104-660: Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes 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 and waste-related laws , technologies, and economic mechanisms. Waste can either be solid , liquid , or gases and each type has different methods of disposal and management. Waste management deals with all types of waste, including industrial , biological , household, municipal, organic, biomedical , radioactive wastes. In some cases, waste can pose
208-407: A circular economy , effective disposal facilities, export and import control and optimal sustainable design of products that are produced. In the first systematic review of the scientific evidence around global waste, its management, and its impact on human health and life, authors concluded that about a fourth of all the municipal solid terrestrial waste is not collected and an additional fourth
312-428: A business or commercial occupancy. This can be restaurants, retail occupants, manufacturing occupants or similar businesses. Typically, commercial waste contains similar items such as food scraps, cardboard, paper, and shipping materials. Generally speaking, commercial waste creates more waste than household waste on a per location basis. The EPA defines this type of waste as "Construction and Demolition (C&D) debris
416-428: A by-product, joint product or resource through an invention that raises a waste product's value above zero. Examples include municipal solid waste (household trash/refuse), hazardous waste , wastewater (such as sewage , which contains bodily wastes ( feces and urine ) and surface runoff ), radioactive waste , and others. What constitutes waste depends on the eye of the beholder; one person's waste can be
520-658: A combination of broken glassware, floor sweepings, non-repairable household goods, non-recyclable plastic and metal, clothing, and furnishings. Additionally, ashes, soot, and residential renovation waste materials are also included under this definition. This type of waste is typically generated from hospitals , physicians' offices, dental practices , blood banks , veterinary offices, and research facilities . This waste has often been contaminated with bodily fluids from humans or animals. Examples of this type of contamination can include blood , vomit , urine , and other bodily fluids. Concerns started to generate when medical waste
624-503: A growing market in the transboundary movement of waste, and although most waste that flows between countries goes between developed nations, a significant amount of waste is moved from developed to developing nations. The economic costs of managing waste are high, and are often paid for by municipal governments ; money can often be saved with more efficiently designed collection routes, modifying vehicles, and with public education. Environmental policies such as pay as you throw can reduce
728-773: A large percentage of munitions waste is generated by the government or governmental contractors, residents also throw away expired or faulty ammunition inside their household waste. Every year, the US generates this type of waste from both the commercial and consumer aspects. This waste is often generated from fireworks, signal flares and hobby rockets which have been damaged, failed to operate or for other reasons. Due to their chemical properties, these types of devices are extremely dangerous. While automobile airbag propellants are not as common as munitions and fireworks , they share similar properties which makes them extremely hazardous. Airbag propellants characteristics of reactivity and ignitability are
832-521: A large risk to many variable communities, including underdeveloped countries and countries or cities with little space for landfills or alternatives. Burning waste is an easily accessible option for many people around the globe, it has even been encouraged by the World Health Organization when there is no other option. Because burning waste is rarely paid attention to, its effects go unnoticed. The release of hazardous materials and CO2 when waste
936-468: A means of creatively responding to the ecological and economic crises of the 21st century. Recent scholarship has attempted to relate these activities to American left- and right- libertarianism . Repurposing is the use of a tool being re-channeled into being another tool, usually for a purpose unintended by the original tool-maker. Typically, repurposing is done using items usually considered to be junk, garbage, or obsolete. A good example of this would be
1040-650: A profit. This sector can significantly alter or reduce waste in a particular system, but other negative economic effects come with the disease, poverty, exploitation, and abuse of its workers. People in developing countries suffer from contaminated water and landfills caused by unlawful government policies that allow first-world countries and companies to transport their trash to their homes and oftentimes near bodies of water. Those same governments do not use any waste trade profits to create ways to manage landfills or clean water sources. Photographer Kevin McElvaney documents
1144-556: A resource for another person. Though waste is a physical object, its generation is a physical and psychological process. The definitions used by various agencies are as below. According to the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal of 1989, Art. 2(1), " 'Wastes' are substance or objects, which are disposed of or are intended to be disposed of or are required to be disposed of by
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#17328730942901248-475: A significant amount of greenhouse gases . When the burned waste contains metals, it can create toxic gases . On the other hand, when the waste contains plastics, the gases produce contain CO 2 . As global warming and CO 2 emissions increase, soil begins to become a larger carbon sink and will become increasingly valuable for plant life. Waste management is a significant environmental justice issue. Many of
