Waste Management Waste Management is the "generation, prevention, characterization, monitoring, treatment, handling, reuse and residual disposition of solid wastes". There are various types of solid waste including municipal (residential, institutional, commercial), agricultural, and special (health care, household hazardous wastes, sewage sludge). The term usually relates to materials produced by human
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Waste Management
Waste Management is the "generation, prevention, characterization,
monitoring, treatment, handling, reuse and residual disposition of
solid wastes". There are various types of solid waste including
municipal (residential, institutional, commercial), agricultural, and
special (health care, household hazardous wastes, sewage
sludge). The term usually relates to materials produced by human
activity, and the process is generally undertaken to reduce their
There is a wide array of issues relating to waste management and those areas include:
•Generation of waste•Waste minimization•Waste removal•Waste transportation•Waste treatment•Recycling and reuse•Storage, collection, transport, and transfer•Treatment•Landfill disposal•Environmental considerations•Financial and marketing aspects•Policy and regulations•Education and training•Planning and implementation.
HistoryThroughout most of history, the amountof waste generated by humans was insignificantdue to low population density and low societallevels of the exploitation of natural resources.Common waste produced during pre-moderntimes was mainly ashes and human biodegradablewaste, and these were released back into theground locally, with minimum environmentalimpact. Tools made out of wood or metal weregenerally reused or passed down through thegenerations.However, some civilizations do seem to have beenmore profligate in their waste output than others.In particular, the Maya of Central America had afixed monthly ritual, in which the people of thevillage would gather together and burn theirrubbish in large dumps
Sir Edwin Chadwick's 1842reportThe Sanitary Condition ofthe Labouring Population wasinfluential in securing thepassage of the first legislationaimed at waste clearance anddisposal.
Disposal of waste in a landfill involves burying thewaste and this remains a common practice in mostcountries. Landfills were often established inabandoned or unused quarries, mining voidsor borrow pits. A properly designed and well-managed landfill can be a hygienic and relativelyinexpensive method of disposing of wastematerials. Older, poorly designed or poorlymanaged landfills can create a number of adverseenvironmental impacts such as wind-blown litter,attraction of vermin, and generation ofliquid leachate. Another common product oflandfills is gas (mostly composedof methane and carbon dioxide), which is producedfrom anaerobic breakdown of organic waste. Thisgas can create odor problems, kill surfacevegetation and is greenhouse gas.
IncinerationIncineration is carried out both on a small scale byindividuals and on a large scale by industry. It isused to dispose of solid, liquid and gaseous waste.It is recognized as a practical method of disposingof certain hazardous waste materials (such asbiological medical waste). Incineration is acontroversial method of waste disposal, due toissues such as emission of gaseous pollutants.Incineration is carried out both on a small scale byindividuals and on a large scale by industry. It isused to dispose of solid, liquid and gaseous waste.It is recognized as a practical method of disposingof certain hazardous waste materials (such asbiological medical waste). Incineration is acontroversial method of waste disposal, due toissues such as emission of gaseous pollutants.
RecyclingRecycling is a resource recovery practice that refers to thecollection and reuse of waste materials such as emptybeverage containers. The materials from which the items aremade can be reprocessed into new products. Material forrecycling may be collected separately from general wasteusing dedicated bins and collection vehicles, a procedurecalled curbside collection. In some communities, the ownerof the waste is required to separate the materials intovarious different bins (e.g. for paper, plastics, metals) prior toits collection. In other communities, all recyclable materialsare placed in a single bin for collection, and the sorting ishandled later at a central facility. The latter method is knownas "single-stream recycling .The most common consumerproducts recycled include aluminum such as beveragecans, copper such as wire ,steel from food and aerosol cans,old steel furnishings orequipment, polyethylene and PET bottles, glass bottles andjars, paperboard cartons, newspapers, magazines and lightpaper, and corrugated fiberboard boxes..
SustainabilityThe management of waste is a key component in a business' ability tomaintaining ISO14001 accreditation. Companies are encouraged toimprove their environmental efficiencies each year by eliminating wastethrough resource recovery practices, which are sustainability-relatedactivities. One way to do this is by shifting away from waste managementto resource recovery practices like recycling materials such as glass, foodscraps, paper and cardboard, plastic bottles and metal.
Biological reprocessingRecoverable materials that are organic in nature, such as plant material, food scraps, andpaper products, can be recovered through composting and digestion processesto decompose the organic matter. The resulting organic material is then recycledas mulch or compost for agricultural or landscaping purposes. In addition, waste gasfrom the process (such as methane) can be captured and used for generating electricityand heat (CHP/cogeneration) maximizing efficiencies. The intention of biologicalprocessing in waste management is to control and accelerate the natural process ofdecomposition of organic matter. (See resource recovery).
Energy recoveryEnergy recovery from waste is the conversion of non-recyclable waste materials into usable heat, electricity, or fuelthrough a variety of processes, including combustion,gasification, pyrolyzation , anaerobic digestion, and landfill gasrecovery. This process is often called waste-to-energy. Energyrecovery from waste is part of the non-hazardous wastemanagement hierarchy. Using energy recovery to convert non-recyclable waste materials into electricity and heat, generatesa renewable energy source and can reduce carbon emissionsby offsetting the need for energy from fossil sources as well asreduce methane generation from landfills. Globally, waste-to-energy accounts for 16% of waste management The energycontent of waste products can be harnessed directly by usingthem as a direct combustion fuel, or indirectly by processingthem into another type of fuel. a sealed vessel underhigh pressure.
Resource recovery
Resource recovery is the systematic diversion of waste, which was intended for
disposal, for a specific next use. It is the processing of recyclables to extract or
recover materials and resources, or convert to energy. These activities are
performed at a resource recovery facility. Resource recovery is not only
environmentally important, but it is also cost effective.[16] It decreases the amount
of waste for disposal, saves space in landfills, and conserves natural resources.