Unit II QUESTION Advanced Solid Waste Management

PLEASE READ THE DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY!!!UNIT II QUESTION CAN BE FOUND IN THE SYLLABUS. THE WORK MUST BE COMPLETED IN THE TEMPLATE PROVIDED IN THE SYLLABUS. THIS CONSIST OF MATH AND WRITING. I HAVE PROVIDED AN EXAMPLE OF THE MATH AND THE SYLLABUS WITH QUESTIONS AND TEMPLATE. THE TABLE 3-1 FOR MANY OF THE QUESTIONS. PLEASE READ THE DIRECTIONS. DO NOT PLACE A BOOK IF YOU CANNOT COMPLETE THIS ASSIGNMENT CORRECTLY.

TEXTBOOK

Worrell, W. A., Vesilind, P. A., & Ludwig, C. (2017). Solid waste engineering: A global perspective (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

MEE6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 1

Course Description

An in-depth study of advanced pollution prevention practices with the preparation of a pollution prevention management
plan. Emphasizes methodologies that achieve environmental compliance through less expensive pollution
control methods.

Course Textbook

Ashby, M. F. (2013). Materials and the environment: Eco-informed material choice (2nd ed.). Waltham, MA: Butterworth-

Heinemann.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, students should be able to:

1. Describe federal laws related to pollution prevention.
2. Conduct life cycle analyses.
3. Explain pollution prevention audits.
4. Evaluate economics of pollution prevention strategies.
5. Examine impact of corporate philosophy on pollution prevention.
6. Describe pollution prevention strategies for various industries.
7. Identify best available technologies for various industries.
8. Evaluate the impact of pollution prevention on ecosystems and biological communities.

Credits

Upon completion of this course, the students will earn three (3) hours of college credit.

Course Structure

1. Study Guide: Each unit contains a Study Guide that provides students with the learning outcomes, unit lesson,
required reading assignments, and supplemental resources.

2. Learning Outcomes: Each unit contains Learning Outcomes that specify the measurable skills and knowledge
students should gain upon completion of the unit.

3. Unit Lesson: Each unit contains a Unit Lesson, which discusses lesson material.
4. Reading Assignments: Each unit contains Reading Assignments from one or more chapters from the textbook.
5. Suggested Reading: Suggested Readings are listed in Units I-VI and Unit VIII study guides. Students are

encouraged to read the resources listed if the opportunity arises, but they will not be tested on their knowledge of
the Suggested Readings.

6. Discussion Boards: Discussion Boards are part of all CSU term courses. More information and specifications
can be found in the Student Resources link listed in the Course Menu bar.

7. Unit Assignments: Students are required to submit for grading Unit Assignments in Units I-VIII. Specific
information and instructions regarding these assignments are provided below. Grading rubrics are included with
each assignment. Specific information about accessing these rubrics is provided below.

MEE 6201, Advanced
Pollution Prevention
Course Syllabus

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 2

8. Ask the Professor: This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or
course content related questions.

9. Student Break Room: This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates.

CSU Online Library

The CSU Online Library is available to support your courses and programs. The online library includes databases,
journals, e-books, and research guides. These resources are always accessible and can be reached through the library
webpage. To access the library, log into the myCSU Student Portal, and click on “CSU Online Library.” You can also
access the CSU Online Library from the “My Library” button on the course menu for each course in Blackboard.

The CSU Online Library offers several reference services. E-mail (library@columbiasouthern.edu) and telephone
(1.877.268.8046) assistance is available Monday – Thursday from 8 am to 5 pm and Friday from 8 am to 3 pm. The
library’s chat reference service, Ask a Librarian, is available 24/7; look for the chat box on the online library page.

Librarians can help you develop your research plan or assist you in finding relevant, appropriate, and timely information.
Reference requests can include customized keyword search strategies, links to articles, database help, and other
services.

Unit Assignments

Unit I Scholarly Activity

Select two out of the three writing prompts listed below. Your responses to your two chosen prompts should be at least
500 words each. No title page is needed, but be sure to indicate which writing prompts you are addressing at the top of
each response. Each response needs its own reference page.

