Hazardous-Waste Management in Rural Areas

Engineers are increasingly involved in designing comprehensive solid-waste management plans for rural areas and small towns. Hazardous waste from households, farms, and some small businesses is part of the solid-waste stream in rural areas. Rural areas are characterized by a combination of lower per-^capita solid-waste generation rates and equal or higher hazardous-waste generation rates than urban areas. Thus, the fraction of hazardous waste in a rural landfill may be larger than that in an urban landfill. Farms are unique as generators of hazardous waste because they generate the normal household hazardous waste as well as pesticide residues and petroleum products associated with farm equipment management. In rural areas, small businesses, which generate hazardous waste, include primarily vehicle and farm maintenance shops, dry-cleaning establishments, print and photography shops, and school shops and laboratories. A framework for hazardous-waste management should include product substitution, good housekeeping, alternative technology, recycling, collection days, and waste exchanges. The cost of a household's hazardous-waste collection day ranges from $0.50 to $6.80 per person living in the city, with the higher cost associated with the smaller towns.