Facilities management paper
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ZemkeCh5PPT.pptxSolid Waste Management
Chapter 5
What is waste?
Material left over from a function or activity
All material that enters the property will eventually leave
Liquid waste (effluent) leaves through the sewer systems
Solid waste = garbage
Waste stream: flow of waste generated by a building or its inhabitants. 2 streams, 2 classifications:
Non-hazardous
Hazardous
Average hotel guest generates 2lbs of trash per day (NY Times)
Where does solid waste go?
Landfills
Highly engineered systems to hold solid waste and prevent it from polluting the surrounding environment…or exploding
The problem with landfills…
Expensive to build and operate
Difficult to find a location for a new one
They are expensive to maintain safely, even after they are closed
Some areas cannot support a landfill, due to geographic or soil conditions
Landfill Lifecycle: Construction
Apex Landfill Addition of New Basins
Lining with impermeable material to prevent soil contamination
Landfill Lifecycle: Operational
Apex Landfill receives between 9,000 -15,000 tons of trash each day.
Landfill: Shutdown
The Sunrise Landfill was in operation as the City of Las Vegas’ exclusive landfill site since before 1950 and officially closed in 1994. One concern was flashfloods, inability to use vegetative erosion control. In 2011, the final closure activities included:
drainage channels, impoundment dam
a methane collection system
material to cover the 700- acre site
Estimates are another 30-40 years of active management ($40 million)
Waste-to-Energy (W2E)
Transporting solid waste to the landfill
Do it yourself (not common, unless small B&B, family ran, remote location)
Hire a waste management contractor (common)
In most areas, you will only have one or two contractors to choose from (US only; may vary in different countries)
You will not have a lot of bargaining power
Low bargaining power = few options to shop around for a better price
You will need to control or reduce your costs some other way…
Solid waste contract management
Contract billing will usually be based on one or more of the following elements:
Cost per trip
Cost per “tip”, or per trash container that is “tipped over” to empty it
Cost based on weight (pounds or kilograms)
Cost based on volume
Solid waste contract management
Manage your solid waste costs by:
Reducing the number of trips
Reducing the number of “tips”, or containers that are emptied
Reducing the weight of your trash
Liquids and food are heavy
Reducing the volume of your trash
Reducing the waste going to the landfill
Your property is going to generate solid waste. Reducing the amount going to the landfill will:
Reduce your property’s environmental impact – improving sustainability!
Reduce your tipping/pull fees (landfill costs)
Some options yield other benefits for your property, your employees, or the community
Options for reducing solid waste
Reduce (source reduction)
Reuse BIG 3
Recycle
Pulper systems
Food digesters
Garbage disposals
Reduce (source reduction)
Reduce the amount of waste that is generated to begin with
Good purchasing and inventory control practices will lead to better cost control overall, and much less waste that must be disposed of
Minimize or eliminate the use of disposable serving items
Avoid disposing of “unintended throwaways”
Minimize the amount of packaging for items purchased
versus
Reuse
Most of these techniques involve avoiding single-use containers and instead using refillable containers or reusable packaging
Examples:
Beer kegs and soda tanks instead of single-use cans/bottles
Use glass bottles (soda, beer) that can be cleaned and refilled (just like in the old days…)
Use old towels as cleaning rags
Wood/plastic pallets vs cardboard boxes
Recycle
Recycling transforms the original material into a new product
Common materials for recycling include:
Paper – used to make new paper products and cardboard
Glass – if it is recycled (and not reused), it is crushed and used as filler in a variety of construction materials
Metal – they are shredded and used to make building materials and other equipment
Plastic – depending on the type, it is shredded and then used to make furniture, clothing, carpeting, or a wide variety of other products
Republic Services single-stream recycling facility in North Las Vegas
CES, WOC, NAB, HBA, CONag/EXPO
Recycled Products
OCC 30%
Paper 25%
Wood 20%
Metal 9%
Plastic 8%
Carpet 6%
Glass 2%
15,494 tons of solid waste removed
6,753 tons recycled (44%)
$58,805 in commodities rebates
Soap, shampoo recycling
Hotels generate a lot of waste consisting of leftover shampoo, conditioner, and soap
Clean the World is a non-profit that collects these leftovers
The amenities is ground up, sanitized, and re-formed into new hygiene products
They are assembled into hygiene kits that are distributed to regions that have a critical lack of sanitation products
These hygiene kits save lives and improve the quality of life for many people who would otherwise suffer from diseases that are preventable through good sanitation
Food Waste
Heavy
Smells
Contaminates recyclables (paper, OCC, etc.,)
Solutions
Food only containers
Food & contaminated materials compactor
Recycle
Reuse
Source reduction technique – leftover food donation programs
A hot trend is for food & beverage operations to donate leftover food to local food banks to serve the needy
The food should be leftover portions that were not served, usually from a catered function
Not for food scraps! They should be recycled.
