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2.5 Topic f: Special wastes

Household hazardous waste collection programs have the potential to reduce the toxicity of the municipal waste stream. Many products found in the home have the same chemicals and characteristics as hazardous waste generated by industry, but because of the small quantities generated, are generally exempt from regulation. In recent years the number of household hazardous waste collection programs in North America has increased dramatically. In 1980 there were two such programs in the US; by 1990 the number of programs had grown to 855, including dozens of permanent household hazardous waste drop-off centers. The majority of states in the US have enacted disposal bans for certain special wastes, including vehicle batteries (84%), tires (64%), and motor oil (38%). Several states have passed laws aimed at cleaning up tire dumps, while other are attempting to recycle tires.

Some of the most commonly collected materials are oil-based paints, paint thinners, used motor oil, pesticides, household cleaners, wood preservatives, antifreeze, and batteries. Paints, lead-acid batteries, and used oil are typically recycled; the other products are sent to licensed hazardous waste disposal facilities. While household hazardous waste programs can raise community awareness, they do not, in and of themselves, encourage citizens to reduce the amount of hazardous waste they generate.

Unfortunately, the environmental benefits of household hazardous waste programs have in many cases been minimal because most communities have found that only a small portion of residents use the drop-off centers. Participation by less than 1% of households in the community is typical, and participation rates as low as 0.2% are not uncommon. Twenty to 40 pounds of hazardous waste are typically collected per participating household. However, because many participants dispose of hazardous waste accumulated over several years in their first visit to a collection event, future collection efforts will probably result in lower quantities of waste per participating household.

To raise participation rates, some communities are offering curbside collection service for household hazardous wastes. Some curbside programs are restricted to the collection of used oil. In others, small batteries are put in plastic bags and left next to the container of recyclables. The driver places the batteries in a special container in the truck. Other communities are seeking to collect all types of household hazardous wastes at the curbside. These programs can recover a greater proportion of the targeted materials than drop-off centers, but they are also more costly to operate. In addition, hazardous waste left at the curb unsupervised can be spilled or disturbed by children or animals, raising serious safety and liability concerns. Some communities avoid these potential problems by having homeowners make appointments for the collection of these waste products.

In addition, household hazardous waste programs are costly to operate. Programs need trained staff members to identify, package, transport, and treat or dispose of the wastes. The cost of three one- day pilot household hazardous drop-off projects in the State of Illinois ranged from US$22,000 to US$50,000 per project, the primary determinant of cost being the amount of waste collected. Typical costs at a well-publicized event can be well over US$2 per pound of waste collected. Programs with limited publicity and low participation can cost over US$9 per pound.

Sewage sludge from wastewater treatment (also known as biosolids) is handled separately from MSW, but it can end up in the some of the same management facilities; it is either landfilled, incinerated, spread on land, or composted. While disposal at sea used to be common, this approach is now banned in the US.

Medical waste has attracted considerable attention because of repeated incidents of pollution by hospital waste on East Coast beaches and increased concern about the transmission of communicable diseases. Infectious waste generated by health care facilities, laboratories, and veterinary hospitals is classified by states and provinces as hazardous, special, or solid waste, usually requiring pretreatment before land disposal. Most is burned in hospital incinerators, but medical waste is also disposed of in landfills and public sewers. Other treatment methods include steam or gas sterilization, irradiation, and chemical disinfection. For both medical and other hazardous wastes, there are privately owned facilities that compete to handle the wastes.

Construction and demolition debris consists of a variety of waste materials from building and demolition sites, including steel, asphalt, concrete, brick, plaster, wallboard, and piping. Most construction and demolition debris are currently disposed of in landfills in North America. It is usually separated from other solid waste because it is relatively inert and requirements for its disposal are not as stringent as for standard MSW. However, toxic substances (e.g., asbestos or PCBs) found in debris must be handled separately. Much construction and demolition debris contains recyclable material, such as asphalt for road repair and bricks and cinder blocks for fill.

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