Waste Management and Its Importance

Waste Management Importance:

According to the World Bank, our world is generating 2.01 billion tonnes of waste annually. Almost 33% of this is not handled in an environmentally safe manner. This is why the knowledge of waste management and its methods are very important in our world today.

Meaning of Waste Management:

The meaning of waste management is – all the activities done right since the production of waste to its safe disposal or re-use. It deals with all types of wastes produced by industries, agriculture, animals, or houses.

Therefore, in simple terms, waste management can be defined as:

• Collection
• Segregation
• Storage
• Translocation
• Exhaust separation
• Processing
• Analysis and treatment of wastes,
• Incineration and
• Disposition of solid waste production

Waste produced by human activities occurs in various ways. E.g. the extraction and processing of raw materials into final products leaves behind many residues.

Need for Waste Management:

The main motive of waste management is to reduce the adverse effects of waste on human health as well as on the environment. Our environment is degrading. It isn’t going to be a long time before our Earth becomes incapable of sustaining the vast amount of waste generated and the harmful effects it has.

In such a scenario, the importance of waste management cannot be stressed enough. Countries all over the world are finally waking up to the dangers of not handling their waste properly.

Here are some ways in which different countries have adopted waste management –

India –

India produces around 277 million tonnes of municipal solid waste every year. It has regulations regarding waste management in the constitution itself. Urban local bodies are legally required to be trained in this. The environment ministry looks after waste management. Its “SWACHH BHARAT ABHIYAN” (Clean India Campaign) has proved to be a huge success. Hon., PM Modi was awarded the Global Goalkeeper Award Abhiyan from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for this. This campaign criminalizes the open burning of waste, has modified the landfill management system, and prohibits disposal of waste on hills or in rivers.

France – 

France is another country that has been taking steps towards effective waste management. It became the first country to pass a unique law of its kind in 2016 which forbids supermarket food to be thrown away as waste and gave large retailers the right to distribute leftover unconsumed food.

The adoption of such a bill was appreciated by many countries that look forward to reducing unnecessary wastage. The concept of ‘no waste’ grocery stores is indeed a very good one.

China –

Shenzhen, one of the most populated cities in China, has been working to build one of the world’s most extensive waste-to-energy provision plans with a circumference of nearly 1 mile. This facility have the potential to incinerate 1.8 million metric tons of waste per year, an essential step in cleaning our environment.

China has also introduced a unique concept of ‘zero waste cities’ where a circular model of waste management is followed. In this way, they end up using everything that is produced and there is no waste left.  

Brazil –

In 2009, Rio De Janeiro pledged to collect and treat effluents and sewage water, combat pollution, and create a clean environment. Since then, Brazil has made advanced efforts to combat pollution through various methods.

They used ‘Eco boats’ to collect debris and garbage from rivers and put up barriers to separate chunks of trash. They also tried to understand the life cycle of trash by using GPS technology.

Importance of waste management in keeping the environment clean:

Recycling and Re-use:

Waste management allows the re-use of things we consider as garbage. It helps us meet our needs while also ensuring that the environment isn’t exploited again and again.

Recycling also gives people new ways to earn. It opens up business opportunities.

Health:

Accumulating and storing garbage for a very long time can emit toxic chemicals that can adversely affect one’s health. Exposure to such waste can make a person develop skin irritations, growth problems, reproductive problems, respiratory problems, and blood infections.

Waste Management helps reduce these hazardous diseases and illnesses. It also improves public and community health conditions as it improves sanitation, removes breeding ground for mosquitoes, and reduces air pollution through waste burning.

Climate Change:

Many industries dispose of effluents and smoke directly into the environment without filtering or treating it. Sometimes people burn their trash as a way of discarding it. All these activities lead to increased greenhouse gas production that causes global warming and affects the ozone layer.

Proper Waste Management uses different types of techniques such as incinerators, filters, and liners to make sure that these toxic chemicals get separated from smoke and effluents and stop them from entering the atmosphere.

Make money:

From a business point of view, if you live in an area where there are piles and heaps of garbage, you can form a community of some people for your waste collection business. Residents and several companies are willing to pay someone who can get rid of their wastes. Moreover, you can recycle garbage and make useful products, and then resell them; This will help not only in cleaning your cities but can also be a major step in restoring the greenery of our planet.

Now let’s have a look at different methods that come under the waste management program and their benefits –

Methods	Advantages
Recycling	Conservation of resources. Reduction of waste disposed to landfills and incineration. Supply of recycled products to industries.
Composting	Employment opportunities. Recovery of soil fertility.
Sewage treatment	Proper disposal of animal wastes Preserve sources of drinking water supply.
Landfill	Cheap disposal method Contribution of landfill gases in inexhaustible sources of energy.
Incineration	Produces energy for various household purposes Reduces volume and weight of waste, 30% is left as Ash that can be used for regeneration of materials. Reduces toxic nature of clinic wastes.

If you like this article, share awareness among others and let them also understand about how important waste management is.