Solid Wastes

Defining Solid Waste


There are many ways to define solid waste. When you read news articles or hear people talk

about solid waste, you might hear terms such as “garbage,” “refuse,” “waste material,” or “trash” to

describe what we throw away. Two important terms to understand in learning about this issue are total

solid waste and municipal solid waste.

Total Solid Waste

Total Solid Waste (TSW) means everything that our nation throws away each day. Each year

in the United States, we throw away about 21 tons of garbage for every person living in the country.

This amounts to about 115 pounds per person per day. Who creates all this material?

The following table shows you where our total solid waste comes from:



51%  agriculture

  38%  mining

  8%  industry

  3% municipal solid waste



Together these sources of waste create a problem for people in the U.S.: what do we do with all this

waste?

Municipal Solid Waste

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is the garbage that Americans produce in their homes and

where they work. The word “municipal” means anything that is operated and controlled by elected

local officials such as city or county governments. Usually MSW refers to what we throw away each

day in our cities and towns. MSW contains all kinds of garbage including newspapers, yard waste, old

appliances, household garbage, used furniture and just about anything you can think of that people

throw away at home, schools, and businesses.

Americans generate more than 180 million tons of MSW each year. This is about 1,300 pounds for

each person each year. It means that on average, each of us creates a little over 4 pounds of garbage

every day.
   