Writing Prompts (respond to two only):

1. Explain the origin of the federal Pollution Prevention Act, including the year it was passed, events leading to its
passage, politics leading up to its passage, by how wide of a vote it was passed, and which president signed it.
Please use the CSU Online Library, the Internet, the textbook, and/or other resources to respond. Please cite and
reference all sources used.

2. In Chapters 1 and 2 of the course textbook, Ashby (2013) discusses materials and energy. After studying the

chapters, select four items total (materials and/or energy) where minimal cost pollution prevention efforts can
provide the most gain in environmental benefit. Also, discuss which of the laws listed in the Unit I Lesson apply to
your selections.

3. Address one of the five principles described on page 102 of the textbook. In your essay, include the date that the

principle was initiated, events that led to the creation of the principle, the purpose of the principle, your thoughts
about the usefulness of the principle, and any recent developments that occurred as a result of the principle.

You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for both of your responses. All sources used, including
the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit II Scholarly Activity

Writing Prompts (respond to two only):

1. Using the life cycle concepts discussed in Chapter 3, select a product, and describe its life cycle.

mailto:library@columbiasouthern.edu

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 3

2. Imagine that you broke a compact disk (CD) that had music on it. Please respond to the following questions in
paragraph form:

 How do you typically dispose of a broken CD?

 Does your community have a means of recycling CDs?

 Considering Figure 4.2 in the textbook, what infrastructure would be needed in your community in order to
have the best end of life option, which is reuse? If reuse is not possible, discuss re-engineering, recycling, or
combustion as options instead of disposal in a landfill.

 Research the materials that are in a CD. Considering Table 4.1, is recycling a possibility?

3. Imagine that you have a smart phone that has been crushed and is no longer usable. Please respond to the
following questions in paragraph form:

 How would you typically dispose of a broken smart phone?

 Does your community have a means of recycling smart phones?

 Considering Figure 4.2 in the textbook, what infrastructure would be needed in your community in order to
have the best end of life option, which is reuse? If reuse is not possible, discuss re-engineering, recycling,
combustion as options instead of disposal in a landfill.

 Research the materials that are in a smart phone. Considering Table 4.1, is recycling a possibility?

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit III Case Study

Select one of the products described in the eco-audit case study in Chapter 8 of your textbook (e.g., cups, grocery bags,
electric kettle). Using the data in the textbook from the eco-audit, additional data from Chapter 15 (as necessary), and any
additional resources that you find helpful, prepare a pollution prevention audit for the product that you have selected. Base
your P2 audit on the steps shown in the Unit III Lesson.

You do not need to use all of the P2 audit steps shown in the Unit III Lesson, but use at least three major steps from each
phase (a major step being Step 5 rather than Step 5.1). Since you will not be using all of the steps shown in the Unit
Lesson, you may re-number them if you wish so that your audit proceeds sequentially without skipping numbers. Your
audit should include an introductory paragraph explaining both the purpose of a P2 audit and the reasons for including the
steps that you have selected.

Your case study must be at least two full pages in length. All sources used, including the textbook, must be referenced;
paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. All references and citations used must be in APA
style. The introduction should be formatted in paragraph form, and the steps can be formatted as a list.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit IV Scholarly Activity

Address all three of the following writing prompts. Your responses to your three chosen prompts should be at least 350
words each. No title page is needed, but be sure to indicate which writing prompts you are addressing at the top of each
response. Each response needs its own reference page.

Writing Prompts (respond to all three):

1. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “Pollution Prevention Practices in Oregon’s Electronics Industry” by
Harding and Jones. In your review, include:

 an overview of the article,

 benefits of using pollution prevention in the electronics industry,

 specific process modifications discussed in the article,

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 4

 chemical substitutions mentioned in the article,

 economics of making the suggested changes, and

 reasons companies might not embrace pollution prevention.

2. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “Optimal Deployment of Emissions Reduction Technologies for
Construction Equipment” by Barl, Zietsman, Quadrifoglio, and Farzaneh. In your review:

 Write an overview of the article.

