Disposal of Polymers
- 1. By Karl Coelho Disposal of Polymers
- 2. There are 3 ways to dispose of polymers.
- 4. LANDFILLS Waste polymers are disposed of in landfill sites. This uses up valuable land, and suitable sites often fill up quickly. Waste polymers are disposed of in landfill sites. This uses up valuable land, suitable sites often fill up and quickly.
- 5. LANDFILLS - SPACE Landfill sites obviously require space. Although some types of landfill can be used for other purposes once finished, they still require land while in use and restrict possible future uses of the land. The more land used for landfill, the less available for agriculture, natural habitat and development.
- 6. LANDFILLS – GAS EMISSIONS Organic materials, including paper and cardboard, decompose. The conditions of landfill are such that the decomposition releases large quantities of dangerous gases, including methane, a potent greenhouse gas. The gas emissions contribute to air pollution and climate change. They are also a potential health hazard, not to mention being malodorous enough to constitute an ongoing nuisance to nearby communities.
- 7. LANDFILLS – SOIL POLLUTION Chemicals can leak into the soil from the accumulation of waste, and may eventually end up in the water supply. Modern methods, such as the use of landfill liners, can mitigate direct soil pollution to a certain extent. However, the risk of pollutants leaching into the soil remains. Although hazardous wastes are supposed to go to purpose-built landfills, be incinerated or recycled, some inevitably ends up with general trash. Batteries contain hazardous chemicals such as lead and often end up with general trash, simply because householders are unaware of proper disposal methods.
- 8. LANDFILLS – LOSS OF MATERIALS Most of the materials sent to landfill could be used for something else. Materials such as plastics, paper, metals and glass are recyclable. All organic materials can be composted into a rich soil. Wasting the materials by burying them in landfills means raw materials are continuously consumed, wasting energy and leading to serious habitat destruction.
- 9. LANDFILLS – IMPACT ON COMMUNITIES Open landfills are an eyesore and few residents want to live near to an enormous pile of garbage, or even pass one regularly. Landfill sites also attract and support pests such as rats and cockroaches, some of which carry diseases. The associated noise, air and soil pollution impacts humans as well as wildlife.
- 10. LANDFILLS – MONETARY COSTS Landfill sites have associated economic costs, including land, design, transport of waste and maintenance. They have initial and ongoing costs but do not provide any services in return, other than being a place for communities to send their waste.
- 11. BURNING Polymers release a lot of heat energy when they burn. This energy can be used to heat homes or generate electricity. But there are problems with incineration. Carbon dioxide is produced, which adds to global warming. Toxic gases are also produced, unless the polymers are incinerated at high temperatures.
- 12. BURNING – ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGES Waste disposal has developed into an industry larger than just removing waste. Organic waste is separated from inorganic and non- recyclable waste. This allows cities to use organic waste to mulch or create compost for public areas. Some cities even package and sell the compost to generate further revenues. The items that can be recycled are re-processed, and the materials are used to create new products. This method reduces the further consumption of natural resources and lowers the ultimate waste disposal needs.
- 13. BURNING – HEALTH BENEFITS It was once a common practice to burn waste either in your own backyard or at a landfill. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, when household garbage and plastics are burned, they release particulate matter which are solid compounds suspended in air. Being exposed to particulate matter increases heart disease, asthma, emphysema and respiratory disease incident rates. Waste disposal relocates waste to an area where it can be safely left, incinerated or otherwise disposed of. Removing waste from public areas reduces overall health risks, decreases pest infestation in urban areas and lowers exposures to biohazards.
- 14. BURNING – WASTE ENERGY Waste energy is a by-product of some methods of waste incineration. While incineration can release large amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, there have been modern advances that capture the energy produced in incineration and use it to generate electricity. The result is a complex method of re-using items to lower the need of future waste. While this is still being done on a small scale by industrial factories, it is a start and huge advantage of proper waste disposal.
- 15. BURNING – WASTE ENERGY Waste energy is a by-product of some methods of waste incineration. While incineration can release large amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, there have been modern advances that capture the energy produced in incineration and use it to generate electricity. The result is a complex method of re-using items to lower the need of future waste. While this is still being done on a small scale by industrial factories, it is a start and huge advantage of proper waste disposal.
- 16. RECYCLING Polymers have recycling symbols like this one for PVC to show what they areMany polymers can be recycled. This reduces disposal problems and the amount of crude oil used. But first the different polymers must be separated from each other. This can be difficult and expensive.
- 17. RECYCLING – SAVING LANDFILL SPACE Plastic is not a biodegradable material, which means that it can sit in a landfill for hundreds or thousands of years. One ton of recycled plastic can save approximately 7.4 cubic yards of space in a landfill. Best of all, plastics can be indefinitely recycled, which means they could potentially be eradicated from landfills altogether.
- 18. RECYCLING – ENERGY CONSERVATION By using recyclable plastic materials, factories can produce new products using approximately 2/3 less energy than with raw material production. A single pound of recycled plastic bottles made from polyethylene terephthalate can save nearly 12,000 BTUs of heat energy. To put it into terms that hit close to home, one ton of recycled plastic can save a year's worth of energy consumption for two people.
- 19. RECYCLING – REDUCING OF HARMFUL EMISSIONS Factories that produce plastic products from raw materials also produce a great deal of harmful greenhouse gases. By using recycled plastic materials, production time is greatly reduced, which means that less greenhouse emissions are making their way into the atmosphere.
- 20. RECYCLING – COSERVATION OF RESOURCES Oil and natural gas are two of the main components used for the production of the raw materials used to make plastic. These natural resources are not only in limited supply, but also in high demand for other important uses such as powering automobiles and producing electricity. Because plastic materials are already in such abundance, recycling these existing materials means that less natural resources are used for production of new plastic materials.
- 21. Advantages and disadvantages of land-fill, burning and recycling polymers
- 22. ADVANTAGES •The polymers are buried in sites dedicated to waste. • Incineration of polymers releases a lot of heat energy, which can be used to generate electricity. •Many polymers now carry labels to indicate how they should be recycled. •The clear advantage of recycling is protection of useful hydrocarbon esources for the future.
- 23. DISADVANTAGES •The amount of land available is limited and suitable sites often fill up rapidly. • Carbon dioxide is produced, which adds to global warming. • Toxic gases are also produced, unless the polymers are incinerated at high temperatures. • Recycling polymers is a good idea, but not always practical. Many polymers are mixed with other materials and paints or dyes and separation is difficult and expensive.
- 24. Thanks for watching! Disposal of Polymers -Karl Coelho