SOURCE REDUCTION

The purpose of this lecture is:

(1) to define source reduction and the relevant
terminology,
(2) to provide a description of source reduction
efforts and their potential impact on solid
waste management,
(3) to present a framework for developing a
source reduction program, and
(4) to describe strategies for source reduction.
 SOURCE REDUCTION
➢Any activity that reduces the amount
and/or toxicity of waste which otherwise
would have been generated.
➢Source reduction is recognized as one of
the most important approaches to deal
with the increasing waste disposal and
pollution:
✓Because of the economic and
environmental advantages associated
with generating less waste.
Primary routes of source reduction
● Decreasing or eliminating the amount or
toxicity of material used in the
manufacturing and packaging of products
● Redesigning products for increased life span,
reusability, and repair ability
● Changing purchasing decisions to favor those
products that have minimized residual
toxicity and waste associated with them.
● Modifying patterns of consumption and
material use in a way that reduces the
amount and toxicity of waste generated
Definitions of Terms Relevant to Source
Reduction
Source reduction/Waste prevention:
Any change in the design, manufacturing,
purchase, or use of materials or products
(including packaging) to reduce the amount
or toxicity before they become MSW.
Source reduction also refers to the reuse of
materials
Definitions of Terms Relevant to Source
Reduction
Waste reduction and minimization:
Activities that reduce the amount of waste
that needs to be disposed of in landfills or
incinerated, such as recycling, off-site
composting, reuse, reprocessing, and
remanufacture.
Definitions of Terms Relevant to Source
Reduction
Reuse and refurbishing:
A source reduction activity involving the
recovery and reapplication of a package,
used product, or material in a manner that
retains its original form or identity,
➢such as refillable glass bottles,
➢reusable plastic storage containers,
➢ refurbished wood pallets
Definitions of Terms Relevant to Source
Reduction
Light weighting packaging:
Reducing the amount of a particular
material used to package a unit volume of
product.
Source expansion:
The increased generation of a waste
material, effectively the opposite of source
reduction
Definitions of Terms Relevant to Source
Reduction
Functional product groupings:
Considering items serving a similar purpose
together.
Allows for the quantification of source
reduction activity due to material
substitution.
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
1) Economic advantages
2) Environmental advantages
✓ primarily the reduction in pollution
and cost of solid waste management
and disposal.
✓ In addition, source reduction activities
can result in changes to the
composition of solid waste.
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Economic
The total cost of a solid waste management:
✓collection,
✓processing,
✓ disposal of materials
Source reduction can reduce the costs of solid
waste management:
✓primarily by reducing the quantity of waste to
be managed,
✓avoided purchasing costs, and
✓ collecting revenues from resale of items.
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Economic………… A Case Study
➢it was found that $300 million was spent
for waste collection per year, $50 million
for disposal, and slightly less for recycling,
➢ while only $1 to 2 million was invested in
waste prevention programs
9% reduction in the solid waste stream
would save an estimated $90 million in
collection and disposal costs annually
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Economic …………………..
●Reduced pollution from trucks and disposal
●Less resource depletion from excess
packaging
● Economic development of reuse and repair
industries
● Reduced need for landfill capacity
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Economic …………………..
Choosing to refurbish, reuse, and repair an
item can represent a substantial savings over
disposal because:
✓there is no longer a need to reorder
disposable products continually
✓Regular maintenance and repair increases
the lifetime that an item is in service
✓reduces the need to dispose of and replace
that item.
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Economic …………………..
➢Renting, borrowing, and sharing items that
are needed only on occasion avoids the
purchase and eventual disposal costs of
that item.
➢ Leasing products that become outdated
quickly has the advantage of keeping up
with current technological innovation and
encourages manufacturers to produce
higher-quality and easily serviceable
products.
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Economic …………………..
quickly has the advantage of keeping up with
current technological innovation and encourages
manufacturers to produce higher-quality and
easily serviceable products. For example,
because computers are quickly outdated, many
businesses and industries are choosing to lease
computer systems. Through leasing, companies
are able to keep up with current technology
without having to worry about eventual disposal
problems, and manufacturers are encouraged to
design products for end-of-life management.
