ENV 214 Environmental Management Lecture 11: Solid Waste Management PDF

ENV 214 Environmental Management Lecture 11: Solid Waste Management Haniyum Maria Khan (Hmk1) Senior Lecturer, ESM North South University  Dr. Mustafa Tolba, the former executive director of UNEP (The World Environment Program 1972-1992 : Two decade...

ENV 214 Environmental Management Lecture 11: Solid Waste Management Haniyum Maria Khan (Hmk1) Senior Lecturer, ESM North South University  Dr. Mustafa Tolba, the former executive director of UNEP (The World Environment Program 1972-1992 : Two decades of challenge) describes “ Waste is a resource in the wrong place at the wrong time. If used in the right way, waste becomes a resource like any other natural resources”. WASTE : Problem Jane Jacobs in her book ‘ The Economics of Cities (1969)’ predicted“ Urban waste will be the gold mine of the future”. or Resource? Poerbo (1991) “One considers health and environmental hazard and other considers economic resource”.  Types of Waste Liquid Waste: Waste can come in non-solid form. Some solid waste can also be converted to a liquid waste form for disposal. It includes point source and non-point source discharges such as storm water and wastewater. Examples of liquid waste include wash water from homes, liquids used for cleaning In industries and waste detergents  Types of Waste Solid Waste: garbage or refuse, sludge from water or wastewater treatment plants, air pollution control facilities, and other discarded material including solid, liquid, semi- solid, or gaseous material resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations and community activities. Can be hazardous or non-hazardous  Types of Waste Hazardous Hazardous or Such waste In many Examples include Waste: harmful could be countries, it is fire extinguishers, waste are inflammable required by old propane those that (can easily catch law to involve tanks, pesticides, potentially fire), reactive the mercury- threaten (can easily appropriate containing public health explode), authority to equipment (e.g, or the corrosive (can supervise the thermostats) and environment. easily eat disposal of lamps (e.g. through metal) such fluorescent bulbs) or toxic hazardous and batteries (poisonous to waste. human and animals).  Organic Waste: Organic waste comes from plants Types of or animal sources. Commonly, they include food Waste waste, fruit and vegetable peels, flower trimmings, and even dog poop can be classified as organic waste. They are biodegradable Many people turn their organic waste into compost and use it in their gardens.  Types of Waste Recyclable Waste: Recycling is processing used materials (waste) into new, useful products. This is done to reduce the use of raw materials that would have been used. Waste that can be potentially recycled is termed "Recyclable waste". Aluminum products (like soda, milk, and tomato cans), Plastics (grocery shopping bags, plastic bottles), Glass products (like wine and beer bottles, broken glass), Paper products (used envelopes, newspapers and magazines, cardboard boxes) can be recycled and fall into this category.  Sources of Waste Municipal Sources of Waste: – Trash or garbage from households, schools, offices, marketplaces, restaurants, and other public places. – Include items like food debris, used plastic bags, soda cans and plastic water bottles, broken furniture, grass clippings, product packaging, broken home appliances, and clothing.  Medical/Clinical Sources of Waste: – Medical/clinical waste normally refers to waste produced by healthcare facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, surgical theaters, veterinary hospitals, and labs. – Include items like surgical items, pharmaceuticals, blood, body parts, wound dressing materials, needles and syringes  Sources of Waste Waste generated by agricultural activities. Agricultural Sources of Include empty pesticide containers, old silage Waste: wrap, out of date medicines and wormers, used tires, surplus milk, cocoa pods and corn husks. End-of-life Automobiles: Old and broken cars, trucks, bus, rickshaws etc. Since the industrial revolution, the rise in the Industrial Sources of number of industries manufacturing glass, leather, textile, food, electronics, plastic and Waste: metal products has significantly contributed to waste production.  Sources of Waste Construction/Demolition Sources of Waste: – Construction waste is that resulting from the construction of roads and building. Sometimes old buildings and structures are pulled down (demolished) to make space for new ones. This is particularly common in old cities that are modernizing. – Items include concrete debris, wood, earth, huge package boxes and plastics from the building materials and the like.  Sources of Waste Electronic Sources of Waste: – Waste from electronic and electrical devices. These are also called e-waste, e-scrap, or waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) – Some e-waste (like TV) contains lead, mercury, cadmium, and bromin flame retardants. These are harmful to humans and the environment.  Effects of Waste and Poor Waste Disposal Environmental Effects Surface Water Contamination: Waste that end up in water bodies negatively change the chemical composition of the water. Technically, this is called water pollution. This will affect all ecosystems existing in the water. It can also cause harm to animals that drink from such polluted water. Soil contamination: Hazardous chemicals that get into the soil (contaminants) can harm plants when they take up the contamination through their roots. If humans eat plants and animals that have been in contact with such polluted soils, result in negative impact on their health. Effects of Waste and Poor Waste Disposal Pollution: Bad waste management practices can result in land and air pollution and can cause respiratory problems and other adverse health effects as contaminants are absorbed from the lungs into other parts of the body. Leachate: Liquid that forms as water trickles through contaminated areas is called Leachate. It forms very harmful mixture of chemicals that may result in hazardous substances entering surface water, groundwater or soil. Effects of Waste and Poor Waste Disposal Economic Effects Municipal Wellbeing: Everyone wants to live and visit places that are clean, fresh, and healthy. A city with poor sanitation, smelly, and with waste matter all over the place does not attract good people, investors, and tourists. Such cities tend to have poor living standards. Recycling Revenue: Cities that do not invest in recycling and proper waste control miss out on revenue from recycling. They also miss out on job opportunities that come from recycling, composting, and businesses that work with them.