Albuquerque's Environmental Story

Educating For a Sustainable Community

Environmental Topic: Solid Waste Management

by Jennie V. Chavez and Angela Alberti

Background and Future Planning

WASTE STREAM IN ALBUQUERQUE
FY 1992, Composition
Source: City of Albuquerque, Solid Waste Management Department
Graph of Solid Waste Stream

Solid waste disposal is one of Albuquerque's pressing environmental concerns--one that is growing every year. The city generates about 1,100 tons of waste per day. What to do and how to "take care" of all this waste, garbage, trash, refuse is an issue to be considered in city planning.

As defined by the Solid Waste Disposal Act, solid waste includes the nonhazardous solid, liquid, or contained gaseous refuse generated by industrial, commercial, and residential sources. While the definition covers many types of waste, public attention has focused on municipal solid waste (MSW), most of which is generated by commercial and residential sources.

Solid waste is regulated under Subtitle D of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Criteria by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets minimum technical requirements, but enforcement is left to the states. The 1990 New Mexico Solid Waste Act requires a solid waste management plan that encompasses the Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) hierarchy recommended by EPA. The hierarchy includes source reduction (precycling), recycling (and composting), combustion, or waste-to-energy processes, and landfilling. An immediate goal was set "to divert 25 percent of all solid waste from disposal facilities by July 1, 1995, and 50% by July 1, 2000."

Until the recent decade, waste had not been a major issue of concern. The invention of television and mass communication assisted in proliferating products that people wanted rather than needed. Disposables became popular with the fast-moving American public. The sources of pollution and waste increased dramatically. Few had noticed the problem until the Long Island garbage barge of 1986, which brought to public attention the crisis of waste disposal.

Plastic Lining
Cerro Colorado Landfill
Photo of lining at Landfill

In addition, the capacity for acceptable disposal sites is rapidly decreasing. Half of all the "dumps" operating in the 1980s were closed by 1995. All solid waste must be disposed of in modified or sanitary landfills. Small communities have to transport their wastes to EPA-regulated landfills. The cost of building one is enormous. Landfills are a series of "cells," which are individual sections designed and managed according to prescribed environmental regulations. Requirements include geologically sound sites, plastic liners, leachate trenches, compaction, and specific depth of dirt cover. The final cover is designed to prevent erosion, puddling, and leaching.

The declining number of landfills has caused communities to transport their wastes greater distances for disposal and has increased disposal costs. New Mexico, and Albuquerque in particular, have plentiful open spaces that may still be used for landfilling.

Several factors in finding a suitable site for a landfill must be considered. Locating landfills close to residential areas could unfavorably affect people and be unacceptable to the neighborhoods involved--thus the concepts of NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) and LULU (Locally Unacceptable Land Usage).

The improper handling of waste could effect changes not only to our soil and air but, most important, the quality of our water, the most precious commodity in the Southwest. Under the Middle Rio Grande Valley lies a basin-fill aquifer. This aquifer is a critical water source for Albuquerque and its surrounding area.

The Elements of Modern Waste Management

The citizens of Albuquerque are like other Americans who perceive that the right thing to do is to preserve natural resources and protect the environment from pollutants. Thus the Albuquerque public demanded that government play an active role in solid waste management. A waste characterization study and cost studies were conducted. Public forums gave citizens an opportunity to participate in the planning and development of solid waste management policy.

Albuquerque's Solid Waste Management Department thus developed and continues to implement the Comprehensive Integrated Solid Waste Management Program. The components of this modern infrastructure include the following elements:

The Cerro Colorado Landfill was constructed 20 miles southwest of the city and opened in 1991. Residential curbside recycling began in late 1992. The Intermediate Processing Facility was opened April 1993. The new north area convenience center, the Eagle Rock Convenience Center, opened in May 1994. Automated, city-wide refuse collection began in February 1995.

In 1993, the Solid Waste Association of North America recognized the Cerro Colorado Landfill by awarding it second place among 160 landfills in its landfill competition. Landfills were rated on the basis of environmental protection, cost, cleanliness, safety, and monitoring.

Glass Recycling Bins
Photo of Recycling Bins
The residential curbside pick-up of recyclables involves collecting secondary materials such as aluminum, steel cans, plastics, newsprint, and corrugated cardboard. The Albuquerque Environmental Health Department developed an oil recycling program and, with the Solid Waste Management Department, has developed a household hazardous disposal program. In addition, the Parks Management Department collects green waste from parks, which, along with yard waste from the convenience centers, is mixed with waste-water sludge at the Public Works Department's Soils Amendment Facility, where compost is made and then distributed directly back to the parks.

The automated collection system assists safety and sanitation, efficiency, and lowers Workers' Compensation Insurance costs.

