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Waste Management
Citation:
THORNELOE, S. Waste Management. 9, Chapter 22, Don W. Green, Marylee Z. Southard (ed.), Perry's Chemical Engineers' Handbook - 9th Edition. American Society of Chemical Engineering (AIChE), New York, NY, , 67-94, (2018).
Impact/Purpose:
To update the Perry's section on solid waste management to take it from cradle to grave to cradle to cradle.
Description:
Wastes are produced and managed at all levels of society, from households to industrial facilities, and at all levels of government and commercial activities. Solid wastes are generated from human and animal activities and from natural and intentional disasters. The US EPA developed a non-hazardous materials and waste management hierarchy in recognition that no single waste management approach is suitable for managing all materials and waste streams in all circumstances. The hierarchy places emphasis on reducing, reusing, and recycling as key to sustainable materials management. Broader use of life cycle assessment (LCA) is occurring to optimize energy and resource recovery from waste while considering existing infrastructure, applicable regulations, societal or community priorities, and cost. This section provides an overview of (1) sustainable materials management, (2) functional units and activities associated with solid waste management, (3) applicable U.S. legislation, regulations, and policy, (4)different categories of solid wastes and properties important to consider in evaluating technology options, (5) statistics on generation of solid waste in the U.S., (6) technological options and applicable regulations for managing different types of wastes and materials, and (7) importance of planning in achieving more sustainable solid waste management and a more resilient community in the aftermath of earthquakes and other natural disasters. In addition, available tools and other information are identified to support those responsible for solid waste management.
