ERS317 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Paper Recycling, Incineration, Plastics Industry

• School: University of Waterloo
• Department: Environment and Resource Studies
• Course: ERS317
• Professor: John Jackson

Document Summary

Waste contributes to other higher profile environmental issues: downstream/end of life impact organics (leachate and ghgs), incineration (sir pollution), consumer products (microbeads and toxicity, upstream manufacturing (depleting resources, more energy required to make original products) Disposal what do we do with our waste: first big shift: reduce waste in landfills and incinerators through waste diversion programs such as recycling. Create a longer reuse cycle for product (paper recycling) Need to solve: tonnage, toxicity, heterogeneity, externalities. Integrate waste management with sustainable development change discourse: protect health and environment improve siting and design, minimize impact for future generations, conserve resources. Short term changes are more technological to accommodate for increased volume of waste such as gas collection, double liners, siting etc. Long term changes include : mining for materials and energy in landfills, shifting waste underground. Hierarchy: reduce consumerism, recycling and incineration, phase out landfills. Week 2: generation of solid waste and reduce-reuse-zero waste.