Waste management is a broad term for the processes involved in managing all types of unwanted or unusable material. It can include industrial, residential, municipal and biomedical wastes as well as organic, hazardous, and radioactive materials. Waste management is intended to reduce the negative impact of wastes on human health, the environment, and planetary resources.
The most common method of Waste management is through reduction. This includes recycling old jars and bags, repairing broken items instead of buying new ones, using second-hand products, and choosing energy-efficient appliances and vehicles. It also involves educating the public about the benefits of these methods.
Another method is to convert solid waste into useful raw material or energy by thermal treatment. This may involve incinerating the waste, gasification, pyrolysis, biological processing, and other processes that convert solid waste to usable material or fuel. This is one of the best methods for reducing waste as it reduces energy usage, reduces volume of landfills, and saves on disposal costs.
Solid wastes can be converted into fuel or energy by gasification which uses high temperatures to transform the waste into a combustible gas, usually methane. It is then used to produce electricity and heat. This method is a good alternative to burning fossil fuels and helps to reduce air pollution.
Other types of waste can be converted into animal feeds which is an easy way to recycle household waste. For example, vegetable scraps and meat bones are often given to domestic animals like pigs and rabbits as part of their diet. It is also a very efficient method of Waste management because it saves on waste disposal costs and provides nutrition to the animals.
Reducing the amount of waste can help protect the environment by lowering resource usage, reducing the toxicity of the waste, and protecting water quality. IDEM encourages all communities to adopt the 3R’s of Waste management: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
This can be done by modifying the design and fabrication of products to reduce waste or implementing recycling and reuse programs. It can also be achieved by educating people about the importance of the 3R’s and promoting public awareness through community outreach activities.
Having clear measurable goals gives teams a shared understanding of what they are trying to accomplish. Tracking waste, energy, and water data makes it easier to compare progress against the benchmark you set. ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager is an excellent tool for tracking and reporting these metrics in a single location.
Educating the public about solid waste issues is critical. This can be done through integrated environmental education with emphasis on waste management in school curricula starting at the primary/elementary level. This can also be done through writing letters to the editor, news articles and news broadcasts, giving guest appearances on radio and local TV programmes, speeches in schools, mosques and churches, and notices in community newsletters. It is also possible to increase public awareness through social media campaigns and other publicity.