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Economic …………………..
➢New technologies that encourage
paperless communication such as
electronic mail and news permit the
transfer of information in a more efficient
form.
➢By transferring information electronically,
it is possible to use paper only when a hard
copy is desired or necessary.
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Economic …………………..
Industries save money by:
➢reducing product packaging,
➢minimizing waste associated with
manufacturing processes
➢using scrap materials in the manufacturing
process.
 EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Economic …………………..
Industries save money by:
The costs associated with delivery and
marketing products are also reduced when;
➢the weight and volume of packaging used
are reduced.
➢Minimizing waste and toxicity of
manufacturing processes results in a more
efficient use of materials and reduces
material purchasing and disposal costs.
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Economic …………………..
Material exchanges divert waste products from
one industry to raw materials for a different
industry. Internet-based material exchanges on
the national, state, and local level allow people
to post ads for materials that they want as well
as materials that they do not want.
Garage sales also promote the local exchange of
items, creating revenue from items that are no
longer needed and keeping those items out of
solid waste management systems
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Economic …………………..
➢ Material exchanges divert waste products
from one industry to raw materials for a
different industry.
➢ Internet-based material exchanges on the
national, state, and local level allow people
to post ads for materials that they want as
well as materials that they do not want.
➢ Garage sales also promote the local
exchange of items, creating revenue from
items that are no longer needed and keeping
those items out of solid waste management
systems
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Environmental
Environmental benefits are:
➢the reduce ed need for natural resources,
➢less energy and pollution from avoided
processing/reprocessing of materials,
➢ reduction in the amount of material sent
to landfills and waste combustion facilities
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Environmental
Greenhouse gases, i.e. NOx, CO2, and CH4 ,
are released when energy is expended to:
➢mine raw materials,
➢transport and process those materials,
➢ manufacture products,
➢transport those products,
➢finally collect and dispose of the residual
waste after the product’s useful life has
ended.
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Environmental
Greenhouse gas emissions are also increased
when:
➢ trees are cut down to make paper
➢waste decomposes in landfills
➢ waste is combusted
Source reduction of municipal solid waste
(MSW) is recognized as having a significant
potential to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Environmental
Greenhouse gas emissions are also increased
when:
➢ Source reduction of municipal solid waste
(MSW) is recognized as having a significant
potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
➢ The exact impact of the uncontrolled release
of such large quantities of greenhouse gases
is not certain
➢ However, it is likely that activities associated
with MSW contribute to global warming.
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Environmental
Some environmental effects of waste
management decisions are not clear:
➢The use of washable products such as plates,
cups, utensils, and towels instead of
disposable alternatives may increase water
use.
➢Increased water use may adversely impact
water supply as well as wastewater treatment
processes by increasing the organic and
suspended solid material in wastewater.
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Environmental
Some environmental effects of waste
management decisions are not clear:
➢The repair and reuse of older, less efficient
appliances and electronic equipment may
require more energy to operate them.
➢While new technology may have the benefit
of energy efficiency,
➢ it may also have the adverse effect of
displacing the older items and adding to the
waste management burden.
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
➢Because of the complexities associated
with predicting a product or materials
impact on the environment, a
measurement known as life-cycle
assessment (LCA) can be used
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
The process of LCA is used to assess a product
or material’s overall environmental footprint on
the earth by considering the effects of the
following processes:
●Choice of extraction of raw materials
● Transport and processing of those materials
●Manufacture of products from those materials
● Use of those products
● Fate at end of life
EFFECTS OF SOURCE REDUCTION
Applying LCA to solid waste management
systems can make it possible to consider:
➢ the overall impacts that solid waste
management decisions have on
environmental systems, instead of
considering only an individual process.