1352-625: A single bin for collection, and the sorting is handled later at a central facility. The latter method is known as " single-stream recycling ". The most common consumer products recycled include aluminium such as beverage cans, copper such as wire, steel from food and aerosol cans, old steel furnishings or equipment, rubber tyres , polyethylene and PET bottles, glass bottles and jars, paperboard cartons , newspapers , magazines and light paper, and corrugated fiberboard boxes. PVC , LDPE , PP , and PS (see resin identification code ) are also recyclable. These items are usually composed of
1456-479: A single type of material, making them relatively easy to recycle into new products. The recycling of complex products (such as computers and electronic equipment) is more difficult, due to the additional dismantling and separation required. The type of material accepted for recycling varies by city and country. Each city and country has different recycling programs in place that can handle the various types of recyclable materials. However, certain variation in acceptance
1560-505: A stop to the waste trade, the creation of wastewater treatment facilities, and providing a clean and accessible water source. The health of all these people in landfills and water are human necessities/rights that are being taken away. Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes 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
1664-400: A threat to human health. Health issues are associated with the entire process of waste management. Health issues can also arise indirectly or directly: directly through the handling of solid waste, and indirectly through the consumption of water, soil, and food. Waste is produced by human activity, for example, the extraction and processing of raw materials. Waste management is intended to reduce
1768-426: A variety of processes, including combustion, gasification, pyrolyzation, anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas recovery. This process is often called waste-to-energy. Energy recovery from waste is part of the non-hazardous waste management hierarchy. Using energy recovery to convert non-recyclable waste materials into electricity and heat, generates a renewable energy source and can reduce carbon emissions by offsetting
1872-416: Is a comprehensive method for evaluating the environmental impacts associated with all stages of a product's life. By systematically assessing these impacts, LCA helps identify opportunities to improve environmental performance and resource efficiency. Through optimizing product designs, manufacturing processes, and end-of-life management, LCA aims to maximize the use of the world's limited resources and minimize
1976-525: Is a disposal method in which solid organic wastes are subjected to combustion so as to convert them into residue and gaseous products. This method is useful for the disposal of both municipal solid waste and solid residue from wastewater treatment. This process reduces the volume of solid waste by 80 to 95 percent. Incineration and other high-temperature waste treatment systems are sometimes described as " thermal treatment ". Incinerators convert waste materials into heat , gas , steam , and ash . Incineration
2080-433: Is a good way to develop a city's waste management infrastructure, attracting and utilizing grants is solely reliant on what the donor considers important. Therefore, it may be a challenge for a city government to dictate how the funds should be distributed among the various aspect of waste management. An example of a country that enforces a waste tax is Italy . The tax is based on two rates: fixed and variable. The fixed rate
2184-618: Is a type of waste that is not included in municipal solid waste (MSW)." Items typically found in C&;D include but are not limited to steel, wood products, drywall and plaster, brick and clay tile, asphalt shingles, concrete, and asphalt. Generally speaking, construction and demolition waste can be categorized as any components needed to build infrastructures. In 2018, the EPA estimated that the US generated approximately 600 million tons of C&D waste . The waste generated by construction and demolition
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#17328730942902288-483: Is also often cheaper to dispose of because it does not require as much manual sorting as mixed waste. There are a number of important reasons why waste segregation is important such as legal obligations, cost savings, and protection of human health and the environment. Institutions should make it as easy as possible for their staff to correctly segregate their waste. This can include labelling, making sure there are enough accessible bins, and clearly indicating why segregation
2392-402: Is based on the size of the house while the variable is determined by the number of people living in the house. The World Bank finances and advises on solid waste management projects using a diverse suite of products and services, including traditional loans, results-based financing, development policy financing, and technical advisory. World Bank-financed waste management projects usually address
2496-408: Is burned is the largest hazard with incineration. In most developed countries, domestic waste disposal is funded from a national or local tax which may be related to income, or property values. Commercial and industrial waste disposal is typically charged for as a commercial service, often as an integrated charge which includes disposal costs. This practice may encourage disposal contractors to opt for
2600-459: Is carried out both on a small scale by individuals and on a large scale by industry. It is used to dispose of solid, liquid, and gaseous waste. It is recognized as a practical method of disposing of certain hazardous waste materials (such as biological medical waste ). Incineration is a controversial method of waste disposal, due to issues such as the emission of gaseous pollutants including substantial quantities of carbon dioxide . Incineration
2704-710: Is common in countries such as Japan where land is more scarce, as the facilities generally do not require as much area as landfills. Waste-to-energy (WtE) or energy-from-waste (EfW) are broad terms for facilities that burn waste in a furnace or boiler to generate heat, steam, or electricity. Combustion in an incinerator is not always perfect and there have been concerns about pollutants in gaseous emissions from incinerator stacks. Particular concern has focused on some very persistent organic compounds such as dioxins , furans , and PAHs , which may be created and which may have serious environmental consequences and some heavy metals such as mercury and lead which can be volatilised in
