ZERO WASTE is the recycling of all materials back into nature or the marketplace in a manner that protects human health and the environment.

 


FOR MORE INFORMATION:

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DISPOSAL
& RECYCLING:

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CONSUMERS-
BUSINESS:

TOXICS & WASTE 

Most Americans do not realize that the government does not test most chemicals for harmful health effects. Nor does the government often consider the "cumulative impact" of more than one chemical on public health and the environment, particularly when permitting a polluting facility in a neighborhood. In addition, recycling may not be safe if the materials used in the recycling process contain toxic chemicals. Toxics can be found in any product that contains petrochemicals, which include most plastics, synthetics, pesticides, cosmetics, shampoos, household cleaners, etc..

WHAT IS WASTE? Includes U.S. Federal Definitions of Waste Types 
ZWA's Health Impacts for wastes and toxics


Organizations:

Articles:


SPECIFIC WASTES & TOXICS

Animal Waste:

Arsenic:

Asbestos:

  • www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/ Asbestos Safety Advisory: exposure to asbestos waste may lead to the development of mesothelioma cancer. For information about proper removal and disposal of asbestos waste products, visit the Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance.
  • MESOTHELIOMA WEB - "For those diagnosed with mesothelioma, an asbestos-related cancer of the lining of the lung (pleura) or the lining of the abdominal cavity (peritoneum), finding a credible source of information about the disease itself and the medical options available, is of the highest priority. After years of research and synthesis of information, we have assembled a web site and packet for patients and their loved ones. We hope you find this web site helpful." "For more than 50 years, products containing asbestos remained unregulated, and the manufacturers of those products continued to prosper, knowing full well that many of the millions of workers who came into contact with their products would ultimately suffer as the result of their actions."
  • American Lung Association's asbestos page 
  • EPA's asbestos page 
  • Rachel's #74 (04/25/88): Asbestos and Fiberglass Hazards from Landfills

Aspartame:

Asphalt:  another hazardous petroleum product

Beryllium:

Chlorine:

Computer Chip Plants:

DDT:

  • Rachel's # 279: April 1, 1992
  • EPA webpage for DDT
  • "DDT and other chemicals in the waters off the Los Angeles, Calif., coast that were left by decades of dumping may not be decaying as scientists had thought. New evidence shows that it may simply be spreading. The findings appear in the February issue of the journal Environmental Science and Technology. The research was funded by the University of Southern California Sea Grant program, a partnership between USC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration." ENN, 2/5/99
  • Jan. 27 A World Wildlife Fund report finds sufficient scientific evidence of hazards to human health and wildlife to justify a global ban on the production and use of DDT. Although banned decades ago in North America because of its links to wildlife declines (such as the near extinction of the bald eagle) and possible risk to human health, DDT is still used to control mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects in many developing nations.

Dioxin:

Dredge:

Electronics Waste:

Fertilizers:

Fiberglass:

Fluoride:   See: ZWA's FLUORIDE Page

Food Issues: See: ZWA's Organic page

Incinerator ash:

Lead: Links, articles, and information

Malathion: Gary Null's Pesticides page

Mail: (junk mail)

Medical Waste:

Mercury:

Mining:

MINING BIRTHDAY:  Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt joined Sen. Dale Bumpers (D-AR) in a dubious "celebration" of the 125th birthday of the antiquated 1872 Mining Law, according to a Mineral Policy Center press release.  Under the law signed by Pres. Ulysses Grant, multinational mining corporations pay under $5 per acre for valuable mineral-rich lands.  Mining companies have purchased lands containing $15 billion worth of minerals for only $23,601 since 1994.  "The framers of the law could not have imagined the scale of environmental damage that takes place at today's mine sites," said Mineral Policy Center President Phil Hocker.  "This is no longer a pick-and-shovel affair, and there's no mule in sight."  GREENLines, Tues., May 13, 1997 from GREEN, the Grassroots Environmental Effectiveness Network, A project of Defenders of Wildlife.  (202)789-2844x290 or email rfeather@clark.net

MTBE: pro's and con's

Nuclear and Radioactive waste:  

Paper Mills: Reach for the Unbleached

Perchlorate: http://www.zerowasteamerica.org/ZWAReportsPerchlorate.htm

Pesticides: Links, articles, and information

PCB's (polychlorinated biphenyls): Links, articles, and information

Phthalates:

Plastics: Links and information

Radioactive waste:  see 'Nuclear' above

Sludge: Links and information

Talc:

Tire Incineration / Dumps / Latex Allergies: Links and information

Wood: BurningIssues

NOTE: Reports and studies sometimes use different measurements for the same value, example:
Both milligrams per liter (mg/l) or micrograms per gram (ug/g) = parts per million (ppm)

NOTE: "EPA Registered" on pesticide and other chemical products does NOT mean that the chemicals were tested for safety by the EPA or are safe to use. Most chemicals are not fully tested for safety by the EPA. The EPA continues to rely heavily upon research and reporting by industry.