The Dangers of Plastic Bags

Costs $4,000 to process and recycle 1 ton of plastic bags sold on the commodities market for $32 197 st!dy " million lbs of plastics are d!mped ann!ally some in the ocean #rctic Circle near $pit%bergen, &alkland 'slands (lastic bags acco!nt for o)er 10* of +ashed !p debris on coast, -hey break do+n into smaller more to.ic s!bstances o)er time contaminates soils and +ater+ays, fo!nd in animals so its in the food chain /early 200 diff, $ea life die d!de to plastic bags +hales, dolphins, seals and t!rtles b0c they think it1s food What Can We Do? 2se cloth bag sa)e 3 bags a +eek 22,173 bags in lifetime if 1 o!t of did this +e +o!ld sa)e 1,330, 30,000,000 bags o)er a life time 4angladesh banned plastic bags China has banned free plastic bags 'reland took lead in 5!rope ta.ing plastic bags in 2002 red!ced cons!mption by 90* 200 6+anda banned plastic bags 'sreal, Canada, +estern 'ndia, 4ots+ana, 7enya, -an%ania, $o!th #frica, -ai+an, and $ingapore banned or are mo)ing to+ard banning plastic bags 8ay 27th 2007 $an &rancisco became 1st 2,$ state to ban plastic bags 9akland and 4oston ban bags too 6ed!cing it +ill decrease foreign oil dependancy China +ill sa)e 37 million barrels of oil each year

Interactive Incinerator Activity

'f no landfill is a)ailable the trash is taken to an incinerator -he garbage is p!t on a con)eyor belt that leads to incinerator +aste is b!rned in primary furnace +hich can reach !p to 1000 degrees centigrade :apors and ash are sent to secondary furnace +hich b!rn !p to 1300 degrees centigrade the ash is then collected and sent to a landfill to be disposed -he gas is filtered and sent to a scruber +hich remo)es hea)y metals and o.ides of s!lf!r and nitrogen -he dirty +ater is remo)ed and sent to a water treatment facility -he scr!bbed gases +hich are made of air and carbon dio.ide are released into the atmosphere

Anatomy of a Landfill
Protective Cover Co)er )egetation nati)e grasses and shr!bs are planted pre)ents erosion -op $oil s!pports and maintain gro+th of )egetation by retaining moist!re and pro)ing n!trients (rotecti)e Co)er $oil protects landfill cap system ; pro)ides additional moist!re to help s!pport co)er )egetation Composite Cap System <rainage =ayer $and or gra)el or thick plastic mesh >geonet? drains e.cess precipitation from protecti)e co)er soil to enhance stability and help pre)ent infiltration of +ater thro!gh landfill cap system, @enote.tile fabric may be located to top of drainage layer to separate soil

particles from liA!id @enomembrane plastic layer forms a cap that pre)ents e.cess precipitation from entering landfill and forming leachate, #lso pre)ents escape of landfill gases Compacted Clay pre)ents e.cess precipitation from entering the landfill and forming leachate and helps to pre)ent the escape of landfill gas, red!cing odor, Working Landfill <aily Co)er Baste is co)ered +ith 3C12 inches of soil or other appro)ed material, Bhich red!ces odors, keeps litter from scattering ; deter sca)engers Baste as it arri)es it is compacted in layers +ithin a small area to red!ce )ol!me cons!med +ithin landfill, Bhich also helps red!ce odors, keep litter from scattering ; deters sca)engers Leachate Collection System =eachate liA!id that has filtered thro!gh landfill, Consists primarily of precipitation +0 small amo!nt coming from nat!ral decomposition of +aste, 't collects leachate to be remo)ed from landfill and properly treated or disposed of, Following Components =eachate Collection =ayer layer of sand or gra)el0think plastic mesh >geonet? collects leachate ; allo+s it to drain by gra)ity to leachate collection pipe system &ilter @eote.tile @eote.tile fabric may be located on top of leachate collection pipe system to pro)ide separation of solid particles from liA!id, (re)ents clogging of pipe system =eachate Collection (ipe $ystem perforated pipes s!rro!nded by a bed of gra)el, transport collected leachate to lo+ points called s!mps, (!mps located in s!mps remo)e leathate from landfill ; transport it to leachate management facilities or other method of disposal Composite Liner System @eomembrane thick plastic layer forms a liner that pre)ents leachate from lea)ing the landfill and entering en)ironment, -ypically constr!cted of special type of plastic called DighC density (olyethylene of D<(5, 't is to!gh, impermeable ; e.tremely resistant to attack by compo!nds that might be in the leachate, (re)ents escape of landfill gas Compacted Clay directly belo+ genomembrae, &orms barrier to pre)ent leachate from lea)ing landfill and entering en)ironment, (re)ents escape of landfill gas (repared $!bgrade nati)e soils beneath landfill are prepared as needed prior to beginning a landfill constr!ction,