The methods of disposal appropriate to our particular geographical location will continue to be evaluated. Financial disclosure to taxpayers is crucial for good decision making. Indeed, communities are being rated on how well they handle their waste.

The success of effective solid waste management is dependent on funding and support of the community and government. Education of the public in the economics, policies, and environmental impacts of waste management will influence how the public perceives and acts on this issue.

Future Technologies

Waste disposal methods of the future might include technologies already within our reach --landfill reclamation, mixed-waste compost as landfill layering, energy fuel from waste (i.e., extruded oil from tires), and self-contained industrial sites for manufacturing using secondary materials.

Conservation of natural resources and attitudinal changes in our consumption habits may be our most difficult educational goal. Over-packaging, early obsolescence and "throw-away" are integral parts of our modern way of life. It is essential to heighten public awareness regarding our consumption habits.

Waste to Compost

Soils Amendment Facility
Photo of People at the Soil Amendment Facility

A surprise came from a 1991 waste-characterization study: a large percentage of the city's waste stream was yard waste. The study was a response to the 1990 state legislation, the Solid Waste Act, which established a goal of diverting 25% of all solid waste from the disposal system by July of 1995 and 50% by July, 2000. Thus Public Works opened a pilot composting facility not far from the Cerro Colorado Landfill in southwest Albuquerque early in 1992. By June of that year, an interdepartmental program for composting green waste was in the works. Green waste is added to biosolids from the wastewater treatment facility. The program included the departments of Solid Waste Management and Public Works and Parks and General Services.

The interdepartmental program became a part of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan in 1992. The department developed a two-pronged approach to yard waste diversion. The first part was to reduce the amount of green waste generated in the city; the second was to develop collection and processing programs to take care of the remainder of the waste.

Mulching Yard Waste
Photo of Heavy Equipment

Residents are encouraged to do backyard composting, especially if their yard waste exceeds the capacity of the 90-gallon container, which the Solid Waste Department trucks with special electronic arms can pick up. Residents can also request special pick ups (for which they must pay special rates) or take the material to convenience centers. By encouraging reduction of yard wastes and the use of conveniences centers, the city enforces behavior consistent with the long-range goals of the 25% diversion of wastes from the landfill as well as the general goal of conserving water.

In addition to meeting state and national recycling goals and reducing costs, the city is helping people improve the soil. Compost increases soil microbial populations, provides nutrients, helps soil retain both water and nutrients, and helps prevent soil erosion.

Drawing of Recycle Symbol

Options and Opinions

Discussion Questions

  1. What are the pros and cons of compulsory curbside separation of solid waste? Of curbside pickup of toxic or hazardous waste?
  2. How receptive have the people of Albuquerque been to the recycling programs?
  3. How feasible are alternative methods of disposing of solid waste, such as burning for electric power or space heating, construction of methane plants, composting?
  4. How can people be persuaded to consume less? Should they consume less? What trade-offs are involved here?
  5. Is the present method of solid waste collection and disposal the least expensive, or are there other disposal methods that are more economically feasible?

Possible Solutions/Opinions

  1. A total resource recovery program (paper, cans, glass, etc.) Is extremely important and should be mandatory even if it is more expensive.
  2. There should be stringent legislation about over-packaging.
  3. Solid waste disposal should be handled regionally and legislation regulating interstate waste disposal should be passed..
  4. Over-packaging is often justified.

Activities

  1. Keep a record for one week of the composition of an average family's solid waste. Have as many members of the class participate as possible, and calculate an average. What percent of our solid waste is paper and cardboard? Iron and steel? Aluminum? Glass and ceramics? Food scraps and garden waste? Plastic? Rags? Other waste? Calculate the weight of paper thrown out by all the families in the class. Based on this figure, estimate the amount of paper thrown out each week in the city.
  2. Obtain information about the per capita production of solid waste in our country at the present time, and during the past twenty years. Calculate the rate of growth in the per capita production of solid waste. Calculate the exponential growth of solid waste if population growth and waste production of solid waste continue at the same rate for the next ten years or if the rate of either or both increases. What rates of growth are predicted for each in Albuquerque?
  3. Do research in "cradle-to-grave" product design. Have students invent new products designed so that all parts are recyclable or reusable.
  4. Have students work in committee to research the early obsolescence trend that has dominated our society for the past few decades. Through readings, interviews, personal observation and surveys, students should compile data on the types and numbers of household/personal items that are disposed of and replaced rather than repaired. Reasons for this trend should be discussed. A display of articles from home that are no longer usable because one small part has broken would be a valuable outcome of this study.

(Up to Section V, Back to Safety, On to Transportation: It's Role in the City)

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