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18-Env-B5 Industrial & Hazardous Waste Management · December 2017

Question 19 of 28: Minimizing Improper Disposal of Household Hazardous Waste

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

Notes on this paper

Reference texts: Nemerow & Dasgupta, Industrial and Hazardous Waste Treatment, 2nd ed.; Metcalf & Eddy, Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Resource Recovery, 5th ed.; Davis & Cornwell, Introduction to Environmental Engineering, 6th ed.; LaGrega, Buckingham & Evans, Hazardous Waste Management, 2nd ed.; CCME, Guidelines for the Management of Biomedical Waste in Canada (1992); Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), 1999; Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes (1989); Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) regulations on radioactive waste; provincial hazardous waste regulations (e.g. BC's Environmental Management Act and Hazardous Waste Regulation).

Question 19: Minimizing Improper Disposal of Household Hazardous Waste (3 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.

  1. Permanent household hazardous waste (HHW) depots and periodic collection events — municipalities provide a free, convenient, no-questions-asked drop-off so residents have a legitimate alternative to pouring waste down the drain or into the garbage.
  2. Public education and labelling programs — teaching residents to recognize hazardous household products and understand why they cannot go in regular garbage or sewer, paired with clear product labelling.
  3. Extended producer responsibility / take-back programs — manufacturers or retailers of paint, batteries, electronics and used oil fund and operate a take-back system, making proper disposal free and convenient at the point of purchase/replacement.