 Describe hydrogen enrichment (HE), selective catalytic reduction (SCR), and fuel additive (FA) technologies.

 Describe the advantages and disadvantages of HE, SCR, and FA, including a discussion of costs.

 Does the computer model do a satisfactory job of determining the best technology? Explain.

 What would be your recommendations as far as which technology (HE, SCR, and/or FA) should be used, or
should none be used?

3. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “Flue Gas Desulfurization: The State of the Art” by Srivastava and

Jozewicz. In your review:

 Write an overview of the article.

 Describe flue gas desulfurization (FGD) at coal-fired power plants and why it is used.

 Explain the details of one once-through process and one regenerable process.

 Summarize the section titled “The MEL [magnesium enhanced slurry] Cost Model.”

 Discuss how the article is useful to a pollution prevention manager.

 Conduct an Internet search to explain the concept of Best Available Technology (BAT) and whether any of the
FGD processes described in the article are considered BATs.

You are required to use at least your textbook as source material for all of your responses. All sources used, including the
textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit V Essay

Please write an essay about pollution prevention in the dry cleaning and hydraulic fracturing industries. Include the
following items:

1. one-paragraph introduction;
2. five-paragraph review of the Sinshelmer, Grout, Namkoong, Gottlieb, and Latif (2007) dry cleaning article,

including an explanation of the common dry cleaning process using perchloroethylene (PCE), problems with PCE,
and a review of options to PCE presented in the paper;

3. five-paragraph review (total—not five paragraphs for each article) of the Heywood (2012) article and the Chen, Al-
Wadei, Kennedy, and Terry (2014) article on hydraulic fracturing, including environmental issues with hydraulic
fracturing and the P2 solutions presented in each of the two articles (include the use of liquid carbon dioxide);

4. five-paragraph review of the Taylor, Carbonell, and Desimone (2010) article on using liquid carbon dioxide for P2,
focusing on how liquid carbon dioxide can be used as a substitute in the dry cleaning industry and in the hydraulic
fracturing industry; and a

5. two-paragraph summary to include your overall thoughts about P2 in the dry cleaning and hydraulic fracturing
industries, and specifically whether liquid carbon dioxide is a reasonable, cost-effective, and environmentally-
friendly alternative to traditional methods.

In order to access the resources below, you must first log into the myCSU Student Portal and access the Academic
Search Complete database within the CSU Online Library.

Use at least the following references:

Chen, J., Al-Wadei, M. H., Kennedy, C. M., & Terry, P. D. (2014). Hydraulic fracturing: Paving the way for a sustainable

future? Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 1-10.

Heywood, P. (2012, April). Fracking safer and greener? TCE: The Chemical Engineer, 850, 42-45.

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 5

Sinshelmer, P., Grout, C., Namkoong, A., Gottlieb, R., & Latif, A. (2007). The viability of professional wet cleaning as a
pollution prevention alternative to perchloroethylene dry cleaning. Air and Waste Management Association, 57,
172-178.

Taylor, D. K., Carbonell, R., & Desimone, J. M. (2010). Opportunities for pollution prevention and energy efficiency

enabled by the carbon dioxide technology platform. Annual Review of Energy and the Environment, 25(1),
115-148.

Your paper must be at least three full pages in length, not including the title page and reference page. All sources used,
including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. All
references and citations used must be in APA style.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit VI Scholarly Activity

Address both of the following writing prompts. Your responses to both of your chosen prompts should be at least 500
words each. No title page is needed, but be sure to indicate which writing prompts you are addressing at the top of each
response. Each response needs its own reference page.

Writing Prompts (respond to both):

1. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “The Greening of a Pulp and Paper Mill” by Hill, Saviello, and Groves. In
your review, describe:

 the history of the Androscoggin Mill, including when it was built, the strike, number of employees, and amount
of paper produced,

 the kraft pulping process,

 pollution problems prior to 1990,

 P2 methods implemented after 1990, best available technologies, and economics, and

 key actions by the 1990s management team that changed the mill from an environmental problem to an
environmental success.

2. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Opportunities for Concrete

Pavements” by Santero, Loojos, and Ochsendorf. In your review, describe:

 greenhouse gas production from construction and operation of pavements,

 how each of the following reduces greenhouse emissions: embodied emissions, albedo, carbonation, and
vehicle fuel consumption,

 the five greenhouse gas emissions strategies starting on page 861,

 best available technologies related to concrete paving, and

 the Life Cycle Cost Analysis (LCCA) presented in the article.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit VII Scholarly Activity

Writing Prompts (respond to both):

1. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “Designing a Low-Cost Pollution Prevention Plan to Pay Off at the
University of Houston” by Bialowas, Sullivan, and Schneller. In your review, describe:

 why the university developed a P2 plan,

 the process of bulking hazardous wastes, fume hood modifications, and cost savings,

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 6

 silver recovery and cost savings,

 oil reclamation plan and cost savings, and

 your overall thoughts about the university’s P2 program.

2. Review the Reading Assignment titled as “Effectiveness of State Pollution Prevention Programs and Policies” by
Donna Harrington. In your review, describe:

 the three objectives of the study,

 the Toxic Releases Inventory (TRI) and its impact on P2,

 the empirical model (framework) used in the study,

 costs of P2 programs, and

 the article’s conclusions and your thoughts about the conclusions.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

Unit VIII Research Paper

Please write a research paper addressing the following:

How important is corporate philosophy to a company’s pollution prevention efforts? Please use an example of one or more
companies to support your position.

The completed assignment must be a minimum of 4-5 pages in length, not including the title page and reference page.
The paper should have a minimum of three sections: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. A minimum of three
references should be used, and at least one of these must be from a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal. All sources used,
including the textbook, must be referenced; paraphrased and quoted material must have accompanying citations. You
may use articles cited in previous portions of the course but you must write new, unique content that was not in any of
your previous submissions in this (or any other) course.

Information about accessing the Blackboard Grading Rubric for this assignment is provided below.

APA Guidelines

The application of the APA writing style shall be practical, functional, and appropriate to each academic level, with the
primary purpose being the documentation (citation) of sources. CSU requires that students use APA style for certain
papers and projects. Students should always carefully read and follow assignment directions and review the associated
grading rubric when available. Students can find CSU’s Citation Guide by clicking here. This document includes examples
and sample papers and provides information on how to contact the CSU Success Center.

Grading Rubrics

This course utilizes analytic grading rubrics as tools for your professor in assigning grades for all learning activities. Each
rubric serves as a guide that communicates the expectations of the learning activity and describes the criteria for each
level of achievement. In addition, a rubric is a reference tool that lists evaluation criteria and can help you organize your
efforts to meet the requirements of that learning activity. It is imperative for you to familiarize yourself with these rubrics
because these are the primary tools your professor uses for assessing learning activities.

Rubric categories include: (1) Discussion Board, (2) Assessment (Written Response), and (3) Assignment.
However, it is possible that not all of the listed rubric types will be used in a single course (e.g., some courses may
not have Assessments).

The Discussion Board rubric can be found within Unit I’s Discussion Board submission instructions.

The Assessment (Written Response) rubric can be found embedded in a link within the directions for each Unit
Assessment. However, these rubrics will only be used when written-response questions appear within the Assessment.

http://www.columbiasouthern.edu/downloads/pdf/success/citation-guide

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 7

Each Assignment type (e.g., article critique, case study, research paper) will have its own rubric. The Assignment rubrics
are built into Blackboard, allowing students to review them prior to beginning the Assignment and again once the
Assignment has been scored. This rubric can be accessed via the Assignment link located within the unit where it is to be
submitted. Students may also access the rubric through the course menu by selecting “Tools” and then “My Grades.”

Again, it is vitally important for you to become familiar with these rubrics because their application to your
Discussion Boards, Assessments, and Assignments is the method by which your instructor assigns all grades.