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
➢Federal and local governments can
implement measures to reduce the waste:
● Restrictions on packaging and products
● Establishing procurement guidelines
● Bans on the disposal of certain materials
and products
● Legislation requiring manufacturers to
meet certain packaging and product
guidelines
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
Programs and policies that can be used to
encourage participation in waste reduction:
●Taxes proportional to material use and
waste fraction of a product
● Outreach and education programs
● Information clearing houses
●Requiring waste audits and the
development of source reduction plans
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
The federal government supports source
reduction practices by:
➢ providing technical and financial
assistance programs,
➢making policies,
➢ conducting studies,
➢distributing information.
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
Policy:
➢Several government actions, encourage or
could be used to promote source
reduction.
➢As problems associated with solid waste
become more severe, the federal
government will increase support of waste
prevention policies.
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
State Assistance.
➢Generally consist of supporting local
governments and businesses with financial
and technical support to increase source
reduction activity.
➢Other programs provide training and
workshops to educate program managers
about source reduction and recycling
strategies.
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
Bans and Restrictions:
➢ Materials that are compostable, recyclable,
repairable, or large in quantity and toxicity
can be banned or restricted to keep them out
of waste disposal systems.
➢ Placing bans on materials can encourage
consumers and establishments to participate
in source reduction activities because of the
problems associated with restricted disposal.
➢ When a material or product is banned,
manufacturers are also pressured to provide
items that can substitute for the banned
materials.
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
Deposit and Refund Systems.
➢system is that, at the time of purchase, the
consumer pays a fee supplemental to the
cost of the product.
➢This fee is refunded when the package or
product is returned to the manufacturer or
authorized collection center.
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
Exchange, Donation, and Sale:
➢Exchange, donation, and sale of unwanted
items and materials
➢Many items such as computers,
appliances, and vehicles can be donated to
schools and charitable organizations.
➢Community and personal garage sales also
promote the extended life of products by
transferring an unwanted item to another
individual who has a use for that item.
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
Taxes:
➢Taxes on excessive packaged items,
disposable or single-use items, or products
that contain hazardous compounds,
encourage source reduction.
➢Tax influences consumer’s purchasing
decision, disposal of the product, or
➢ persuade production and manufacturing
to adopt source reduction measures
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
Consumer and Student Education
➢educate consumers about local laws
governing waste disposal practices,
backyard and worm composting, grass
cycling, and green shopping strategies.
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
Reuse/Repair Industries.
➢keep products and materials from disposal
through refurbishing and redistribution
➢ Unlike recycling, the items and materials
generally require little or no processing and
augment the purchase of new products or
materials,
➢Examples of reuse include recovery of
computers and supplies for schools and
recovery of used, out-of-date, excess building
materials for low-income housing projects.
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
Unit Pricing for Waste Reduction.
Types of unit pricing systems:
1) Can systems.
✓ Customers choose the number of
waste containers they will set out
for collection.
✓ Each can’s size represents a
different gallon or weight limit.
✓ Disposal fees are based on the
number of cans used.
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
Unit Pricing for Waste Reduction.
Types of unit pricing systems:
2) Bag systems:
✓ The waste a consumer wants collected must be
put in a bag with a special color or logo.
✓ The disposal fee must be prepaid when the
customer buys the bag at a local store or some
other designated location.
✓ Purchase of the bag guarantees collection, but
the more bags are needed, the more the
customer pays to buy them.
✓ An alternative is tags and stickers, which, once
purchased and placed on a container or bag,
guarantees collection and disposal.
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
Unit Pricing for Waste Reduction.
3) Two-tier.
✓ A combination of traditional funding
from property taxes or monthly fee
combined with a user fee.
✓ customer pays a flat fee for waste
removal through a tax or monthly bill for
collection of one can or one bag.
✓ Collection of any additional waste is
charged through a bag or sticker system.
 INVOLVEMENT BY GOVERNMENT FOR
SOURC REDUCTION
Unit Pricing for Waste Reduction.
4) Weight-based systems:
✓ Collection charges are assessed in
accordance with weight of waste put out for
collection.
✓ Weight-based systems are fairer than
volume systems
✓ However, the garbage has to be weighed by
the collector with scales on the truck, and
the technology of weight-based systems is
expensive and subject to mechanical failure.