Debate of Landfills versus Incinerators

Today in class we discussed our stances on the rising debate over whether the nation should burn trash at new generation incinerator facilities known as waste to energy plants or continue to use the method of burying it in landfills which has been the prevailing strategy in the past.  I was previously leaning towards sending a majority of our trash to these plants but have now shifted my stance.  I believe that waste-to-energy plants provide significant advantages which landfilling can not match, causing me to say that all waste produced should be sent to these facilities.

A major concern of those who oppose the incineration initiative deals with emission of disease causing dioxins and other pollutants that can potentially enter the food and water supply.  This issue which may have had legitimacy in the past has been nearly entirely eliminated with the improvement in modern technology.  The federal government has issued a requirement that all ash be tested for toxicity before it leaves the plant.  Modern plants more than meet requirements, and as a result, all threats of hazardous material being emitted are essentially negated.

Another prevalent argument held by opponents of incineration it is that it is a significant waste of energy; the low colorific value of burning waste to energy makes it ultimately and inefficient method of trash disposal.  

A major reason that building of incinerator plants are shut down deals with discouragement or composting efforts.  This is in fact a false misconception.  Waste-to-energy plants hold that recycling is an essential part of the energy conservation process, and that they are ultimately in competition with landfills.  Recycling is by far the most efficient method of waste management, but expecting everyone to recycle considering the cost of doing so, is unrealistic.  

Compared to landfilling, incineration offers considerable energy conservation benefits.  Until our country becomes much more efficient at recycling and can progress in the zero waste initiative, these plants offer us the best possible solution to waste disposal. 

Week in Review

After taking field trips to Oscar Winski, Ray's Recycling, and Convanta Energy, I further understand how the waste system works in our society today. I think that these three businesses gave us students a better context and eye opening experience. Reading about this type of stuff on paper does not do the justice of how the waste system works, whether it is recycling or decomposing. 

At the Oscar Winski facility, I thought it was neat to see all the different types of materials separated into boxes. It made me realize all the different types of metals that are used to make products. Some of the metals are more rare than others resulting in a greater demand. I thought the electronic waste system was very cool. It showed me how our society is changing over time. I anticipate in the future we will switch to this type of recycling because it seems to be more of an Eco friendly system.

Ray's Recycling gave me a glance into what recycling centers around the world work like. They use a line in order to separate cans, bottles, and paper. These workers endure many poor conditions in their work day but that does not keep them from working at Ray's. This has made me in the past couple days think more about throwing away my trash. Humans need to be more understanding of the affects that placing whatever we want into the trash. In the end, it causes harm to our society and makes for more work in the shops.

Covanta energy was an eye opening experience for me. I have never been to an incinerator facility before and I thought it gave me an understanding of how we get rid of the trash. Although there is much debate over whether these are Eco friendly and the right thing to do. I believe it is wise if used in the right way which is putting the trash that can not be recycled or discomposed. 

Recycling/Landfills/Incinerators

--Here is an article giving information about the three

Recycling Myths

            So far, after being in this class for just under a week, I have already learned so much about the materials economy and waste management.  After traveling to different businesses and locations on our field trips, one specific area kept sticking out to me as I wondered about where our trash really goes, and what we as a population can do to help improve our planet.  Recycling.  Now, I know that recycling alone can not solve every problem, but it is a big part of it, and I wondered about the different myths and false beliefs about this process that people held, and what I could do to help set it straight!  I found a website that focuses on these "rumors" of recycling, and the real facts behind them. 

First Week in Review

Going into this first week of class, I really had no idea what to expect. After going through the first week, the class was much more interesting than what I ever thought it was going to be. Throughout this first week, we an interesting video on where "stuff" comes from, the process in which the "stuff" is produced, and the effects it has on the environment and people that run the cycle. One of the examples that the video brought up was the $4.99 mini radio. The narrator stepped back and thought about how the little radio was produced from the very beginning. She explained the mining of the precious metals and plastics that it was composed of, and mentioned how the workers that put together the radio sacrificed their lives in order to make a few dollars a day. This idea got me thinking about all of the little items in stores, and larger ones for that matter, should be way more expensive than what they are today.  After we watched this video, we were assigned our winter term project. I was assigned the theft of the Hub's silverware and plates with Joe Hennessy. This seems like a very interesting topic and we have begun researching many different ideas about the products. We also took two field trips this week. The first one we took was to a recycling company in Lafayette, IN. We visited Oscar Winski's plant and were given a tour to experience the process in which the trash goes through from when it is dropped off, to when it is finally recycled. On Wednesday, we visited Ray's Recycling outside of Indianapolis, and Covanta Energy. I was very excited to see Covanta Energy. When we arrived it was clear that Covanta was the largest facility we had visited.

This was a cool photo that I found that explains the process that the trash at Covanta Energy goes through from when it reaches the tipping zone, to when it is finally recycled. I thought it was very interesting to learn that Covanta Energy creates its own electricity off of steam and does not have to purchase any electricity from the city. Not many companies in the world are able to do that. They also supply much of the steam to the steam line that runs through Indianapolis, which makes electricity prices for the citizens much cheaper. At every facility we went to the tour guides were amazing and I definitely learned a lot about the whole process of recycling. What does everyone think the most interesting facility was, and what has been the most interesting part of class so far? 

Scrap Metal Disposal

After visiting Covanta and Ray's, I wanted to do more research on the disposal process of scrap metal, especially stainless steel.  Stainless steel scrap is very important to the production process.  According to the Australian Stainless Steel Development Association, 60% of stainless steel is made up of recycled content.  This includes reclaimed scrap, industrial scrap, and new raw materials.  Stainless steel is also unique because during its lifetime, it can be returned to its original state without any breakdown of its mineral components.  Also, because it can be recycled so often, its long life span makes it a high demand material.  Depending on country and demand, recyclers will import stainless steel and other scrap and send them to mills- either domestically or internationally.  Lastly, the fundamental components of stainless steel- nickel, chromium, and molybdenum- are all crucial for the production process.  This means this incorrect disposal of stainless steel can have large effects to the production process.  Since stainless has such a long lifetime, the effects of under use or production will not be seen until decades after the decrease in use.  It is very important to recycle stainless so it can be used to its full utility.  In 2004, China utilized 900,000 tons of stainless steel scrap in its 2.8 million tons of production.
http://www.assda.asn.au/technical-info/environment,-health-and-safety/recycling-of-stainless-steel-scrap