Waste Disposal - Sorting waste

Is short term profit a greate concern than long term survival?


When humans came to live in towns and cities, there was usually some attempt to reduce pollution of the whole environment from excrement. Until a couple of centuries ago, when there was no main drainage, chamber pots were emptied from upper windows into the street; hence the warning cry of “Gardy loo”, so that passers by could try to avoid being soaked with the contents. To most of us the 20,000,000 tonnes of domestic waste – sometimes called ‘municipal waste’ – constitute the main problem in Britain today. This is the material we put out of our houses every week in dustbins or plastic sacks, the collection of which adds substantially to our rates. It is what so disfigures many of our streets, where leaking sacks may be ripped open by dogs in search of bones, and where cardboard cartons add to the litter. However, as is indicated in the eleventh report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (cmd 9675, 1985) it constitutes only about four percent of the total waste of some 482,000,000 tonnes generated in Britain. Agriculture makes a contribution of 200,000,000 tonnes, mineral working of 135,000,000 tonnes and industry of 100,000,000 tonnes. The report showed that, contrary to expectation, the total weight of household waste produced by the average household has not increased in recent years. It actually fell by about one third between 1936-1974 this may largely have been the result of the disappearance of heavy residues from burning coal. In Britain today, over 90 percent of domestic wastes, and a substantial amount of industrial waste, goes into what the public call rubbish dumps, and which are more correctly called sanitary landfill sites.

The sites have to be found where all this material may be deposited and properly managed. Every year 18 million tonnes, 40 million cubic metres, of waste is involved. Although the extractive industries (brick making, gravel and mineral extraction, mining) produce holes amounting to no less than 250 million cubic metres – more than five times the volume of the annual accumulation of domestic waste – however many of these holes are unsuitable. Inn the past refuse was simply dumped into holes. It blew about and littered much of the surrounding country side. Today, practically every site managed by a local authority or responsible commercial firm well deserves to be called a sanitary landfill site.

There are several interesting cases of man made sites which have developed conservation value. In order to make it practicable to take waste to comparatively distant sites, transfer stations are being developed up and down the country. Here the refuse collected in urban dustcarts is tipped out and then compressed into bales, which spread no litter, and which take up the minimum space in lorries or railway trucks. After compression, the refuse is of little interest to birds, but while awaiting treatment at the transfer stations it attracts great numbers of gulls.

A proposal was made in one region to restore the area to what it was before quarrying, was strongly opposed by conservationists and people living in the area. The latter said they would willingly pay higher rates for their refuse to be taken to a distant dump. The main objection, however, was that the quarry now had great ecological value, and also that it contained valuable geological exposures.

Today an increasing number of sites, instead of consisting merely of filled holes, are being developed into mountains which not only accommodate much more refuse on the same area of ground, but can be merged into a new landscape in what is otherwise an uninteresting flat piece of country. In such situations, a care is taken to cover the surface with a relatively impenetrable layer of clay, so that rain water does not penetrate into the mass o refuse and generate leachate. The well managed site permits easy feeding for a short time invaded by birds of the area from dumping until the refuse is buried with soil, and the constant passage of vehicles tends to drive of some species. Gulls have been studied more thoroughly than the other birds feeding on refuse, changing their habit during the last hundred years.

In Britain most of the less dangerous chemical and industrial waste is eliminated by the process known as co-disposal, a term which describes the deposition of municipal and certain types of industrial waste in a single landfill site. It was concluded to be for many industrial wastes a environmentally acceptable option in containment sites. Among the various wastes considered unsuitable for such treatment were acid tars, volatile and inflammable organic liquids and drums of toxic substances. Co-disposal proceeds as follows. Domestic waste is deposited, compacted, capped with soil and allowed to mature for some time, preferably as long as five years. Then trenches are ripped through the capping material into the body of the now largely decomposed waste. Liquid waste is brought by tanker trucks, and run into the trenches. The liquid should not completely fill the trenches and flock the surface, but even if this happens it is quickly absorbed. After a n agreed amount of liquid waste has been absorbed, the capping is restored. Care must be taken to avoid putting liquids which react with on another into t he same trench. Some toxic wastes are treated by solidification. The waste liquid is mixed with various lime containing cements and alumino- silicate compounds called pozzolans to produce a slurry. This sets in a few days, and within six months is rock hard.