2808-488: Is commonly referred to as the Military Munitions Rule. The EPA defines military munitions as "all types of both conventional and chemical ammunition products and their components, produced by or for the military for national defense and security (including munitions produced by other parties under contract to or acting as an agent for DOD—in the case of Government Owned/Contractor Operated [GOCO] operations)." While
2912-418: Is critical for embedding sustainability into the product from the outset. Designers can select materials that have lower environmental impacts and create products that require less energy and resources to produce. Manufacturing offers another crucial point for reducing waste and conserving resources. Innovations in production processes can lead to more efficient use of materials and energy, while also minimizing
3016-500: Is extremely important to understand the necessary protocols and follow the correct precautions. Failure to handle and recycle these materials can have catastrophic consequences and potentially damage the site's ecosystems for years to come. Radioactive waste is monitored and regulated by multiple governmental agencies such as Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and Department of
3120-413: Is generated from nuclear reactors or reprocessing spent nuclear fuel. Transuranic Waste : This type of radioactive waste is man-made and has an atomic number of 92 or higher. Uranium or thorium mill tailings: This type of radioactive waste is a result after the mining or milling or uranium or thorium ore. Low-level waste : This type of radioactive waste is radioactively contaminated waste. It
3224-410: Is highly dependent on the conditions around them, those in less developed or lower income areas are more susceptible to the effects of waste product, especially though chemical waste. The range of hazards due to waste is extremely large and covers every type of waste, not only chemical. There are many different guidelines to follow for disposing different types of waste. The hazards of incineration are
Waste management - Misplaced Pages Continue
3328-468: Is important for building sustainable and liveable cities, but it remains a challenge for many developing countries and cities. A report found that effective waste management is relatively expensive, usually comprising 20%–50% of municipal budgets. Operating this essential municipal service requires integrated systems that are efficient, sustainable, and socially supported. A large portion of waste management practices deal with municipal solid waste (MSW) which
3432-532: Is mismanaged after collection, often being burned in open and uncontrolled fires – or close to one billion tons per year when combined. They also found that broad priority areas each lack a "high-quality research base", partly due to the absence of "substantial research funding ", which motivated scientists often require. Electronic waste (ewaste) includes discarded computer monitors, motherboards, mobile phones and chargers, compact discs (CDs), headphones, television sets, air conditioners and refrigerators. According to
3536-509: Is often intended to be reused or is sent to the landfill. Examples of reused waste is milled asphalt can be used again for the asphalt mixture or fill dirt can be used to level grade. The EPA defines hazardous waste as "a waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment." Hazardous Waste falls under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) . Under
3640-416: Is produced by various industries such as nuclear power plants , nuclear reactors , hospitals, research centers, and mining facilities. Any activity that involves radioactive material can generate radioactive waste. Furthermore, such waste emits radioactive particles, which if not handled correctly, can be both an environmental hazard as well as a human health hazard. When dealing with radioactive waste, it
3744-774: Is reflected in the resale value of the material once it is reprocessed. Some of the types of recycling include waste paper and cardboard, plastic recycling , metal recycling , electronic devices, wood recycling , glass recycling , cloth and textile and so many more. In July 2017, the Chinese government announced an import ban of 24 categories of recyclables and solid waste , including plastic , textiles and mixed paper, placing tremendous impact on developed countries globally, which exported directly or indirectly to China. Recoverable materials that are organic in nature, such as plant material , food scraps, and paper products, can be recovered through composting and digestion processes to decompose
3848-546: Is so important. Labeling is especially important when dealing with nuclear waste due to how much harm to human health the excess products of the nuclear cycle can cause. There are multiple facets of waste management that all come with hazards, both for those around the disposal site and those who work within waste management. Exposure to waste of any kind can be detrimental to the health of the individual, primary conditions that worsen with exposure to waste are asthma and tuberculosis . The exposure to waste on an average individual
3952-403: Is the bedrock of most waste minimization strategies. The aim of the waste hierarchy is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of end waste; see: resource recovery . The waste hierarchy is represented as a pyramid because the basic premise is that policies should promote measures to prevent the generation of waste. The next step or preferred action
4056-505: Is the bulk of the waste that is created by household, industrial, and commercial activity. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), municipal solid waste is expected to reach approximately 3.4 Gt by 2050; however, policies and lawmaking can reduce the amount of waste produced in different areas and cities of the world. Measures of waste management include measures for integrated techno-economic mechanisms of
