert gas is added. It is then placed in a concrete
cylinder and stored.

IMPROPER DISPOSAL
TECHNIQUES
Waste can be buried in a landfill site such as an unused quarry or mine
however some landfills consist of mounds of rubbish (waste
dumps) and if poorly managed can result in various environmental
problems:
Litter-wind can blow paper and plastics into surrounding areas
toxic/harmful liquids (leachate) may drain through the soil or rocks
to contaminate groundwater and soil
gases such as CH4 ,CO2 and H2S are released as a result of organic
waste breaking down in the absence of oxygen. Some of these are
foul smelling, explosive and may kill vegetation while others are
greenhouse gases (CH4and CO2)
Organic material may attract rats and other vermin
Waste dumps may take up a large area and be unstable as the
rubbish can move.

PROPER
DISPOSAL
TECHNIQUES
On the other hand a well managed landfill site is different
to dump in that it is built to contain waste thus it:
Compacts waste to prevent it moving (stable), so it is
confined to a smaller area.
has a lining of clay, plastic or rubberised material which
minimizes drainage of liquids into the soil or rocks
is covered so as to not attract rats and other vermin
Extracts gas by either being burnt off immediately or burnt
so as generate electricity in a controlled way. The process
by which this is done is termed as incineration.

*INCINERATION
Incineration is another common method of solid waste
disposal which is more expensive but also more safe. It
involves combustion of waste at high temperatures
and destroys pathogens and converts toxic heavy
metals to their oxides which are less harmful. The
burnt ash produced occupies less space than the solid
waste. Incinerators can convert waste into heat energy
which may produce steam to generate electricity.

Disadvantages: hazardous air pollutants such as CO,

oxides of sulphur and nitrogen as well as large
amounts of CO2 and particulate matter, release of
carcinogenic dioxins from organochlorine compounds