Industrial, Radioactive, and Solid Waste Management
Industrial Waste
Industrial waste encompasses materials discarded from industrial activities. It is an inherent byproduct of production, job creation, and economic processes. We can distinguish two main types:
- Hazardous Industrial Waste: Requires specific treatment due to its composition and potentially dangerous characteristics.
- Non-Hazardous Industrial Waste: Resembles municipal solid waste and can be treated similarly.
While often associated with the chemical industry, all manufacturing operations generate some form of hazardous waste. Most industrialized countries have enacted increasingly specific laws to address this issue. Concurrently, technologies are being developed to allow for the proper treatment and disposal of virtually all types of waste, particularly by specialized hazardous waste managers.
Radioactive Waste
Radioactive waste is any waste material for which no use is foreseen and which is contaminated with radioactive isotopes at activity levels higher than those established as safe.
Nuclear plants generate the largest amount of this waste, but it also originates from medicine, industry, and other sources. Key concerns include:
- Great Danger: Even small amounts can cause high levels of radiation.
- Duration: Isotopes can emit radiation for thousands or tens of thousands of years.
Classification
There are three main groups:
- Low and Medium Activity Waste: Emits small amounts of radiation. This category includes tools, clothing, and parts from nuclear plants, universities, etc.
- High Activity Waste: Emits high doses of radioactivity. This is primarily composed of debris left behind in uranium rods used as fuel in power plants.
Management
Radioactive waste must be managed to avoid endangering people or the environment. Containment and isolation are the best options. There are two primary options for storing low and intermediate-level waste: on the surface or underground at low or average depth. High-activity waste requires storage at maximum depth.
Solid Waste
Solid waste is collected by municipal services or companies contracted by municipalities. It encompasses waste from households, offices, shops, and similar sources.
Production
The best indicator of solid waste production is the amount generated per person per year (kg/person/year). The European Community’s fifth action program on the environment aimed to reduce this to 300 kg per person per year by 2000, but this target was not met.
Management
The targets set by European countries, as embodied in the 6th Environment Action Programme (6EAP), for Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) are:
- Increased efficiency in resource use and more sustainable waste management, decoupling waste generation from economic growth to ensure resource consumption does not exceed the environment’s carrying capacity.
- A significant overall reduction in the volume of waste generated through waste prevention strategies.
- Promotion of reuse of waste that is still generated.
Container Generation and Management
Within MSW, containers represent a significant portion of recyclable materials. The global measures being taken to achieve the EU’s objectives vary from country to country but generally include:
- Increased responsibility of producers for waste management.
- Creation of recycling companies.
- Improved collection systems.
Plastics
Addressing the treatment of plastic waste involves the three “Rs”: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
- Reduction: The primary option for minimizing waste.
- Reuse: Plastics are well-suited for reuse due to their durability, washability, and resistance.
- Recycling: Plastics that cannot be reduced or reused can be recycled in two ways:
- Mechanical Recycling: Using pressure and heat.
- Chemical Recycling: Employing various chemical processes to create a base material.