Dear Humans,
Previously I mentioned how incineration as a way of managing beauty product waste can bring about harmful air pollution through the release of toxic emissions during waste combustion. However, studies have shown that incineration can be less environmentally degrading than landfill waste management. So which is the lesser of 2 evils? In one particular study done in the US, landfills can release greater quantities of greenhouse gases, nitrogen oxides, dioxin, hydrocarbons, and non-methane organic compounds (Conserve Energy Future, n.d.). Furthermore, landfills contribute to the contamination of groundwater storage as acids from the decomposition of waste materials seeps into the ground as mentioned previously. Landfills also produce methane gas which is a strong greenhouse gas which would contribute more to environmental degradation. Meanwhile, the biggest issue of incineration of plastic waste is that it produces harmful emissions like dioxins and acid gases which have been kept in control. Air pollution control techniques/devices (APCD) such as Particulate Collectors, Acid Gas Scrubbers, NOx Controls, Carbon Adsorption and Other Dioxin and Mercury Removal Techniques (National Research Council, 2000).
I will elaborate more on these devices below (National Research Council, 2000):
The Particulate Collectors: Fine-particle control devices fall into 3 general categories:
- Filtration collectors → Fabric filters (baghouses)
- Electrostatic collectors → Dry and wet electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) and ionizing wet scrubbers
- Wet inertial-impaction collectors → Venturi scrubbers and advanced designs that use flux-force condensation-enhancement techniques
The Acid Gas Scrubbers: Reaction between a scrubbing liquid (either alkaline or water) with the acid gases to neutralise it
- A scrubbing liquid is trickled through a matrix of random or structured packings through which the gas is simultaneously passed, resulting in gas-liquid contact over a relatively large surface area.
- The scrubbing liquid can be water or an alkaline solution, which reacts with the acid-gas constituents to form neutral salts.
- The wastewater discharge from the packed-bed absorber is a salt-water brine that must be managed properly. This effluent may contain unreacted acids, trace organics, metals, and other solids removed from the gas stream.
NOx Controls: Includes combustion-furnace designs, combustion process modifications, or add-on controls
- Combustion-furnace designs that reduce thermal NOx:
- Variety of grate and furnace designs, bubbling and circulating fluidized-bed boilers, and boiler designs, especially those with automatic controls, that permit flue-gas recirculation.
- Combustion-process modifications that reduce NOx formation include controlling the amount of oxygen available during the combustion process, and operating within a specific temperature range.
Carbon Absorption & Other Dioxin/Mercury Removal: Carbon injection → injection of finely divided activated carbon particles into the flue gas stream ahead of the particulate APCD.
- The carbon particles adsorb pollutants on their surface, and then the carbon particles are themselves captured in the particulate APCD.
With all these new technologies and designs to incinerators, air pollutants released from burning of beauty waste can be mitigated or reduced. Incineration of beauty product waste (plastic containers etc) can also generate energy for future use, this method is also called “Waste to Energy”. As I mentioned previously, incinerating waste also reduces its volume, making it more land efficient. With all that being said, incineration seems to be the lesser of 2 evils. However, the best way to reduce environmental pollution is for producers to produce greener products that are biodegradable and for consumers to purchase such products.
Hopeful vibes,
Mother Nature
References:
Conserve Energy Future. (n.d.) Various Advantages and Disadvantages of Waste Incineration. (2020, July 05). Retrieved 2020, from https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-incineration.php
National Research Council. (2000). Waste incineration and public health. Washington: National Academy Press. Retrieved 2020, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK233629/pdf/Bookshelf_NBK233629.pdf