Communication Forums

These are non-graded discussion forums that allow you to communicate with your professor and other students.
Participation in these discussion forums is encouraged, but not required. You can access these forums with the buttons in
the Course Menu. Instructions for subscribing/unsubscribing to these forums are provided below.

Click here for instructions on how to subscribe/unsubscribe and post to the Communication Forums.

Ask the Professor

This communication forum provides you with an opportunity to ask your professor general or course content questions.
Questions may focus on Blackboard locations of online course components, textbook or course content elaboration,
additional guidance on assessment requirements, or general advice from other students.

Questions that are specific in nature, such as inquiries regarding assessment/assignment grades or personal
accommodation requests, are NOT to be posted on this forum. If you have questions, comments, or concerns of a non-
public nature, please feel free to email your professor. Responses to your post will be addressed or emailed by the
professor within 48 hours.

Before posting, please ensure that you have read all relevant course documentation, including the syllabus,
assessment/assignment instructions, faculty feedback, and other important information.

Student Break Room

This communication forum allows for casual conversation with your classmates. Communication on this forum should
always maintain a standard of appropriateness and respect for your fellow classmates. This forum should NOT be used to
share assessment answers.

Grading

Discussion Boards (8 @ 2%) = 16%
Scholarly Activities (5 @ 9%) = 45%
Unit III Case Study = 12%
Unit V Essay = 12%
Unit VIII Research Paper = 15%
Total = 100%

Course Schedule/Checklist (PLEASE PRINT)

The following pages contain a printable Course Schedule to assist you through this course. By following this schedule,
you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted.

https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/CSU_Content/common_files/instructions/DB/Create_New_Thread_Subscribe

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 8

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention Course Schedule

By following this schedule, you will be assured that you will complete the course within the time allotted. Please keep this
schedule for reference as you progress through your course.

Unit I Introduction to Pollution Prevention

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:

 Chapter 1: Introduction: material dependence
 Chapter 2: Resource consumption and its drivers
 Chapter 5: The long reach of legislation
 Additional Reading Assignment(s): See Study Guide
 Suggested Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:

 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by
Saturday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by
Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Submit:  Scholarly Activity by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

Unit II Life Cycle Assessment as it Relates to Pollution Prevention

Review:  Unit Study Guide
Read:

 Chapter 3: The material life cycle
 Chapter 4: End of first life: a problem or a resource?
 Additional Reading Assignment(s): See Study Guide
 Suggested Reading: See Study Guide

Discuss:
 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by
Saturday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)
 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by
Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)
Submit:  Scholarly Activity by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)
Notes/Goals:

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 9

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention Course Schedule

Unit III Pollution Prevention Audits

Review:  Unit Study Guide
Read:

 Chapter 7: Eco-audits and eco-audit tools
 Chapter 8: Case studies: eco-audits
 Additional Reading Assignment(s): See Study Guide
 Suggested Reading: See Study Guide

Submit:  Case Study by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

Unit IV
Pollution Prevention in Specific Industries – Construction, Electronics, and Coal-Fired Power
Plants

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:
 Reading Assignment: See Study Guide
 Suggested Reading: See Study Guide

Unit V Pollution Prevention in Specific Industries – Dry Cleaning and Hydraulic Fracturing

Review:  Unit Study Guide
Read:
 Reading Assignment: See Study Guide
 Suggested Reading: See Study Guide
Discuss:
 Discussion Board Response: Submit your response to the Discussion Board question by
Saturday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)
 Discussion Board Comment: Comment on another student’s Discussion Board response by
Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Submit:  Essay by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention 10

MEE 6201, Advanced Pollution Prevention Course Schedule

Unit VI Pollution Prevention in Specific Industries – Pulp and Paper Milling and Concrete Paving

Unit VII Pollution Prevention Economics

Review:  Unit Study Guide

Read:  Reading Assignment: See Study Guide

Unit VIII Corporate Philosophy

Submit:  Research Paper by Tuesday,11:59 p.m (Central Time)

Notes/Goals:

MEE 5901, Advanced Solid Waste Management 1

Course Learning Outcomes for Unit II

Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1. Assess the fundamental science and engineering principles of solid waste management.

