Solid Waste Management

Solid waste management

Introduction to solid waste management

Solid waste is the unwanted or useless solid materials generated from combined

residential, industrial and commercial activities in a given area. It may be categorised

according to its origin (domestic, industrial, commercial, construction or institutional);

according to its contents (organic material, glass, metal, plastic paper etc); or according to

hazard potential (toxic, non-toxin, flammable, radioactive, infectious etc).

Management of solid waste reduces or eliminates adverse impacts on the environment

and human health and supports economic development and improved quality of life. A

number of processes are involved in effectively managing waste for a municipality.

These include monitoring, collection, transport, processing, recycling and disposal.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Methods of waste reduction, waste reuse and recycling are the preferred options when

managing waste. There are many environmental benefits that can be derived from the

use of these methods. They reduce or prevent green house gas emissions, reduce the

release of pollutants, conserve resources, save energy and reduce the demand for waste

treatment technology and landfill space. Therefore it is advisable that these methods be

adopted and incorporated as part of the waste management plan.

Waste reduction and reuse

Waste reduction and reuse of products are both methods of waste prevention. They

eliminate the production of waste at the source of usual generation and reduce the

demands for large scale treatment and disposal facilities. Methods of waste reduction

include manufacturing products with less packaging, encouraging customers to bring

their own reusable bags for packaging, encouraging the public to choose reusable

products such as cloth napkins and reusable plastic and glass containers, backyard

composting and sharing and donating any unwanted items rather than discarding them.

All of the methods of waste prevention mentioned...