Waste Problems

By Sangeeta Chakrabarti

Inquiry Questions
Could the U.S.A do anything to fix waste
problems?
What is being wasted?
Why is there such a huge waste problem?
What are the effects of waste problems?
How can we fix waste problems?

Could the U.S.A do anything to fix waste

problems?
Yes, U.S.A is already doing several things to address
the waste problem through U.S EPA and local and state
governments.
US congress passed Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act RCRA in 1976 to reduce the amount of
waste generated
RCRA reduced waste and encouraged recycling with
cradle to grave approach

What is being wasted?

The common wastes are household waste
including food, yard, composting, paper, scrap
tires, used oil.
Additional wastes include batteries, aluminum,
plastics, glass, and electronic wastes.

Sources
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/materials
US EPA report .EPA-530-F-14-001, February 2014
Tammemagi, H.1999. The Waste Crisis: Landfills,
incinerators, and the search for a sustainable future:Oxford
University Press
Municipal Solid Waste(MSW) in the United States: Facts
and Figures
http://www.epa.gov/solidwaste/nonhaz/municipal

Waste: Its impact to communities

Adeola, Francis O. Industrial Disasters, Toxic Waste, and
Community Impact: the health effects and environmental
justice struggles around the globe.Lexington Books 2012
This book talks about effects of toxic wastes from industries
in the communities. This discusses Deepwater Horizon oil
spill and its effects on environment of Louisiana coast.

Source
Tammemagi, H.1999. The Waste Crisis: Landfills,
incinerators, and the search for a sustainable future:Oxford
University Press
The above source talks about the waste crisis across north
america especially the large landfills around big cities like
New York city. The book proposes some solutions for
future with the 3 R and incineration and landfill.

Why is there such a huge waste problem?

This is a huge problem since the municipal
solid waste generation has grown over the
years per US EPA to 251 million tons in
2012.
Every American on average generates 4.38
pounds of waste per day

What are the effects of waste problems?

It hurts the air quality and water quality and
the quality of land we live in.
It depletes the natural resources
It causes global warming and change of
weather pattern across the globe

How can we fix waste problems?

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle are the three R which is the
message from EPA and all local and city governments
Recycling rate has increased to 34% in 2012
Disposal of waste to landfill has decreased to 54% in 2012
from 89% in 1980
Source: US EPA report .EPA-530-F-14-001, February 2014

How can we fix waste problems?

This comprehensive book talks about the ways of treating
waste to save the environment. This includes incineration,
recycling, and landfill. Ocean waste and nuclear waste
topics are also discussed here.
Source: Long, Robert Emmet, The Problem of Waste
Disposal, HW Wilson Co. New York 1989

How can we fix waste problems?

This book analyzes some of our health concerns due to air
and water pollution, global warming, and ozone layer
issues. The author offers ways to a reasonable solution on
the global warming, air and water pollution, energy
consumption, ozone layer, and climate change for future.
Source: Blatt, Harvey, Americas environmental report card:
are we making the grade? MIT Press, Cambridge,
Massachusetts 2005.

www.toxicsaction.org/problems-and-solutions/waste

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_in_the_United_States

http://www.epa.gov/