Page 44 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

22 BACKGROUND AND FUNDAMENTALS OF SOLID WASTE ANALYSIS AND MINIMIZATION

prediction system developed in this research may be applied to estimate the economic
cost-benefits from increased recycling. This application could assist U.S. businesses in
reducing solid waste and increasing recycling to bolster profits. A solid waste prediction
and evaluation system would be mutually beneficial to both government and businesses.
This will assist in creating a win-win situation considering the large amount of industrial
waste generated in the United States, the government’s need to monitor and reduce the
waste, and their goal to decrease solid waste levels and increase recycling.
This chapter provides relevant background information and discusses the fundamentals
of solid waste analysis and minimization. These concepts are critical to have an overall
understanding of the field and aid in developing optimal solutions. Included in this chap-
ter are a brief history of the field; an overview of regulations and laws; and a discussion
of trends, data, and statistics in the global field. This information gives a macro view of
the problem and the need for solid waste minimization. In addition, overviews of the tools
that have been developed to analyze and improve the situation are discussed, including
risk assessment, industrial ecology, life cycle assessment, and fundamentals of recycling
processes. These items are not the focus of this book, but highlight some of the tools and
methods available in the field. Finally a discussion of common problems and an overview
of the government support available to combat the issues are provided.

2.2 A Brief History of Solid

Waste Management

From a global standpoint, the evolution of solid waste management has followed
humankind’s development and progress as it transitioned from an agricultural base,
through the industrial revolution, and now to the information age. As societies addressed
the critical waste management needs that were associated with these transitions, methods,
policies, and regulations were created to keep pace. The earliest documented waste man-
agement regulation dates back to 3000 B.C., in Cretan capital, Knossos. This and other
policies and events associated with the evolution of solid waste management are provided
in this section. The transition of the solid waste management movement revolved around
two initiatives; first, the protection of public health and second a shift to protection of the
environment. Following is a brief general timeline of these movements and the remain-
der of this section highlights the major events during each movement:

■ Agricultural Age: 500 B.C. to the mid-1700s
■ The Industrial Revolution and the Machine Age: mid-1700s to the early 1910s
■ The War and Interwar Period: early 1910s to the 1950s
■ The Information Revolution and the Space Age: 1950s through the 2000s

2.2.1 AGRICULTURAL AGE:
500 B.C. TO THE MID-1700s

The neolithic revolution was the first agricultural revolution and was the starting point
for the transition from nomadic hunting and gathering communities and bands, to