An Overview of Industrial Waste Generation and Management Practices

Abstract

More than 12 billion tons of industrial waste are generated annually in the United States. This is equivalent to more than 40 tons of waste for every man, woman and child in the country. The sheer magnitude of these numbers is cause for concern and drives us to identify the characteristics of the wastes, the industrial operations that are generating the waste, the manner in which the wastes are being managed and the potential for reducing wastes. This article will provide a brief overview of the information available on waste generation and management. A more comprehensive examination of this topic is provided in a recent issue of the journal Hazardous Waste and Hazardous Materials devoted entirely to inventories of waste generation and management. This article will begin by examining the sources of industrial waste. From an analysis of the sources of industrial waste, we will move to an examination of management methods. Finally, we will note changes in rates of waste generation over the past decade and close by highlighting critical gaps in existing data.