ML072040338
| ML072040338 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Site: | Oyster Creek |
| Issue date: | 07/02/2007 |
| From: | Environmental Protection Agency |
| To: | Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation |
| Davis J NRR/DLR/REBB, 415-3835 | |
| Shared Package | |
| ML072040332 | List: |
| References | |
| Download: ML072040338 (3) | |
Text
-4Municipal Solid Waste - Basic Facts Page I of 3
.,p U.S. EnvironmentalProtectionAgency Municipal Solid Waste Recent Additions I Contact Us I Print Version Search:
EPA Home > Wastes > MunicipalSolid Waste > Basic Facts Home Basic Facts Basic Facts Frequently Asked Questions Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)
Reduce, Reuse, and MSW-more commonly known as trash or garbage-consists of Recycle everyday items such as product packaging, grass clippings, MSW Commodities furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint, and batteries. To learn more about MSW, view our interactive MSW Disposal presentation about Milestones in Garbage: 1990-Present.
MSW Programs MSW State Data In 2005, U.S. residents, businesses, and institutions produced more than 245 million tonsof MSW, which is approximately 4.5 pounds of waste per MSW Topics 20(rSTotal Waste - Genetration- p person per day.
24S Million Tons.
MSW Publications (before recy c ling)
Several MSW management practices, such as source reduction, recycling, and composting, Y artd*Tr34-213,1 immPier ..
I*t)t Sca ps 1 1.7 %) prevent or divert materials from the S1 ... wastestream. Source reduction involves altering Metals 7.8%.
SRubbe, ethraTtlethe-design, manufacture, or use of products and Aul bla,5.2%e ....pr a . ;extles
.3% materials to reduce the amount and toxicity of tW'ood 5.7%/ what gets thrown away. Recycling diverts items, Other 3.4 % . such as paper, glass, plastic, and metals, from the wastestream. These materials are sorted, collected, and processed and then manufactured, sold, and bought as new products. Composting decomposes organic waste, such as food scraps and yard trimmings, with microorganisms (mainly bacteria and-fungi), producing a humus-like substance.
Other practices address those materials that require disposal. Lanl.dfills are engineered areas Trands; in MSW..Generationl196&29M where waste is placed into the land. Landfills 5I .
usually have liner systems and other safeguards to prevent groundwater contamination. 45~, -
Combustion is another MSW practice that has helped reduce the amount of landfill space needed. Combustion facilities burn MSW at a .6 Xi high temperature; reducing waste volume and 100 sii, ton 1 generating electricity. 27 Solid Waste Hierarchy J*., *l*t 1I6O .1790 ' 1990 :'2300,'1
' 2M..tt EPA has ranked the most environmentally sound ~ ~
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e~ir FmCai~ (l fp'ers'n/dJ strategies for MSW. Source reduction (including -4 otatl Sl`4ij1:riWtos reuse) is the most preferred method, followed by recycling and composting, and, lastly, disposal in combustion facilities and landfills.
Currently, in the United States, 32 percent is recovered and recycled or composted, 14 percent is burned at combustion facilities, and the remaining 54 percent is disposed of in landfills.
Source Reduction (Waste Prevention)
Source reduction can be a successful method of reducing waste generation. Practices such as grasscycling, backyard composting, two-sided copying of paper, and transport packaging reduction by industry have yielded substantial benefits through source reduction.
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, Municipal Solid Waste - Basic Facts Page 2 of 3 Source reduction has many environmental benefits. It prevents emissions of many greenhouse gases, reduces pollutants, saves energy, conserves resources, and reduces the need for new landfills and combustors.
Recycling Recycling, including composting, diverted 79 million tons of material away from disposal in *tU; Rec~~rn Rates 19613-200S 2005, up from 15 million tons in 1980, when the U0mill- -0 recycle rate was just 10% and 90% of MSW was being combusted with energy recovery or disposed of by landfilling. 50 Mill- k Typical materials that are recycled include ~0 mill' batteries, recycled at a rate of 99%, paper and paperboard at 50%, and yard trimmings at 62%.