All different types of waste produce different ecological problems. There has been much concern also about toxic wastes in recent years, although many substances so classified are not particularly poisonous, and those that are may be present in very small quantities. In addition to the solid and liquid wastes produced directly by humans and by industry, we have many gaseous wastes given out mainly as a by-product of the liberation of energy from fossil fuels. Waste heat, particularly from electric generating stations, affects many rivers, lakes and even parts of the sea, when water is abstracted and used for cooling purposes. This heat may have important consequences for fresh water and for marine flora and fauna.

Pollution seldom affects the basic constitution of the air, say by reducing the oxygen available for respiration. A significant reduction may occur in a confined space like a mine, but not in a crowded room. People who complain of lack of oxygen are actually reacting to heat, to the smell and to a rise in the level of carbon dioxide altitude has a greater effect.

Pollution by sulphur dioxide is generally greatest in the centre of a city, and because levels fell as one moved out to the country, so there is a gradient of lichens. But there are many instances of the lethal effect of sulphur dioxide in forests. As sulphur dioxide, generated in towns and industrial areas, spread over the country side, it mixed with the air and became considerably diluted. It is discovered that the very dilute sulphur pollution, blown hundreds or even thousand of miles from its source, may still have important effects on freshwater and living organism. This is because of what is commonly spoken of as acid rain. This term is used to cover a whole series of different reactions which are related to different forms of air pollution.

Finally much of the trouble with waste from homes and industry is that it takes up space which might otherwise have other and more important uses. So it would seem wise if we tried to minimise the amount of waste we produced a realistic overall calculation would generally show that anything we could do to reduce the quantities of waste materials would be a good national investment. Whilst endeavouring to avoid damage to valuable habitats, we should at the same time realise that a policy of positive conservation, which includes the creation of new habitats for ourselves as well as for wildlife, has much to commend it. Our wastes can then make a positive contribution to conservation, instead of always being a menace to the environment.

Oxfam launches drive to sort good donations from the not so good

The Association of Charity shops revealed today that £4.5 million is wasted sorting, recycling and storing unsuitable donations. Oxfam has responded by launching a new initiative called 'Sorted'. This aims to reduce costs through asking the public to consider whether Oxfam will be able to sell items they donate, or if they should instead be directly recycled or thrown away.
Currently, Oxfam spends £500,000 each year on sorting, storing and disposing of unsuitable donations, almost as much as the charity’s entire project spend in Rwanda or Eritrea in 2005. This figure is expected to rise to £1 million because of proposed landfill tax increases and proposed legislation about disposal of electrical equipment.
Lekha Klouda, Executive Secretary of the Association of Charity Shops said,
"This is a major concern for across the sector. Charity shops depend on the generous donations made by the public and we cannot survive without them. We ask that people use common sense in deciding whether the items are suitable to donate to charity shops or whether they should be recycled elsewhere so that charity shops do not have to pay for their disposal. Charity shops currently pay over £4.5m a year in disposal costs and this is rising fast - money that could otherwise be used to help charities fund the work for their beneficiaries."
Chris Coe, Director of Trading at Oxfam said:
“We’re so grateful for the incredible donations we receive from the community, but like any retailer there are things we can and cannot sell. The things we cannot sell are damaged, unsafe or just unsuitable for sale, such as broken electrical items and worn out clothing. A good donation is something which is unbroken, complete, clean and sellable.”
Oxfam wants to show customers how they can help. By sorting through their donations before dropping them off at one of the 750 shops across the country handling costs will be reduced and the process of re-sale speeded up.
'Good’ donations could include classic and everyday books in good condition, complete items of bric-a-brac and home ware, non-hazardous toys, undamaged music items, bridal wear and any items of clothing that are likely to resale.


References:

Oxfam GB report, 5 Sept 2005, www.oxfam.org.uk
Mellanby, K.,Waste and Pollution - the problem for Britain
Hancock, J.,Waste Management and your business, 2002
Sustainable waste management, Food and rural AFFA, 2002