Waste! Waste Management!

When we are thinking about this word, there will be so many questions passing through our mind like How to dispose of wastes? , How to reduce it? , Is recycling applicable for all the types of wastes? , etc. Let's discuss!

First and foremost, What is Waste?

Waste is defined as unwanted and unusable materials and is regarded as a substance which is of no use. Waste that we see in our surroundings is also known as garbage. Garbage is mainly considered as a solid waste that includes wastes from our houses (domestic waste), wastes from schools, offices, etc (municipal wastes) and wastes from industries and factories (industrial wastes). 

Types of Wastes

• Biodegradable waste
• Non-biodegradable waste

Biodegradable Waste  

A biodegradable material or substance can be defined as a material which can be decomposed easily by bacteria or any other natural organisms and not being the part of pollution. Biodegradable wastes are the waste materials which are and can be easily degraded by natural factors like microbes (e.g. bacteria, fungi, etc.), abiotic components like temperature, UV, oxygen, etc. few example of such wastes are kitchen wastes, food materials, and other natural wastes. Microorganisms and other abiotic elements work-together break down complex substances into simple organic matters which finally suspend and disappear into the soil. The whole process is natural which can be fast or slow. So, the environmental issues and risks caused by biodegradable. 

Biodegradable waste is a form of waste, originating naturally from plant or animal sources, which may be degraded by other living organisms. Biodegradable waste can be usually found in municipal solid waste such as green waste, food waste, paper waster, and biodegradable plastics. Some of the sources contain human waste, sewage, etc.

Non-biodegradable Waste

A non-biodegradable material can be defined as a type of material which cannot be broken down by natural organisms and serve as a source of pollution. Unlike biodegradable wastes, non-biodegradable wastes cannot be easily taken care of. Non-biodegradable wastes are those which cannot be decomposed or degraded by natural agents. They remain on earth for thousands of years without any degradation or decomposition. Therefore, the threat caused by them is also more dangerous. 

Waste which cannot be decomposed or degrade by the biological process is known as Non-biodegradable wastes. Most of them include inorganic waste is non-biodegradable.

Source of Waste

• Residential
• Industrial
• Commercial
• Institutional
• Construction and demolition
• Municipal services
• Process (manufacturing, etc.)
• Agriculture

Waste Generation

The generation of waste is the inevitable consequence of all processes where materials are used. Extraction of raw materials, manufacture of products, consumption, and waste management all generate wastes. The rate of material used today is so large, both concerning the total amounts and seen as a per capita average, that the waste generated will impact on the environmental quality and human health worldwide if it is not managed properly.

Waste Management

Waste management (or waste disposal) includes the activities and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitoring and regulation of the waste management process. Whether it is biodegradable or non-biodegradable, they are harmful to human life and loss other organisms and their environment. Thus, the correct treatment of wastes must be done. This is not only the duty of government, and each can contribute in helping to reduce waste. The three “Rs” – Recycle, Reuse, and Reduce are simple steps which can take by each person. This can save a lot of energy and other resources as well. Another step is to separate biodegradable from non-biodegradable waste at home and dispose them individually.

Effects of Waste Materials on Environment

• Soil contamination
• Air contamination
• Water contamination
• Bad impact on human health
• Impact on animals and marine life
• Disease-carrying pests
• Adversely affect the local economy
• Missed recycling opportunities
• Causes extreme climate changes
• It is slowly killing the planet

Waste quantities are commonly grown in all countries all around the world. Every year billions of tons of waste are produced. These wastes are the outcomes of activities in our homes, business and industries and disposal of these wastes in huge amounts is a vast environmental problem. Agriculture, municipal & industrial solid waste and biomass deposits are a huge source of large scale pollution of both land and water. The production of waste causes damage to material and energy and energy and rise in environmental costs on society for its collection, treatment, and disposal. The impressions of landfill and incineration are significant because of their greenhouse gas emissions like (methane, carbon dioxide) and trans-boundary movement of organic micro pollutants and volatile heavy metals. Difficulties with waste are as old humans. 

Disposing of waste has huge environmental impacts and can cause serious problems. Some waste will eventually rot, but not all, and in the process it may smell, or generate methane gas, which is explosive and contributes to the greenhouse effect. Leachate produced as waste decomposes may cause pollution.  

References

https://www.vedantu.com/chemistry/biodegradable-and-non-biodegradable

http://web.mit.edu/urbanupgrading/urbanenvironment/sectors/solid-waste-sources.html

https://www.skipthetip.com/10-negative-effects-of-improper-rubbish-removal/