Possible global environmental impacts of solid waste practices
- Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA (United States)
- Heritage College, Toppenish, WA (United States)
Pollutants resulting from the management of solid waste have been shown to affect the air, land, oceans, and waterways. In addition, solid wastes have other, more indirect impacts such as reduction in feedstocks of natural resources, because useful materials are disposed of rather than recycled. The objective of this study is to evaluate solid waste management practices that have negative implications on the global environment and develop recommendations for reducing such impacts. Recommendations identifying needed changes are identified that will reduce global impacts of solid waste practices in the future. The scope of this study includes the range of non-hazardous solid wastes produced within our society, including municipal solid waste (MSW) and industrial solid waste (ISW), as well as industry-specific wastes from activities such as construction, demolition, and landclearing. Most solid waste management decisions continue to be made and implemented at very local levels, predominantly with a short-term focus to respond to relatively immediate pressures of landfill shortages, funding problems, political considerations, and the like. In this rush to address immediate local problems, little consideration is being given to potential impacts, either short- or long-term, at the national or global level resulting from solid waste management practices. More and more, the cumulative impacts from local decisions concerning solid waste management are beginning to manifest themselves in broader, longer-term impacts than are being addressed by the decision-makers or, at the very least, are presenting a greater and greater potential for such impacts.
- Research Organization:
- Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC06-76RL01830
- OSTI ID:
- 10186427
- Report Number(s):
- PNL-10149; ON: DE95000830; TRN: 94:008983
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Sep 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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POLICY AND ECONOMY
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
GLOBAL ASPECTS
SOLID WASTES
WASTE MANAGEMENT
RECOMMENDATIONS
MUNICIPAL WASTES
INDUSTRIAL WASTES
290301
320305
320604
REGIONAL AND GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
INDUSTRIAL WASTE MANAGEMENT
MUNICIPAL WASTE MANAGEMENT