6. Relate leadership and management principles to effective solid waste management.

Reading Assignment

Chapter 3:
Collection

Unit Lesson

There are four broad kinds of wastes that make up municipal wastes: municipal solid waste from residences,
commercial business locations, government institutions and industry; yard wastes; recyclables that are
processed to reenter commerce with a renewed purpose and function; and construction debris. All of these
categories are non-hazardous wastes approved for handling, processing, and disposal in municipal landfills.
When it comes to hazardous wastes from commercial businesses (e.g., spent solvent and process streams)
and from households (polychlorinated biphenyls [PCBs] in florescent fixture ballasts, oils, paints, mercury,
lead acid batteries, radioactive material, etc.), these must be separated out of municipal wastes to protect
transporters, workers handling and processing municipal wastes, and the microbial populations that exist in
municipal landfills tasked to convert organics to carbon dioxide and methane.

The management of municipal solid waste begins with the collection of waste at the locations where these
wastes are generated. When a municipality sends out bids for selecting and purchasing garbage trucks, there
are many options in that marketplace to consider. For residential collections, trucks that are automated, semi-
automated, or rear-loading work well. The choice will depend on the type of collection containers used and
the number of employees working on each truck. If the containers are uniform in size and placed on the
street, an automated truck with a single driver will be able to complete the collection; whereas, semi-
automatic trucks require workers to bring the containers to a hoist located on the side of the truck. The third
option involves rear-loading trucks that are manually operated. In some smaller communities, garbage trucks
are divided to include recycling and refuse. When it comes to collecting waste from commercial locations,
front loading trucks that have the capability to pick up bins with a set of front-end forks are mostly used. For
larger commercial operations, roll-off compactors are the prime means for collecting non-hazardous wastes.

Between the point that waste is collected and its disposal at the municipal landfill, there are some operations
that can be used to help segregate and stabilize the different classes of waste. There are compost piles that
are operated to stabilize materials high in organic content such as yard and food wastes. Compost piles
operate aerobically, and the microbes rapidly degrade the wastes to generate a mix that can serve as a soil
conditioner or as fill at the municipal landfill. What the compost pile is able to accomplish in one year can take
a landfill from 10 to 30 years to provide the same level of stabilization. A second option is to use a facility
known as a transfer station. These operations have many purposes: to compile waste collections into larger
quantities for long-distance shipment to a landfill disposal sites, to pull out recyclable and hazardous materials
that should not go into municipal landfills, to provide a hazardous waste drop-off point for citizens or to drop
off wastes that need to be processed prior to going to the landfill, and to hold wastes in a safe location if the
final disposal site cannot be accessed for reasons such as adverse weather.

In large municipalities, waste transfer stations are a normal part of the municipal solid waste management
plan for a community (United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1999). These facilities are often
designed and operated to recover metals, paper, and plastics. Materials that are pulled out at the transfer

UNIT II STUDY GUIDE

Collecting and Handling
Municipal Solid Waste

MEE 5901, Advanced Solid Waste Management 2

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE

Title

station are consolidated and shipped to a materials recovery facility that further segregates out different
categories of materials. The higher the level of the sort, the higher the price that is paid to the recovery facility
by the downstream customer taking in the sort as a raw material to its operations. Transfer stations are able
to remove hazardous materials that are identified in the waste collection. All this recovery results in a reduced
quantity of material going into the landfill, which extends the life of the municipal landfill before it must be
capped and closed.

Transfer facilities bring flexibilities to local communities by being a buffer between the generator of the waste
and its final disposition. After the local landfill is filled and closed, the transfer facility is able to repurpose itself
to facilitate the shipment of wastes to other landfills throughout the state or country. It is not uncommon for
communities to put waste into rail cars and send these to a neighboring state while the local government
works out a long-term solution. Looking at the economics of transport, it generally costs about $0.43/mile
(United States Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2002) for each ton of waste that is shipped to a
distant site when the trip is made by the local garbage truck. On top of this is the added salary of the workers
making the trip with the truck and the increased cost of maintenance and depreciation of these trucks.
However, if the waste is consolidated into large long-haul vehicles, the cost is reduced to $0.14/ mile (EPA,
2002) for each ton of waste hauled to a distant location using one driver for the trip.

