Solid and Human Waste

Solid and human waste currently contribute significantly to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and consume valuable land acreage for requisite system infrastructure while decreasing surrounding property market values, polluting drinking water sources, and demanding billions of dollars in annual taxpayer support.

Solid waste within the United States can be divided into several categories: 7.6 billion tons of industrial solid waste, consisting of municipal sludge, industrial nonhazardous waste, agricultural waste, oil and gas waste, mining waste, and hazardous waste, is generated from industrial and commercial facilities annually, according to a government estimate calculated in the 1980s that has not since been updated. Undoubtedly, this number has risen significantly in the past two decades. In 2007, the residential, business, and institutional economic sectors generated over 254 million tons of ...