4160-509: Is the most common method of disposal in most European countries, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and many other parts of the developed world in which waste is collected at regular intervals by specialised trucks. This is often associated with curb-side waste segregation. In rural areas, waste may need to be taken to a transfer station. Waste collected is then transported to an appropriate disposal facility. In some areas, vacuum collection
4264-419: Is to seek alternative uses for the waste that has been generated, i.e., by re-use. The next is recycling which includes composting. Following this step is material recovery and waste-to-energy . The final action is disposal, in landfills or through incineration without energy recovery . This last step is the final resort for waste that has not been prevented, diverted, or recovered. The waste hierarchy represents
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4368-489: Is typically generated from industrial processes or research. Examples of these items include paper, protective clothing, bags, and cardboard. Technologically enhanced naturally-occurring radioactive material (TENORM): This type of radioactive waste is created through human activity such as mining, oil and gas drilling, and water treatment where naturally-occurring radiological material (NORM) becomes concentrated. The EPA defines energetic hazardous waste as "wastes that have
4472-465: Is used in which waste is transported from the home or commercial premises by vacuum along small bore tubes. Systems are in use in Europe and North America. In some jurisdictions, unsegregated waste is collected at the curb-side or from waste transfer stations and then sorted into recyclables and unusable waste. Such systems are capable of sorting large volumes of solid waste, salvaging recyclables, and turning
4576-403: Is wet, and plastic or glass bottles can have different weights but be the same size. On a global scale it is difficult to report waste because countries have different definitions of waste and what falls into waste categories, as well as different ways of reporting. Based on incomplete reports from its parties, the Basel Convention estimated 338 million tonnes of waste was generated in 2001. For
4680-584: The RCRA , the EPA has the authority to control hazardous waste during its entire lifecycle. This means from the point of creation to the point where it has been properly disposed of. The life cycle of hazardous waste includes generation, transportation, treatment, and storage and disposal. All of which are included in the RCRA. Some forms of hazardous waste include radioactive waste , explosive waste, and electronic waste . Radioactive waste, often referred to as nuclear waste ,
4784-589: The Thames to proper distance in the country". However, it was not until the mid-19th century, spurred by increasingly devastating cholera outbreaks and the emergence of a public health debate that the first legislation on the issue emerged. Highly influential in this new focus was the report The Sanitary Condition of the Labouring Population in 1842 of the social reformer , Edwin Chadwick , in which he argued for
4888-675: The 1920s in Britain. These were soon equipped with 'hopper mechanisms' where the scooper was loaded at floor level and then hoisted mechanically to deposit the waste in the truck. The Garwood Load Packer was the first truck in 1938, to incorporate a hydraulic compactor. Waste collection methods vary widely among different countries and regions. Domestic waste collection services are often provided by local government authorities, or by private companies for industrial and commercial waste. Some areas, especially those in less developed countries, do not have formal waste-collection systems. Curbside collection
4992-600: The Earth. Recycling not only benefits the environment but also positively affects the economy. The materials from which the items are made can be made into new products. Materials for recycling may be collected separately from general waste using dedicated bins and collection vehicles, a procedure called kerbside collection . In some communities, the owner of the waste is required to separate the materials into different bins (e.g. for paper, plastics, metals) prior to its collection. In other communities, all recyclable materials are placed in
5096-612: The Global E-waste Monitor 2017, India generates ~ 2 million tonnes (Mte) of e-waste annually and ranks fifth among the e-waste producing countries, after the United States , the People's Republic of China , Japan and Germany . Effective 'Waste Management' involves the practice of '7R' - 'R'efuse, 'R'educe', 'R'euse, 'R'epair, 'R'epurpose , 'R'ecycle and 'R'ecover. Amongst these '7R's, the first two ('Refuse' and 'Reduce') relate to
5200-788: The Interagency Task Force on Electronics Stewardship in November 2010. The overall goal for this task was to develop a national strategy for handling and proper disposal of electronic waste. The task force would work with the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), EPA, and the US General Services Administration (GSA). The task force released its final product, the National Strategy for Electronics Stewardship report . The report focuses on four goals of
5304-793: The Interior (DOI). Each agency plays an important role in creating, handling, and properly disposing of radioactive waste. A brief description of each agency's role can be found below. NRC: "Licenses and regulates the receipt and possession of high-level waste at privately owned facilities and at certain DOE facilities." DOE: "Plans and carries out programs for sand handling of DOE-generated radioactive wastes, develops waste disposal technologies, and will design, construct and operate disposal facilities for DOE-generated and commercial high-level wastes." EPA: "Develops environmental standards and federal radiation protection guidance for offsite radiation due to
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#17328730942905408-457: The United States. The EPA has estimated that approximately 10.1 million tons of plastic containers and packaging ended up landfills in 2018. The EPA noted that only 30.5% of plastic containers and packaging was recycled or combusted as an energy source. Additionally, approximately 940,000 pounds of cardboard ends up in the landfill each year. Commercial waste is very similar to household waste. To be considered as commercial waste, it must come from