In 1991, regulators responsible for permitting landfills began to mandate that federal criteria be used in the
design and assessment of new landfill facilities (EPA, 2002). Municipalities that had previously operated older
landfills found the costs of bringing a new landfill facility online to be exorbitant. By aligning with other local
communities, it is generally very attractive to develop and permit a regional facility. Not only does this spread
out the costs among many parties, but it also reduced the number of employees on the city payrolls. Regional
landfills can also become profit centers by selling disposal capacity to rural communities and to municipalities
unable to have their own local landfill. Regional facilities also help municipalities to attract new businesses
and investments into the community. Having an adequate and well-functioning infrastructure is one of the key
decision criteria that corporations use when selecting a community for their headquarters or
manufacturing/distribution facilities.

Many citizens operate by the out of sight, out of mind principle meaning that if they cannot see it, they do not
think about it, and few give any thought to how waste is collected, processed, and disposed. However, when
cities begin to construct and operate transfer stations, many of these same citizens begin to operate by the
not in my back yard (NIMBY) principle, which means that they oppose the construction because it is close to
them. Due to the fact that many transfer stations were being located in high-density, low-income areas, over
the years the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) received many complaints due to noise, odors, litter,
and the large volume of heavy trucks passing through their neighborhoods. The National Environmental
Justice Advisory Council (NEJAC) was formed in 1993 to provide the EPA with an independent voice related
to the matters of environmental justice raised by affected citizens. The NEJAC provides the EPA with social,
political, and geographical recommendations that addressed these complaints and provided the EPA with a
basis for publishing criteria to be considered when designing and operating these facilities.

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2002). Waste transfer stations: A manual for decision-
making. Retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-
03/documents/r02002

References

United States Environmental Protection Agency. (1999). Municipal solid waste landfills, volume 1: Summary

of the requirements for the new source performance standards and emission guidelines for municipal
solid waste landfills. Retrieved from https://www3.epa.gov/airtoxics/landfill/lf-vol1

MEE 5901, Advanced Solid Waste Management 3

UNIT x STUDY GUIDE
Title

Learning Activities (Non-Graded)

Practice the skills learned in this unit by answering the following questions:

1. The landfill of a local municipality is filling to capacity, and the city is looking for ways to extend the life
of the facility until a new landfill can be constructed and permitted. The city has hired you to look at
two options to cover the transition period: (a) construct a transfer station with the idea of shipping the
waste out of state, or (b) construct a mixed–waste-materials recovery facility and continue using the
local landfill. In a table, do a side-by-side comparison of the facilities and then analyze these
differences to make a recommendation to the city council as to which option you are recommending.
Explain the criteria and rationale that you used to come to your recommendation.

2. Not all wastes can be recycled or reused, especially when there are no post-consumer markets.

Describe the ways that municipalities are seeking to implement a Zero Waste program. Describe
three challenges when these programs are implemented, and propose a solution for each.

3. A community is experiencing a serious litter problem from local citizens. The city council has hired

your firm to propose a program to be implemented. Design a community program that addresses the
causes and reasons for the litter problem. Show how the program will incorporate citizen education
and awareness. How will the program hold citizens accountable when they continue to litter after the
program is launched?

4. Define the key elements that go into designing a refuse collection route. Which of the elements

accounts for the most time in the collection of residential trash? What is your proposal to bring more
efficiency into the design of the collection route?

Non-graded Learning Activities are provided to aid students in their course of study. You do not have to
submit them. If you have questions, contact your instructor for further guidance and information.

