Managing nonhazardous solid wastes

For industry, disposing of solid wastes presents both an environmental and an economic burden. Sending a sold waste stream to a landfill was once an inexpensive option. Now, as landfills become limited, plants must find other ways to handle their wastes. Any solid waste management program initiated at the plant level should take a three-tiered approach: minimize waste by keeping it out of the waste stream in the first place; recycle or rescue the material; and dispose of any remaining wastes in an environmentally sound manner. Initially, all processes and waste streams must be analyzed to determine what materials are being generated, how much is there, and where it is going. Only after the analysis has been made can modifications be considered and priorities set. The paper discusses implementation of a waste management plan.