These materials and others may be recycled through curbside programs, drop-off centers, 15mil 0 omilli t;4 5 15%t(~
buy-back programs, and deposit systems.
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Recycling prevents the 99.0 Recycding Rates of Selecte d Haterials emission of many 2(15 , greenhouse gases and water pollutants, saves energy, supplies valuable raw materials to industry, S61.9 creates jobs, stimulates the s50. development of greener 44P8
":-:£.,£ technologies, conserves
,S6 resources for our children's 2S.3 future, and reduces the
.. need for new landfills and combustors.
Auto Steel Yard Paper Alurm, Tires Plastic Plastic G'lass Batteries Can Trirnhiingi 'Beer Soft r'A1k Containers Paperboard &SOft Drink Bottles . Recycling also helps Drink .Contaiers....... reduce greenhouse gas emissions that affect global climate. In 1996, recycling of solid waste in the United States prevented the release of 33 million tons of carbon into the air-roughly the amount emitted annually by 25 million cars.
Combustion/Incineration Burning MSW can generate energy while reducing the amount of waste by up to 90 percent in volume and 75 percent in Weight.
EPA's Office of Air and Radiation is primarily responsible for regulating combustors because air emissions from combustion pose the greatest environmental concern.
Recycling also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions that affect global climate. In 2005, the national recycling rate of 32 percent prevented the release of approximately 49 million metric tons of carbon into the air--roughly the amount emitted annually by 39 million cars, or 1400 trillion BTUs, saving energy equivalent to 11 billion gallons of gasoline.
Landfills Under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), landfills that accept MSW are primarily regulated by state, tribal, and local governments. EPA, however, has established national standards http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/facts.htm 7/2/2007
Municipal Solid Waste - Basic Facts Page ZD3 of 3
'It these landfills must meet in order to stay open. Municipal landfills can, however, accept household I- hazardous waste.
The number of landfills in the United States is steadily decreasing-from 8,000 in 1988 to 1,654 in 2005. The capacity, Resource Conservation however, has remained relatively constant. New landfills are much and Recovery Act larger than in the past.
The Resource Con~ervation and Recovery Act (RCRA) was enacted by Congress in Household Hazardous Waste 1976 and amended in 1984.
The act's primary goal is to Households often discard many common items such as paint, protect human health and the cleaners, oils, batteries, and pesticides, that contain. hazardous environment from the components. Leftover portions of these products are called potential hazards of waste h ouh.oldg heazardous .waste (HHW). These products, if disposal. In addition, RCRA mishandled, can be dangerous to your health and the environment. calls for conservation of energy and natural resources, reduction in waste generated, and Environmental Terms, Abbreviations, and environmentally sound waste management practices.
Acronyms EPA provides a glossary that defines in non-technical language commonly used environmental terms appearing in EPA publications and materials. It also explains abbreviations and acronyms used throughout EPA.
Recommended Sources for MSW Information
. Municipal S*lid Waste in the United States:-2005 Facts and Ficglures: Describes the national MSW stream based on data collected between 1960 and 2005. Includes information on MSW generation, recovery, and discard quantities; per capita generation and discard rates; and residential and commercial portions of MSW generation.
" Decision-Maker's Guide to Solid Waste Management Volume II: Contains technical and economic information to assist solid waste management practitioners in planning, managing, and operating MSW programs and facilities. Includes suggestions for best practices when planning or evaluating waste and recycling collection systems, source reduction and composting programs, public education, and landfill and combustion issues.
Additional MSW materialscan be found at Publications.
Top of Page EPA Home I Privacy and Security Notice I Contact Us Last updated on Friday, June 1st, 2007 URL: http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/facts.htm http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hW/muncpl/facts.htm 7/2/2007