March 16, 2023
The world population is expected to reach a staggering 10 billion mark by the end of 2050. It is projected that about two-thirds of these people will live in cities and that makes it necessary to develop a strong waste management infrastructure and policies, especially in developing nations.
According to a report by the United Nations, about 11.2 billion tons of solid waste is collected annually and this number is projected to go up considerably by 2050. Thus, without an effective waste management system in place, it will be very hard to move toward a sustainable future.
In this article, we are going to share with you the significance of waste management. We will also discuss some waste management solutions to get you started in this direction so stay with us.
What is Waste Management?
Waste management is a process where the handling, disposal of, treatment, and recycling of solid or liquid waste is done using certain waste management tools and strategies. The main goal here is to reduce waste and to get rid of unrecyclable waste in such a way that it poses minimum threats to our planet.
The Need for Waste Management.
In the past, the most widely used method of waste disposal involved digging holes into some far-off areas and filling these holes with both organic as well as inorganic waste.
This was effective because a few centuries ago, the population of the world was not that much and consequently there was less waste production. But today, the population has drastically increased. Most of the waste contains inorganic or non-biodegradable materials which do not decompose even after several hundred years.
This makes it extremely necessary to find better waste management solutions. It can help people in disposing of all kinds of waste without harming the planet to a great extent.
Importance of Waste Management.
Waste management is extremely important since it can protect our planet from the toxic effects of inorganic and nonbiodegradable elements present in the waste. It can save our water, soil, and air from contamination.
Waste management allows you to collect and recycle materials like glass, paper, and plastic by segregating these into their components that can be further processed to create useful products. It helps reduce harmful emissions and saves our natural resources from depletion.
Waste management can have positive effects on marine life as well. Instead of dumping all our waste into oceans, we can process it to produce energy for our industries as well as residential areas.
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), about 8 million tons of plastic end up in the oceans annually. This is due to the lack of proper waste management systems. Thus, by employing better waste management practices we can make life better not for ourselves but for other living organisms both below and above sea level.
Waste Management Solutions.
In this next section, we are going to discuss some of the most effective waste management practices that you can implement. These waste management solutions can help you get rid of the waste in a much better and greener way so stay with us till the end.
1. Reducing Waste
The most effective way to manage waste is to produce less waste. Homeowners as well as industrial giants can follow the reduce, reuse, and recycle approach to significantly reduce the amount of waste.
You can reuse packaging materials, stop the use of plastic shopping bags, and go paperless to decrease waste. These baby steps can go a long way if done by a large part of our population. By reducing waste, you don’t need to invest in ways to dispose of the excess waste.
2. Reutilization of Waste
This is another way to manage waste where you recycle and reuse the waste produced during manufacturing and other operations. For example, McDonald’s has taken the step to treat the used cooking oil and reuse it as biodiesel fuel. This way the fuel generated from that oil will be used in their vehicles reducing the need to consume more natural resources.
Similarly, you can identify things around you that you can reuse for the same or some other application. This will eliminate the need for storing and disposing of waste.
3. Reducing Residuals
The management of residual waste is as important as that of bulk waste. The residual reduction is possible using various smart technologies that monitor waste levels in bins and other waste storage facilities.
This way you can effectively target the residual waste disposal saving so much of your energy and resources.
4. Energy Production from Waste
The waste can be used as a renewable energy source to power our houses as well as industries. Organic waste can be treated and processed into biogas that finds applications in heating, power generation, and transportation.
Researchers are looking into ways that can return the waste to the earth without using landfills. Developing such processes can help meet the increasing energy demands and eliminate waste pollution simultaneously.
5. Disposal
You also need to find eco-friendly waste disposal methods. For organic waste, landfills are a viable option. However, when it comes to inorganic and plastic waste, you need to avoid that at all costs.
Invest in ways you can treat the inorganic waste with some other material in order to separate its toxic and non-toxic components. This way you can reuse the non-toxic elements and dispose of the remaining waste via incineration or some other disposing technique.
Final Thoughts
Waste management using modern practices can help pave the way toward a more green and sustainable future for our planet. Steps needed to be taken at every level may it be residential, business, or municipal to educate the general public about the dangers and consequences of poor waste management.
The above information clearly highlights the importance of waste management and we have listed some of the most effective waste management solutions that you can try to contribute your part in the efforts towards building a cleaner and healthier environment for our future generations.
Contact Globalex for professional waste management services in Dubai, UAE.