5512-615: The Waste Directive, see the European Commission's summary . Metabolic wastes or excrements are substances left over from metabolic processes (such as cellular respiration ) which cannot be used by the organism (they are surplus or toxic ), and must therefore be excreted . This includes nitrogen compounds, water , CO 2 , phosphates , sulphates , etc. Animals treat these compounds as excretes. Plants have metabolic pathways which transforms some of them (primarily
5616-603: The adverse effects of waste on human health , the environment , planetary resources, and aesthetics . The aim of waste management is to reduce the dangerous effects of such waste on the environment and human health. A big part of waste management deals with municipal solid waste , which is created by industrial, commercial, and household activity. Waste management practices are not the same across countries ( developed and developing nations ); regions ( urban and rural areas ), and residential and industrial sectors can all take different approaches. Proper management of waste
5720-585: The airbag waste collection facility is not exempt. Once the airbags have met the collection center, it will then be classified as RCRA hazardous waste and must be disposed or recycled at a RCRA disposal facility. Electronic waste , often referred to as "E-Waste" or "E-Scrap," are often thrown away or sent to a recycler. E-Waste continues to end up in landfills across the world. The EPA estimates that in 2009, 2.37 million tons of televisions, computers, cell phones, printers, scanners, and fax machines were discarded by US consumers. Only 25% of these devices were recycled;
5824-658: The characteristics which qualify for hazardous waste. When disposed undeployed, leaves these two hazardous characteristics intact. To properly dispose of these items, they must be safely deployed which removes these hazardous characteristics. The EPA includes the waste of automobile airbag propellants under the RCRA. In 2018, the EPA issued a final rule on handling of automobile airbag propellants. The " interim final rule "provides an exemption of entities which install and remove airbags. This includes automobile dealerships, salvage yards, automobile repair facilities and collision centers. The handler and transporter are exempt from RCRA, but
5928-422: The cheapest disposal option such as landfill rather than the environmentally best solution such as re-use and recycling. Financing solid waste management projects can be overwhelming for the city government, especially if the government see it as an important service they should render to the citizen. Donors and grants are a funding mechanism that is dependent on the interest of the donor organization. As much as it
6032-412: The combustion process.. Recycling is a resource recovery practice that refers to the collection and reuse of waste materials such as empty beverage containers. This process involves breaking down and reusing materials that would otherwise be gotten rid of as trash. There are numerous benefits of recycling, and with so many new technologies making even more materials recyclable, it is possible to clean up
6136-672: The cost of management and reduce waste quantities. Waste recovery (that is, recycling , reuse ) can curb economic costs because it avoids extracting raw materials and often cuts transportation costs. "Economic assessment of municipal waste management systems – case studies using a combination of life-cycle assessment (LCA) and life-cycle costing (LCC)". The location of waste treatment and disposal facilities often reduces property values due to noise, dust, pollution, unsightliness, and negative stigma. The informal waste sector consists mostly of waste pickers who scavenge for metals, glass, plastic, textiles, and other materials and then trade them for
6240-468: The creation of the first incineration plants, or, as they were then called, "destructors". In 1874, the first incinerator was built in Nottingham by Manlove, Alliott & Co. Ltd. to the design of Alfred Fryer. However, these were met with opposition on account of the large amounts of ash they produced and which wafted over the neighbouring areas. Similar municipal systems of waste disposal sprung up at
6344-539: The disposal of spent nuclear fuel and high-level and transuranic radioactive wastes." DOT: "Regulates both the packaging and carriage of all hazardous materials including radioactive waste." DOI: "Through the U.S. Geological Survey, conducts laboratory and field geologic investigations in support of DOE's waste disposal programs and collaborates with DOE on earth science technical activities." The US currently defines five types of radioactive waste, as shown below. High-level Waste : This type of radioactive waste
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#17328730942906448-407: The dumpsite. There are piles of waste used as makeshift bridges over lakes, with metals and chemicals just seeping into the water and groundwater that could be linked to homes' water systems. The same unfortunate situation and dumps/landfills can be seen in similar countries that are considered the third world, such as other West African countries and China . Many are advocating for waste management,
6552-455: The earth. It requires energy to operate the equipment to mine these metals, which emits greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Donating e-waste to recycling centers or refurbishing this equipment can reduce the greenhouse gases emitted through the mining process as well as decrease the use of natural resources to ensure future generations will have sufficient access to these resources. As this issue continued to grow, President Obama established
6656-481: The entire lifecycle of waste right from the point of generation to collection and transportation, and finally treatment and disposal. A landfill is a site for the disposal of waste materials. It is the oldest and most common form of waste disposal , although the systematic burial of waste with daily, intermediate and final covers only began in the 1940s. In the past, waste was simply left in piles or thrown into pits (known in archeology as middens ). Incineration
