NivaarExam PrepOfficial exam papers ↗

18-Env-A6 Solid Waste Engineering and Management · December 2014

Question 18 of 29: Most Effective Way to Manage Hazardous Wastes in MSW

Nivaar worked solution (AI-drafted; not reviewed by a licensed engineer)

Notes on this paper

National Examination, December 2014 — 04-Env-A6 / 18-Env-A6, Solid Waste Engineering and Management. 3 hours duration, closed book, one non-communicating calculator, one letter-sized aid sheet (both sides) permitted. All 29 questions constitute a complete paper (100 marks total).

Reference texts: Tchobanoglous, Theisen & Vigil, Integrated Solid Waste Management: Engineering Principles and Management Issues; Vesilind, Worrell & Reinhart, Solid Waste Engineering; Davis & Cornwell, Introduction to Environmental Engineering (6th ed.); CCME, Guidance Document on Landfill Gas Management; Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999.

Note on source parsing

This paper prints marks IN FRONT of the question number on every line (e.g. "5 1. What are the elements…", "4 16. All 29 questions are answered in full.

Question 18: Most Effective Way to Manage Hazardous Wastes in MSW (2 marks)

Question text not reproduced: the examination questions are © Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Open the official past paper (linked at the top of this page) to read the question, then follow the worked solution below.

The most effective approach is source separation before it ever enters the MSW stream — dedicated household hazardous waste (HHW) depots, periodic collection events, and product take-back/extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs (for items such as batteries, paint, electronics and pharmaceuticals) — rather than trying to identify and remove hazardous items after they are already commingled with general refuse. Once mixed into the MSW stream, hazardous constituents are extremely difficult and costly to reliably detect and separate at a sorting facility, so keeping the hazardous fraction out at the point of generation is far more effective, and far cheaper, than any downstream removal strategy.