Agenda - Council - 06/23/1981 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The U.S. EPA estimates that it is technically possible to recycle (by weight) 25 percent of the nation's solid waste under a maximum source separation-recycling effort. Figure 5 shows the potential effect of such an effort (beginning in 1980) on future landfill needs in the Area· Based on continuation of the Region'S average daily per capita generation rate (5.03 pounds) and present disposal practices, about 16,000 acre-feet of landfill space--five to six years of · · __ " red" by the year 2000 or could be ~sed for landfill life wo~d be _~a~_~,~tion about the ~ ~ ~ other ·purposes· F~.r.~v~er ~o~he-Council'~ "Land D~s~osa% materlals ~ oD~ . - ~batemen~ Report.")3 Several groups of people influence the recovery of materials. These include consumerS, collectors(/PEDDLERS), scrap dealers and landfill operators. All of these groups decide how to deal with waste mate- rials. In large part, their decisions are based on economic and institutional constraints. However, increasing the information they have about available options could help increase the amountS of recovered materials. Local governments can take numerOus actions to implement source separatio~ and recycling p~ograms. They include: 1) conducting a consumer ~nformat~on campaign about the recycling process; ~) establishing local collection centers (AND COMMUNITY DRIVES); 3) adjusting dumping rates at landfills so disposing of certain recyclable materials is no longer economical; 4) encouraging those who operate transfer stations and landfills to separate recoverable · · , afe and doesn't interfere with operati?~ of t~e materials when it s s ....... ~-~-rnal office paper recyc£~ng an~ facility; (AND) 5) es~D~s~_~ cu~bside so~rce se?aratioq separation programs; ?_J_ ~mplem~ ~t~ colle~t~oq.~n~ · developln~ sepa~u~ z · ~ -" programs,, and 7~)__~ --~'or de~°~rams' lnclud~9~ ~ubl~ ~_~. compost~n~ s s~ ~ ~ = ~ ..... ~in~ Many o~ these me~uuo education,. ~ i~r~as~ ~_~u~sh~uld be sacrificed in return require difficult dec~slon~ ~uuu .... for recovered materials· Energy and Biological Recovery The average amount of energy contained in raw municipal solid waste is estimated to be about 4,500 BTU/lb., approximately half the BTU equivalent of coal. When a portion of the moisture and noncombusti- bles is removed from the raw refuse with presently available equip- ment, the heating value of the combustible fraction ranges from 5,900 to 6,200 BTU/lb. Energy can be recovered from municipal solid waste. Waste can be either burned in a furnace with heat recovery facilities or it can be upgraded by mechanical, thermal or other processes ~o make it a · t energy recovery technolog~es.lnclude waterwall useful fuel Curren _ · ~ ~ -~ ~t~ms. pyrolysiS systems and incineration, refuse-der~ve~ zu~ methane gas recovery- Numerous other processes are being developed. The main energy products that can be recovered from municipal solid waste are solid fuel, pyrolysis gas, and related products--steam and electricity. Energy recovery appears to be economical only w' '~ facility operator receives revenues from the recovery of secc