CSU Math Center | 1-800-977-8449 x6538 | teamsucceed@columbiasouthern.edu

Math Center Requests: Math Center Request Form

Municipal Government &

Transfer Station

Problem: A municipal government has agreed to provide once per week waste collection services to a

new residential community of 25,000 people. The city council has hired you to make a preliminary
assessment to determine if they should build and operate a transfer station to support the collection.
For the initial analysis, assume that the community does not have a recycling program. Here is some

of the initial data that the municipal engineer has collected.

* The round trip distance from the residential community to the landfill is 40 miles.
* The size of the residential garbage truck that collects waste from the community is 30 cubic yards.

* The round trip distance from the proposed site of the transfer station will be 45 miles.
* The garbage truck is capable to compact the refuse to 700 lbs./yd3.
* A long haul truck is capable to transport 25 tons of compacted waste per trip.

* The transfer station has a fixed operating cost of $15/ton.
* The cost to operate the garbage truck is $1.50/mile.

* The cost to operate the long haul truck is $0.75/mile.
(a) Would you recommend to the city council that a transfer station should be built and operated?
Show all work on how you came to your answer.

* The United Nations estimates waste generation rate is 4.8 lbs. per person per day.
(See page 39 of the textbook)

(b) If the community operated a recycling program, would this change or support your

recommendation to the city council? Show all work on how you came to your answer.
* Total recycled municipal waste is 33.2% of generation.

Solution:

(a) We will use the estimated waste generation rate of 4.8 lbs. per person per day in this calculation.

Step 1
Residential waste generated = 25,000 people x 4.8 lbs. x 7 days = 840,000 lbs. or 420 tons

person/day 1 week each week

Step 2
Calculate the waste collected in each truck:

30 yd3 x 700 lbs. = 21,000 lbs. of waste collected per truck

truck yd3

Step 3
Calculate the number of trucks needed:

840,000 lbs. = 40 trucks (round up)
21,000 lbs./truck

Step 4

Determine the cost to travel to landfill by garbage trucks:

40 trucks x $1.50 x 40 miles = $2,400 per week
week mile

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Step 5
Calculate the number of long haul trucks based on residential waste generated:

420 tons = 17 trucks (round up)
25 tons per truck

Step 6
Determine cost to travel to transfer station by long haul trucks:

17 trucks x $0.75 x 45 miles = $573.75
mile per truck

Step 7
Calculate cost of transfer station:

420 tons x $15 = $6,300

ton

Step 8
Calculate cost by long haul truck:

$573.75 + $6,300 = $6,873.75

Therefore, the community should not build and operate a transfer station. Doing so will increase
costs by :
$6,873.75 x 100 = 286% or 186%* higher cost

$2,400.00

* 286%  100% = 186%

(b) We will use the total recycled municipal waste generation of 33.2%. This also means that 66.8%
of waste goes to the landfill per total waste that is generated. We will also use the estimated

waste generation rate of 4.8 lbs. per person per day in this calculation.

Step 1
Calculate residential waste generated:

25,000 people x 4.8 lbs. x 7 days x 0.668 = 561,120 lbs. or 281 tons

person/day week (round up)

Step 2
Calculate the waste collected in each truck:
30 yd3 x 700 lbs. = 21,000 lbs. of waste collected per truck
truck yd3
Step 3
Calculate the number of trucks needed:

561,120 lbs. = 27 trucks (round up)
21,000 lbs./truck

Step 4
Determine the cost to travel to landfill by garbage trucks:

27 trucks x $1.50 x 40 miles = $1,620 per week
week mile

Step 5
Calculate the number of long haul trucks based on residential waste generated:

281 tons = 12 trucks (round up)
25 tons per truck

Step 6
Determine cost to travel to transfer station by long haul trucks:

12 trucks x $0.75 x 45 miles = $405.00
mile per truck

Step 7
Calculate cost of transfer station:

281 tons x $15 = $4,215

ton
Step 8
Calculate cost by long haul truck:

$405 + $4,215 = $4,620

No, implementing recycle programs still leads to the collusion that the community should not build
and operate a transfer station. Doing so will increase costs by:

$4,620 x 100 = 285% or 185%* higher cost
$1,620

* 285%  100% = 185%

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