6760-404: The environmental burdens cited above are more often borne by marginalized groups, such as racial minorities, women, and residents of developing nations. NIMBY (not in my back yard) is the opposition of residents to a proposal for a new development because it is close to them. However, the need for expansion and siting of waste treatment and disposal facilities is increasing worldwide. There is now
6864-466: The federal government's plan to enhance the management of electronics: 1. Incentivizing greener design of electronics 2. Leading by example 3. Increasing domestic recycling 4. Reducing harmful exports of e-waste and building capacity in developing countries. E-Waste is not only a problem in the US, but also a global issue. Tackling this issue requires collaboration from multiple agencies across
6968-442: The generation of by-products and emissions. Adopting cleaner production techniques and improving manufacturing efficiency can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of a product. Distribution involves the logistics of getting the product from the manufacturer to the consumer. Optimizing this stage can involve reducing packaging, choosing more sustainable transportation methods, and improving supply chain efficiencies to lower
7072-461: The hybrids of these two methods. The anaerobic digestion of the organic fraction of solid waste is more environmentally effective than landfill, or incineration. The intention of biological processing in waste management is to control and accelerate the natural process of decomposition of organic matter. (See resource recovery ). Energy recovery from waste is the conversion of non-recyclable waste materials into usable heat, electricity, or fuel through
7176-567: The importance of adequate waste removal and management facilities to improve the health and wellbeing of the city's population. In the UK, the Nuisance Removal and Disease Prevention Act of 1846 began what was to be a steadily evolving process of the provision of regulated waste management in London. The Metropolitan Board of Works was the first citywide authority that centralized sanitation regulation for
7280-422: The infectious waste was incinerated before 1997. Due to the potential of negatively affect air quality, alternative treatment and disposal technologies for medical waste was developed. These new alternatives include: There are many issues that surround reporting waste. It is most commonly measured by size or weight, and there is a stark difference between the two. For example, organic waste is much heavier when it
7384-425: The items that are collected by municipalities end up in landfills across the world. In the United States, it is estimated that 11.3 million tons of textile waste is generated. On an individual level, it is estimated that the average American throws away 81.5 pounds of clothes each year. As online shopping becomes more prevalent, items such as cardboard, bubble wrap, shipping envelopes are ending up in landfills across
7488-399: The lack of waste clearance regulations. Calls for the establishment of municipal authority with waste removal powers occurred as early as 1751, when Corbyn Morris in London proposed that "... as the preservation of the health of the people is of great importance, it is proposed that the cleaning of this city, should be put under one uniform public management, and all the filth be...conveyed by
7592-418: The life of products and delays their entry into the waste stream. Recycling, the final preferred stage, involves processing materials to create new products, thus closing the loop in the material lifecycle. Effective recycling programs can significantly reduce the need for virgin materials and the environmental impacts associated with extracting and processing those materials. Product life-cycle analysis (LCA)
7696-486: The management of mixed waste is regulated by the EPA and RCRA and Atomic Energy Act . The hazardous materials content is regulated by RCRA while the radiological component is regulated by the Department of Energy (DOE) and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Mixed waste can also be defined as a type of waste which includes recyclable materials and organic materials. Some examples of mixed waste in this context include
7800-440: The need for energy from fossil sources as well as reduce methane generation from landfills. Globally, waste-to-energy accounts for 16% of waste management. Waste Waste (or wastes ) are unwanted or unusable materials. Waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. A by-product , by contrast is a joint product of relatively minor economic value . A waste product may become
7904-523: The need for frequent replacements and decreasing overall waste. Once the product reaches the end of its primary use, it enters the waste hierarchy's stages. The first stage, reduction, involves efforts to decrease the volume and toxicity of waste generated. This can be achieved by encouraging consumers to buy less, use products more efficiently, and choose items with minimal packaging. The reuse stage encourages finding alternative uses for products, whether through donation, resale, or repurposing. Reuse extends
8008-434: The non-creation of waste - by refusing to buy non-essential products and by reducing consumption. The next two ('Reuse' and 'Repair') refer to increasing the usage of the existing product, with or without the substitution of certain parts of the product. 'Repurpose' and 'Recycle' involve maximum usage of the materials used in the product, and 'Recover' is the least preferred and least efficient waste management practice involving
8112-607: The organic matter. The resulting organic material is then recycled as mulch or compost for agricultural or landscaping purposes. In addition, waste gas from the process (such as methane) can be captured and used for generating electricity and heat (CHP/cogeneration) maximising efficiencies. There are different types of composting and digestion methods and technologies. They vary in complexity from simple home compost heaps to large-scale industrial digestion of mixed domestic waste. The different methods of biological decomposition are classified as aerobic or anaerobic methods. Some methods use
