Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

Disposalwaste, pollutionUsebleach,detergents,water,pollutionTransportenergy,pollutionLIFE-CYCLE ANALYSIS OF A SHIRTPackagingpaper, plastics,waste, pollutionRecycleReuseless resourceuse and waste,less pollutionRaw materialsfertilizer,energy, water,pollutionManufacturingenergy, waste,pollutionProcessingenergy,cleaners,dyes,pollutionFigure 24-11 Life-cycle analysis of the resources used and pollutantsproduced over the lifetime of a product. Including all ofthese costs in the market prices of the products we buy wouldallow us to compare the harmful environmental costs of differentproducts and thus make more informed choices about theproducts we buy.How can we encourage reuse and recycling? Proponentssay that leveling the economic playing field isthe best way to start. Governments can increase subsidiesand tax breaks for reusing and recycling materials(the carrot) and decrease subsidies and tax breaks formaking items from virgin resources (the stick).Another way to encourage recycling is to greatlyincrease use of the pay-as-you-throw (PAUT) system andencourage or require government purchases of recycledproducts to help increase demand and lowerprices. Governments can also pass laws requiring companiesto take back and recycle or reuse packaging discardedby consumers. Globally, at least 29 countries(most in the European Union) have such “take-back”laws. In the Netherlands, all packaging waste isbanned from landfills. In 2002, the European Unionadopted a ruling requiring its member countries to recycle55–80% of all packaging waste by 2008.Governments can also require manufacturers totake back and recycle or reuse appliances, computersand other electronic equipment, and motor vehicles atthe end of their useful lives. Such product stewardship isrequired for car manufacturers and appliance makersin European Union (EU) countries and for major appliancesin Japan.The EU also requires companies to take back electronicproducts from consumers without charge andbans e-waste in municipal solid waste. Beginning in2006, manufacturers must begin phasing out use oftoxic and hazardous materials in electronic products.These product stewardship policies create a strong economicinventive for companies to redesign products forsafer and easier recycling, reuse, and remanufacturing.The United States lags far behind the EuropeanUnion in dealing with the problem of e-waste. However,in 2003, the office supplier Staples announced aprogram that allows store visitors to drop off their cellphones, PDAs, pagers, and rechargeable batteries forrecycling. A portion of the proceeds from this recyclingprogram will be donated to the Sierra Club to helpsupport environmental education and conservationprograms. In 2004, Staples, the Product StewardshipInstitute, and the U.S. EPA announced a partnership totest a pilot program for recycling e-waste. Under thisprogram several major electronics manufacturers willpay for recycling of their name brand products takenback to Staples.xHOW WOULD YOU VOTE? Should governments pass lawsrequiring manufacturers to take back and reuse or recycleall packaging waste, appliances, electronic equipment, andmotor vehicles at the end of their useful lives? Cast your voteonline at http://biology.brookscole.com/miller14.Finally, we can require labels on all products listingrecycled content and the types and amounts of anyhazardous materials they contain—similar to labels onfood products that list ingredients and provide nutritionalinformation. This can help consumers makemore informed choices about the environmental consequencesof buying certain products.24-6 BURNING AND BURYINGSOLID WASTEWhat Are the Advantages and Disadvantagesof Burning Solid Waste? A Faded Rose in SomeCountriesJapan and a few European countries incinerate mostof their municipal waste, but this is done less in theUnited States and in other European countries.Globally, municipal solid waste is burned in over 1,000large waste-to-energy incinerators, which boil water tomake steam for heating water or space or for producingelectricity. Trace the flow of materials through theprocess as diagrammed in Figure 24-12 (p. 246). Japanand Switzerland burn more than half of their MSW inincinerators compared to 16% in the United States andabout 8% in Canada.In some plants, called mass-burn incinerators,mixed trash is dumped into a huge furnace. This savesthe expense and hazards of removing nonburnablematerial. But often there are air pollution and corrosionhttp://biology.brookscole.com/miller14545