Landfill Activity
In the United States we generate !p to ""# million tons of solid waste each year$ %hat is slightly less than & ton of waste per capita' Solid waste is any solid li(!id or contained gaseo!s material that is not reg!lated )y any other legislation *+tomic ,nergy +ct CW+ -C-+ etc$. that we no longer have any !se for or intent to trade or sell$ &$ What are the types of solid waste that +mericans throw away and which are the most a)!ndant? &ood scraps, paper, glass, plastics, metals, +ood, r!bber, (aper is the most ab!ndant "$ What can we do with o!r waste? Be can find s!bstit!tes for the items +e !se, 9r re!se them, Be can also red!ce the amo!nt of !rban other +aste that m!st be disposed in landfills,

/$ 0o! are )!ilding a new landfill in Freemont and yo! want the )est location possi)le$What are three */. considerations yo! need to make )efore yo! )egin constr!ction? #mo!nt of precipitation, topography and location to gro!nd+ater table 1$ When yo! are )!ilding a landfill and yo! have cleared a parcel of land what are the steps in )!ilding yo!r landfill? 2ow )!ild it' Da)ing a protecti)e co)er, composite cap system, +orking landfill, ha)ing a leathate collection system and a composite liner system,

3$ 2ow yo!r landfill is operational$ What is the proced!re for filling the landfill and closing it? 4ow do yo! know when the landfill is f!ll? -o fill it yo! start +ith co)er )egetation, top soil, protecti)e co)er soil this is the protecti)e co)er, -o fill it yo! ha)e to make s!re the composite liner system is in tack so yo! m!st ha)e the genomembrane, compacted clay belo+ that and prepared s!bgrade +hich is the nati)e soil beneath the landfill, Eo! kno+ a landfill is f!ll +hen it starts to gi)e off odors beca!se the +aste is seeping thro!ght the co)er soil, 5$ 0o!r landfill has )een capped off$ What do yo! do to monitor yo!r landfill? Be cond!ct s!rface monitoring +hich may gi)e preliminay indications of the migration of gas offCsite, $!rface monitoring can be broken do+n to instantaneo!s and integrated, 'nstantaneo!s consists of +alking o)er the s!rface of the landfill, +hile carrying a flame ioni%ation detector, 'ntegrated consists of +alking o)er the s!rface of the landfill +hile p!mping a sample into a bag,

6$ La)el the parts to the landfill )elow$

Landfills - Energy
Converting %rash to ,nergy =andfill gas is created as biological processes decompose the solid +aste in a landfill, 6a+ form consists abo!t 0* methane, 0* carbon dio.ide and small amo!nt of nonCmethane organic compo!nds, 'f !ncontrolled >landfill gas? can lead to smog, global climate change, odors, capt!re, con)ert, and be !sed as an energy so!rce, @as collection +ells and a )ac!!m system e.tract landfill gases from landfills +hich is then directed to central point +her eit can be processed and treated depending !pon the !ltimate !se for gas 9)er 400 operational =&@ energy proFects in the 2,$ and a gro+ing n!mber aro!nd the +orld Ways to Convert LF7 to energy 5lectricity @eneraton makes !p abo!t 203 of c!rrently operatinal proFects <irect 2se !sed in boiler, dryer, kiln, greenho!se, other thermal applications in nearby b!sinesses, can also be !sed directly to e)aporate landfill liA!ids Cogeneration combine heat ; po+er, !se =&@ to generate both electricity and thermal energy steam or hot +ater #lternati)e &!els deli)ered to the nat!ral gas pipeline system to con)ert )ehicle f!el in form of compressed nat!ral gas and liA!efied nat!ral gas, 8a9imi:ing 7as Prod!ction )y 8anaging Li(!id Levels 5.cessi)e liA!id acc!m!lation at critical points can block or restrict the flo+ of the gas prod!ced G5< 5n)ironmental $ystems landfill p!mps are designed to safely and reliably manage liA!id le)els, Autopump are r!gged and all air po+ered !se in potentially e.plosi)e methane en)ironments, Iron Horse 4!ilt for specially p!mping needs s!ch as handling e.tremely thick, )isco!s fl!ids and greater depths,