8216-425: The overall environmental impact. Efficient logistics planning can also help in reducing fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the transport of goods. The primary use phase of a product's lifecycle is where consumers interact with the product. Policies and practices that encourage responsible use, regular maintenance, and the proper functioning of products can extend their lifespan, thus reducing
8320-501: The oxygen compounds) into useful substances. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development also known as OECD defines municipal solid waste (MSW) as "waste collected and treated by or for municipalities". Typically this type of waste includes household waste , commercial waste , and demolition or construction waste. In 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that 292.4 tons of municipal waste
8424-517: The people of the village would gather together and burn their rubbish in large dumps. Following the onset of the Industrial Revolution , industrialisation, and the sustained urban growth of large population centres in England , the buildup of waste in the cities caused a rapid deterioration in levels of sanitation and the general quality of urban life. The streets became choked with filth due to
8528-440: The polluting parties pay for the impact on the environment. With respect to waste management, this generally refers to the requirement for a waste generator to pay for appropriate disposal of the unrecoverable materials. Throughout most of history, the amount of waste generated by humans was insignificant due to low levels of population density and exploitation of natural resources . Common waste produced during pre-modern times
8632-410: The potential to detonate and bulk military propellants which cannot safely be disposed of through other modes of treatments." The items which typically fall under this category include munitions , fireworks, flares, hobby rockets, and automobile propellants. Munitions were added to hazardous waste in 1997 when the EPA finalized RCRA. A special rule was added to address munitions in waste. This new rule
8736-544: The processing of raw materials into intermediate and final products, the consumption of final products, and other human activities. Residuals recycled or reused at the place of generation are excluded." Under the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC , Art. 3(1), the European Union defines waste as "an object the holder discards, intends to discard or is required to discard." For a more structural description of
8840-483: The product moves through the waste hierarchy's stages of reduce, reuse, and recycle. Each phase in this lifecycle presents unique opportunities for policy intervention, allowing stakeholders to rethink the necessity of the product, redesign it to minimize its waste potential, and extend its useful life. During the design phase, considerations can be made to ensure that products are created with fewer resources, are more durable, and are easier to repair or recycle. This stage
8944-417: The progression of a product or material through the sequential stages of the pyramid of waste management. The hierarchy represents the latter parts of the life-cycle for each product. The life-cycle of a product, often referred to as the product lifecycle , encompasses several key stages that begin with the design phase and proceed through manufacture, distribution, and primary use. After these initial stages,
9048-416: The provisions of national law". The UNSD Glossary of Environment Statistics describes waste as "materials that are not prime products (that is, products produced for the market) for which the generator has no further use in terms of his/her own purposes of production, transformation or consumption , and of which he/she wants to dispose. Wastes may be generated during the extraction of raw materials ,
9152-669: The rapidly expanding city, and the Public Health Act 1875 made it compulsory for every household to deposit their weekly waste in "moveable receptacles" for disposal—the first concept for a dustbin . In the Ashanti Empire by the 19th century, there existed a Public Works Department that was responsible for sanitation in Kumasi and its suburbs. They kept the streets clean daily and commanded civilians to keep their compounds clean and weeded. The dramatic increase in waste for disposal led to
9256-459: The recovery of embedded energy in the waste material. For example, burning the waste to produce heat (and electricity from heat). Certain non-biodegradable products are also dumped away as 'Disposal', and this is not a "waste-'management'" practice. The waste hierarchy refers to the "3 Rs" Reduce , Reuse and Recycle , which classifies waste management strategies according to their desirability in terms of waste minimisation . The waste hierarchy
9360-434: The remainder ended up in landfills across the US. E-Waste contains many elements that can be recycled or re-used. Typically speaking, electronics are encased in a plastic or light metal enclosure. Items such as computer boards, wiring, capacitors , and small motor items are common types of E-waste. Of these items, the internal components include iron , gold , palladium , platinum , and copper , all of which are mined from
9464-607: The rest into bio-gas and soil conditioners. In San Francisco , the local government established its Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance in support of its goal of "Zero waste by 2020", requiring everyone in the city to keep recyclables and compostables out of the landfill. The three streams are collected with the curbside "Fantastic 3" bin system – blue for recyclables, green for compostables, and black for landfill-bound materials – provided to residents and businesses and serviced by San Francisco's sole refuse hauler, Recology. The city's "Pay-As-You-Throw" system charges customers by