How is Household Hazardous Waste Managed?
Many people understand that household hazardous waste should not be thrown away. The best
disposal option for unwanted, but usable household hazardous products is to use them up or find
someone who can. If the products are no longer usable, but can be recycled, they should be taken to
a recycling outlet. If these options are not possible, the products should be saved for a household
hazardous waste collection program. There have been over 4,500 collection programs in the United
States since the first one was held in 1980. When a community holds a household hazardous waste
collection, people are encouraged to bring unwanted and unusable household chemicals to a desig-
nated location. There, trained workers remove the products from the vehicles, sort them into types
of waste, pack them in drums, and then dispose of the wastes, usually to a special hazardous waste
incinerator or landfill. The average amount of waste brought into a collection program is 100
pounds per household.
Types of Collections
There are several types of household hazardous waste collections. The type of collection a
community chooses often depends upon the availability of funds and whether its citizens live in a
rural or urban setting.
ONE-DAY COLLECTIONS
One-day collections allow householders to bring their household hazardous waste to a desig-
nated location on a specified date. Wastes that are brought in are recycled if possible, and the rest
are immediately packaged and sent to a hazardous waste treatment or disposal facility.
PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
Permanent collection facilities are designed to store household hazardous wastes for short
periods of time. At a permanent collection facility, householders bring their hazardous waste by
appointment or during open hours.
DOOR-TO-DOOR COLLECTIONS
Some communities provide door-to-door collections where trained staff pick up materials in a
retrofitted truck and sort, package, and store at a main facility until enough waste is collected to
warrant disposing of it. Door-to-door is particularly helpful to elderly and/or disabled people. In
most areas this collection is done by appointment. This is a very expensive service and typically is
provided in conjunction with other collection events.
CURBSIDE COLLECTIONS
Some communities provide a curbside collection program where yellow boxes are set out at the
curb for pickup of household hazardous wastes. Typically, only certain wastes are accepted, such as
waste oil, household batteries or auto batteries.
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MOBILE COLLECTIONS
Mobile sites stay in one location for a specific period and then move the whole operation to the
next site in within the service area. Collection sites can be at malls, fire stations, church lots, store
parking lots, etc. At the end of the collection period at the site, the waste is placed on a truck and
transported back to the main facility; or if the truck is not full, it moves on to the next site.
What Happens to Materials Collected at a Household Hazardous Waste Collection?
The ultimate destination of household hazardous wastes depends upon the individual charac-
teristics of each waste. For example, used motor oil and antifreeze can be recycled; some acids and
bases can be neutralized; and some flammable or combustible liquids can be fuel blended and
burned. Other wastes must be packaged and sent to a hazardous waste facility.
Household hazardous waste collections are good because they rid homes of stores of old prod-
ucts and help to educate and safeguard the community. But they are also very expensive and the
hazardous waste landfills or incinerators do not operate without their own environmental costs.
Thus, it is vital that we take steps to reduce the amount of household hazardous waste we generate.
Reducing Risks and Minimizing Wastes
There are a variety of actions each of us can take to reduce risks from household hazardous
products and to minimize household hazardous wastes.
Before You Buy a Product
• Read labels carefully. Avoid buying products with labels containing the words: caustic, corro-
sive, danger, explosive, flammable, poison, toxic, volatile, or warning.
• Use safer products whenever possible. Safer alternative products can be found in stores. Recipes
for cleaning products using common kitchen ingredients, such as baking soda and vinegar, can
be found in books available through most libraries. (See Resources.)
• Buy the least hazardous product. Let the signal words serve as a guide.
• Buy household hazardous products only in the amount you need for the task at hand.
• Buy hazardous products in childproof packaging.
• Check to see if safety equipment is required when using this product. Make sure you have the
proper equipment on hand or that you purchase it for use with the product.
• Avoid aerosol products. Aerosol cans disperse the product in tiny droplets that can be deeply
inhaled into the lungs and quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. In addition, aerosols ignite
easily and may explode when subjected to high temperature or pressure.
Use it Safely
• Read all labels before using hazardous products, paying careful attention to proper use instruc-
tions and dangers.
• Do not mix products unless instructed by label directions. Mixing products can cause explosive
or poisonous chemical reactions. Even different brands of the same product may contain incom-
patible ingredients which may react when mixed together.
• During use, keep hazardous products out of the reach of small children. If the phone rings or
you are called out of the room, close the product and take it with you or take the child with you.
Do not leave products unattended or unsealed.
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• Avoid wearing soft contact lenses when working with solvents and pesticides. They can absorb
vapors from the air and hold the chemical against your eyes.
• Do not eat, drink, or smoke while using hazardous products. Traces of hazardous substances
can be carried from hand to mouth. Smoking can start a fire if the product is flammable.
• Use products in well-ventilated areas to avoid inhaling vapors. Try to keep lids closed as much
as possible while working with hazardous products to minimize the vapors. Work outdoors
whenever possible. When working indoors, open windows and use an exhaust fan. Position the
fan to draw air away from the work area to the outdoors, rather than recirculating it indoors.
Take plenty of fresh air breaks. If you feel dizzy or nauseous, tightly seal the product, go out-
side, and take a break.
• Use protective gloves, goggles, and respirators that are appropriate to the task if the product
presents hazards to skin, eyes, or lungs.
• Clean up after using hazardous products. Carefully seal products and properly refasten all caps.
Store it Safely
• Keep products out of the reach of children and animals. Store all hazardous products in locked
cabinets, in cabinets with childproof latches, or in other secure structures.
• Make sure lids and caps are tightly sealed and childproof.
• Make certain all products are clearly labeled before storing them.
• Leave products in their original containers with the contents clearly identified on the labels.
Never put hazardous products in food or beverage containers.
• Keep products away from sources of heat, spark, flame, or ignition. These sources include pilot
lights, switches and motors. This is especially important with flammable products and aerosols.
• Store products containing volatile ingredients, or those that warn of vapors or fumes, in a well-
ventilated area.
• Store gasoline in safety-approved containers only in a well-ventilated area away from all
sources of heat, spark, flame or ignition.
• Know where flammable materials are located in your home and how to extinguish them. Keep a
working ABC-rated, or Multi-Purpose Dry Chemical, fire extinguisher in your home.
• Keep containers dry to prevent corrosion. If a product container is beginning to corrode, place
the entire container in a plastic bucket with a tight-fitting lid and pack non-flammable absor-
bent, such as cat box filler, around the container. Clearly label the bucket with its contents and
appropriate warnings.
Dispose of it Safely
In most cases, the best thing to do with a leftover product is to use it all according to the label
directions or find someone that will use it. Banned or restricted pesticides, old medicines, and
products whose safety instructions are no longer readable should not be used or shared. Some
household hazardous wastes, including lead-acid batteries, button batteries, used motor oil, and
antifreeze can be recycled. For many household hazardous products there may be no safe disposal
available. These products must be stored safely until your community holds a household hazardous
waste collection.
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