This is not without cost. The donor property will need to:
Package the leftovers and store them safely (proper temperature)
Transport the food or provide an employee to meet the food bank’s staff member to donate it
Food recycling
Not the same as leftover food donations!
Food recycling takes food scraps – and other organic (plant-based) materials – and transforms them into another product
Animal feed: the food scraps are sent to a factory that makes animal feed
Composting: the food scraps are decomposed to make landscaping fertilizer
Garbage disposals, pulpers, and food digesters
Garbage disposals are in the sink
Grind up food, send the waste down the sewer
Prohibited in many jurisdictions (for commercial use; usually permitted for residential use)
Food pulpers mix food scraps and water
Mixture is ground up to form a fine slurry
Liquid is strained/squeezed out and sent down the drain
Remaining solid material is lightweight and fluffy
Send to landfill (you have reduce the weight and volume)
Compost it!
Food digesters
Food waste enters a closed system and is mixed with enzymes that will decompose the food waste rapidly
The end product is a liquid that is disposed of down the drain
Hazardous materials and hazardous waste management
These are heavily regulated by a wide variety of government agencies in the US, including:
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA)
Other federal, state, provincial, county, and local authorities
Compliance can be complex and frustrating, but it’s also very important!
Hazardous materials
Hazardous material – a chemical or other material that poses a danger
Four characteristics that determine if a material is hazardous:
Ignitable – spontaneously combustible or otherwise has a low ignition temperature
Corrosive – can corrode metal storage containers
Reactive – unstable under “normal” conditions or can easily mix with water. Often explosive or will release dangerous fumes.
Toxic – harmful or fatal when ingested or absorbed.
Hazardous material versus hazardous waste
Hazardous material is the product while it is being stored or used
Hazardous waste is the product when you are ready to dispose of it
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) provide information on proper storage, handling, disposal, and emergency response requirements
You should have an SDS for each chemical on your property or access to an online library
Hazardous materials should be:
Stored in closed containers
Labeled properly
If necessary, the closed containers should be stored in metal cabinets (especially if the material is flammable)
Discarded if the packaging becomes damaged
Discarded when the material is no longer needed (i.e., don’t keep it in inventory forever)
Hazardous wastes must also be:
Stored in closed container that only contains one type of material
Don’t put a bunch of different chemicals in the same container
Containers must have compliant labeling, marked as Hazardous Waste
Label templates are available online
Do not stack the containers
Containers must not leak
Liquid containers must be placed in a pan (in case of leakage; but the containers shouldn’t leak)
Containers must be inspected and logged once a week. Good recordkeeping is critical.
Hazardous waste must be disposed of within 90 days of the start date on the label
Best practice for hazardous waste?
Minimize your use of any hazardous materials to begin with
If there are non-hazardous options available, choose them
If you have old hazardous material that is never going to be used, dispose of it (properly)
Hazardous waste disposal costs 3 to 10 times more than disposing of non-hazardous waste. Therefore, reducing your hazardous waste will save you a lot of money!
Infectious wastes
Unfortunately, these are not uncommon in the hospitality industry
Cuts, abrasions, other bodily fluids
Used medical sharps (needles, etc.)
Both from employees and guests
Infectious wastes are treated as hazardous wastes
Special handling procedures are required, per the Bloodborne Pathogen Standard
Your company should also offer a hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination program to employees