9568-817: The same year, OECD estimated 4 billion tonnes from its member countries. Despite these inconsistencies, waste reporting is still useful on a small and large scale to determine key causes and locations, and to find ways of preventing, minimizing, recovering, treating, and disposing of waste. Inappropriately managed waste can attract rodents and insects , which can harbor gastrointestinal parasites, yellow fever , worms, various diseases, and other conditions for humans, and exposure to hazardous wastes, particularly when they are burned, can cause various other diseases including cancers. Toxic waste materials can contaminate surface water, groundwater, soil, and air, which causes more problems for humans, other species, and ecosystems . A form of waste disposal involving combustion creates
9672-436: The turn of the 20th century in other large cities of Europe and North America . In 1895, New York City became the first U.S. city with public-sector garbage management. Early garbage removal trucks were simply open-bodied dump trucks pulled by a team of horses. They became motorized in the early part of the 20th century and the first closed-body trucks to eliminate odours with a dumping lever mechanism were introduced in
9776-418: The type of waste and the most appropriate treatment and disposal. This also makes it easier to apply different processes to the waste, like composting, recycling, and incineration. It is important to practice waste management and segregation as a community. One way to practice waste management is to ensure there is awareness. The process of waste segregation should be explained to the community. Segregated waste
9880-449: The understanding that global economic growth and development can not be sustained at current production and consumption patterns. Globally, humanity extracts more resources to produce goods than the planet can replenish. Resource efficiency is the reduction of the environmental impact from the production and consumption of these goods, from final raw material extraction to the last use and disposal. The polluter-pays principle mandates that
9984-436: The unnecessary generation of waste. In summary, the product lifecycle framework underscores the importance of a holistic approach to product design, use, and disposal. By considering each stage of the lifecycle and implementing policies and practices that promote sustainability, it is possible to significantly reduce the environmental impact of products and contribute to a more sustainable future. Resource efficiency reflects
10088-545: The volume of landfill-bound materials, which provides a financial incentive to separate recyclables and compostables from other discards. The city's Department of the Environment's Zero Waste Program has led the city to achieve 80% diversion, the highest diversion rate in North America. Other businesses such as Waste Industries use a variety of colors to distinguish between trash and recycling cans. In addition, in some areas of
10192-626: The waste management process and waste-related laws , technologies, and economic mechanisms. Repurposing Repurposing is the process by which an object with one use value is transformed or redeployed as an object with an alternative use value. Repurposing is as old as human civilization , with many contemporary scholars investigating how different societies re-appropriate the artifacts of older cultures in new and creative ways. More recently, repurposing has been celebrated by 21st century hobbyists and arts-and-crafts organizations such as Instructables and other Maker culture communities as
10296-511: The world the disposal of municipal solid waste can cause environmental strain due to official not having benchmarks that help measure the environmental sustainability of certain practices. This is the separation of wet waste and dry waste. The purpose is to recycle dry waste easily and to use wet waste as compost. When segregating waste, the amount of waste that gets landfilled reduces considerably, resulting in lower levels of air and water pollution. Importantly, waste segregation should be based on
10400-633: The world's biggest e-waste dump called Agbogbloshie in Accra, Ghana , which used to be a wetland . The young men and children that work in Agbogbloshie smash devices to get to the metals, obtain burns, eye damage, lung and back problems, chronic nausea, debilitating headaches, and respiratory problems and most workers die from cancer in their 20s (McElvaney). In McElvaney's photos, kids in fields burning refrigerators and computers with blackened hands and trashed clothes and animals, such as cows with open wounds, in
10504-559: The world. Some agencies involved in this include U.S. EPA, Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (Taiwan EPA), International E-Waste Management Network (IEMN), and environmental offices from Asia , Latin America , the Caribbean , Africa , and North America . Mixed waste is a term that has different definitions based on its context. Most commonly, mixed waste refers to hazardous waste which contains radioactive material. In this context,
10608-566: Was appearing on east coast beaches in the 1980s. This forced congress to pass the Medical Waste Tracking Act . This act was only in effect for approximately 3 years after the EPA concluded the "disease-causing medical waste was greatest at the point of generation and naturally tapers off after that point." Prior to the Hospital Medical Infectious Waste Incinerator (HMIWI) standard, approximately 90% of
10712-448: Was generated which equated to about 4.9 pounds per day per person. Out of the 292.4 tons, approximately 69 million tons were recycled, and 25 million tons were composted. Household waste more commonly known as trash or garbage are items that are typically thrown away daily from ordinary households. Items often included in this category include product packaging, yard waste , clothing, food scraps, appliance, paints, and batteries. Most of
10816-459: Was mainly ashes and human biodegradable waste , and these were released back into the ground locally, with minimum environmental impact . Tools made out of wood or metal were generally reused or passed down through the generations. However, some civilizations have been more profligate in their waste output than others. In particular, the Maya of Central America had a fixed monthly ritual, in which
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