September 1998 NREL/SR-570-25035 Managing America’s Solid Waste J.A. Phillips J.A. Phillips & Associates Boulder, Colorado National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401-3393 A national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Managed by Midwest Research Institute for the U.S. Department of Energy under contract No. DE-AC36-83CH10093 NREL/SR-570-25035 Managing America’s Solid Waste J.A. Phillips J.A. Phillips & Associates Boulder, Colorado NREL Technical Monitor: Carlton Wiles National Renewable Energy Laboratory 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401-3393 A national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy Managed by Midwest Research Institute for the U.S. Department of Energy under contract No. DE-AC36-83CH10093 Prepared under Subcontract No. AAE-5-14269 September 1998 This publication was reproduced from the best available copy Submitted by the subcontractor and received no editorial review at NREL NOTICE This report was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of the United States government. Neither the United States government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States government or any agency thereof. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States government or any agency thereof. Available to DOE and DOE contractors from: Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) P.O. Box 62 Oak Ridge, TN 37831 Prices available by calling (423) 576-8401 Available to the public from: National Technical Information Service (NTIS) U.S. Department of Commerce 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, VA 22161 (703) 605-6000 or (800) 553-6847 or DOE Information Bridge http://www.doe.gov/bridge/home.html Printed on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 10% postconsumer waste Contents 1.0 The Solid Waste Challenge ...................................................1 The Generation of Solid Waste .............................................2 The Management of Solid Waste............................................2 Role of Local Governments..........................................3 Regional Waste Management ........................................3 Role of States.....................................................4 Role of Private Service Providers .....................................4 Role of the Federal Government ......................................5 Profile: Harvey Alter...............................................6 2.0 From Refuse to Solid Waste ..................................................8 Safeguarding Public Health................................................8 Early History of Sanitation in the United States ..........................9 Early Twentieth-Century Solid Waste Management......................10 The Origin of Modern Municipal Solid Waste Management ...............11 Recent Changes in Solid Waste Management ...........................12 Changes in Waste Composition ................................13 Changes in Collection and Hauling.............................13 Protecting the Environment...............................................14 The Garbage Crisis Mentality .......................................16 Solid Waste Management and Climate Change .........................18 Wisely Managing Material and Energy Resources .............................18 Profile: H. Lanier Hickman, Jr.......................................20 3.0 The Federal Role in Solid Waste Management ..................................22 Legislation............................................................23 The Solid Waste Disposal Act.......................................23 Mission 5000 ..............................................27 New Professionalism........................................27 Grants to Improve Solid Waste Management .....................28 The Scientific Advisory Council and NEPA ...........................28 The Clean Air Act ................................................28 The Resource Recovery Act.........................................29 Environmental Legislation in the 1970s ...............................30 The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act..........................30 The Need for a National Solid Waste Policy......................32 Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments to RCRA ...............33 Attempts to Reauthorize RCRA ...............................33 Laws Promoting Energy Recovery....................................34 Solid Waste Legislation: 1980–1992 ..................................34 Regulation of Municipal Solid Waste.......................................35 Waste-to-Energy Emissions ........................................36 Landfill Emissions ................................................37 i Contents (Continued) Requirements for Landfills .........................................38 Location..................................................38 Operation.................................................39 Design ...................................................40 Groundwater Monitoring and Protection .........................40 Closure and Post-Closure Care ................................40 Financial Assurance.........................................41 Clean Water Regulations...........................................41 Research and Development ...............................................41 Agencies Responsible for Municipal Solid Waste Programs .....................42 U.S. Public Health Service..........................................42 Tennessee Valley Authority.........................................42 U.S. Bureau of Mines..............................................43 National Institute of Standards and Technology .........................43 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency................................43 Energy Research and Development Administration U.S. Department of Energy.........................................47 Argonne National Laboratory .......................................48 National Renewable Energy Laboratory ...............................49 Profile: Donald K. Walter ..........................................49 4.0 Minimizing the Waste Stream ...............................................51 Limits of Source Reduction ...............................................52 Consumers’ Roles in Waste Minimization ...................................53 Keeping Toxic Waste out of Municipal Solid Waste ...........................54 Industry’s Role in Waste Minimization ......................................55 State and Federal Initiatives to Reduce Solid Waste ............................56 Profile: Steve Levy................................................57 5.0 Materials Recovery ........................................................58 The Federal Role in Recycling.............................................60 The U.S. Bureau of Mines..........................................61 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ............................62 The Modern Recycling Era ...............................................63 Recycling in the 1980s .............................................63 Recycling Realities ...............................................64 Reuse ..........................................................67 Recycling Costs ..................................................67 The Environmental Impact of Recycling...............................68 Recycling Markets................................................70 Corrugated Containers.......................................71 Aluminum Cans............................................71 Steel.....................................................71 ii Contents (Continued) Plastics..................................................71 Paper ....................................................71 Recycling by Industry ...................................................72 Recycling Methods .....................................................73 Paper ..........................................................74 Boxboard.................................................74 Newspapers ...............................................74 Corrugated Containers.......................................74 Office Paper...............................................74 Glass...........................................................75 Aluminum and Nonferrous Metals ...................................75 Steel...........................................................75 Plastics ........................................................75 Composting ...........................................................76 Municipal Composting Systems .....................................77 Market Issues....................................................77 Composting Methods ..............................................78 Mixed-Waste Systems.......................................78 Facility Management ........................................80 Yard-Waste Composting.....................................80 Home Composting..........................................81 Profile: George Trezak............................................81