Mitigation Strategies and Solutions on Solid Waste - Essay Example

? Running Head: MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS Mitigation Strategies and Solutions on Solid Waste School As the global populace escalates, concerns on the mounting waste generation rise as well. The world’s waste, when not properly disposed of will directly or indirectly harm society and the environment. The usual methods of disposal have become insufficient in controlling the growing waste production. Land filling and burning are the most accepted actions on solid waste management, however both could negatively impact nature due to the harmful leaks and gases generated from such procedures. This author will discuss solid waste concerns; will provide details on the factors that contribute to the problem, as well as the factors that are affected by it; will tackle the positive and negative impacts; will present and evaluate the present sustainability strategies and solutions; and will discuss the required government, societal and global support. In addition, this author’s personal plan to reach sustainability will be discussed, showing how each goal should be conducted. Solid Waste Solid waste, as defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is any type of refuse, or slush coming from treatment plants of wastewater and water supply, or mire emanated from pollution control facilities and other throw-away materials from residential, commercial, industrial and institutional sources, and from mining and agricultural operations. Almost all of mankind’s activities create wastes. In 2006, American residents, industries, and institutions actually generated over 250 million tons of municipal solid waste. The average American produces waste on a rate of approximately 4.6 pounds per day. Moreover, a yearly 7.6 billion tons of industrial solid waste are produced and discarded from the U.S. industrial sector (U.S. EPA, 2003). Solid waste management comprises waste reduction, recycling, incineration, composting and landfills. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that one-third of solid waste is recycled; one-seventh is incinerated; and one-half goes to landfills. The greater part of environmental harm and ecosystem damage is caused by the behavior of mankind. The growing waste generation, alongside the escalating population and excessive production of material goods will unconstructively affect the human health and the environment (Chase, et al, 2009). With the American households and businesses continuously generating trash, creating an effective national waste management program is difficult. On the local level, states and municipalities, in accordance with the requirements, requests and concerns of individual communities, have implemented solid waste programs for waste collection, transport and disposal, together with waste reduction, reuse and recycling. On the other hand, the responsibility of EPA in waste management is to set objectives and provide leadership, technological assistance, education and training (U.S. EPA, 2003). Factors that Contribute to or are Affected by the Problem In 2001, paper products comprised the biggest factor of municipal solid waste or MSW (36 %); yard wastes made up the second-biggest factor (12 percent); food scraps, glass, metals, synthetics, and lumber formed 5 to 12 % of the entire municipal solid waste; leather, rubber, and fabrics constituted 7% of MSW; and other various wastes comprised more or less 3 % of MSW (U.S. EPA, 2003). As the economy develops and the population increases, waste production amplifies as well. Improper solid waste management through uncontrolled dumping and incineration can cause health and environmental hazards, such as water contamination; breeding places for insects and rodents; flood increase from drainage obstructions; greenhouse gas emissions; disease outbreaks; and fire risks (U.S. EPA, 2002). Benefits of Formal Recycling and Composting Programs Well-managed recycling and composting programs could be advantageous to both the ecology and the economy. Organized disposal programs could generate employment and revenues; create rich fertilizer for land cultivation; bring useful raw materials to trade; lessen the necessity for more landfills and incinerators; and stop greenhouse gas releases (U.S. EPA, 2002). Benefits of Combustion Combustion or waste incineration is an effective waste treatment option and a substitute to land filling. Through incineration, particularly in populated areas where landfills are inaccessible, waste volume is largely lessened by roughly 90 % (U.S. EPA, 2002). Moreover, solid waste can be converted into energy through the waste-to-energy (WTE) process (Yu, et al, 1996). The recovered energy from the incineration process may be marketed for industrial uses and may counterbalance outlays on construction and maintenance of incineration facilities (U.S. EPA, 2002). Problems from Uncontrolled Solid Waste Dumping and Incineration Wastes in poorly and improperly maintained dumpsites decompose and produce leachate that seeps into the ground and cause water contamination and air pollution. Combustible gas emissions from dumps may cause explosion hazards to the community. Methane, a greenhouse gas emanated from waste decomposition in uncontrolled dumpsites, could worsen climate change. However, if dumpsites are well-designed and controlled, impacts on health and environment will be avoided or decreased. Controlled dumpsites/landfills are built with filters and liners that collect the leachate and protect groundwater (U.S. EPA, 2002). Disadvantages of Waste Incineration The incineration or combustion of solid wastes considerably reduces waste volume; however, it pollutes the air, releases ash and produce waste water. The construction and operation of Waste-to-Energy combustion facilities are expensive. On the other hand, these facilities, when properly controlled by certified and trained operators are very effective in solid waste management (U.S. EPA, 2002). Evaluation of Current Sustainability Strategies and Solutions The curriculum of Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) includes waste reduction, recycling, composting, incineration, and landfilling, taking into consideration the protection of human health and the environment. Moreover, it evaluates the conditions and necessities of a municipality; and subsequently chooses and merges the most effective and doable waste management actions for specific conditions (U.S. EPA, 2002). Waste Reduction. Waste reduction lessens generated waste through the minimal use of packaging, and more durable and reusable product designs. Waste reduction effectively minimizes costs on the management, treatment, and disposal of wastes and eventually decreases methane production (U.S. EPA, 2002). Recycling. Through the recycling process, products are recreated into another usable form, thereby minimizing the need for new materials in commodity production. Recycling is environmental-friendly and does not entail greenhouse gas releases and water toxins (U.S. EPA, 2002). Composting. Composting is a type of recycling. Organic waste matter, such as food and plant wastes are converted into soil nutrients, called compost. Compost provides natural benefits to soil organisms and restrains diseases in plants, thus decreases the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Waste management through composting aids in the reduction of harmful gas releases (U.S. EPA, 2002). Recycling and composting processes are environmentally and economically useful. These methods generate jobs, provide raw materials to industry, create natural soil fertilizers, decrease damaging gas discharges, and reduce the need for more landfills and incineration plants (U.S. EPA, 2002). Incineration. The water and vapor emanated from incineration plants can be converted to energy. Biowaste produces clean energy. By way of combustion, electricity is produced from the restored coal, gas or oil in biowastes. The transformation of waste to energy in properly maintained combustion facilities is safe and effective in decreasing waste volume by 90 percent. The ash deposits when utilized as liners on landfills can prevent groundwater contamination (Morris, 1996). Landfilling. Landfills, when properly designed are equipped with vents and filters that collect harmful methane gas, thus decreasing gas discharges. Captured gas is then created into useful energy. Unrestrained waste dumping pollutes soil and groundwater, provides breeding places for insects and rats that carry diseases, and cause fires and explosions. Managed landfills can be an effective substitute for unrestrained dumping (U.S. EPA, 2002). The impending health and environmental risks posed by some waste management strategies have become a major issue all over the nation. Individual involvement and government implementation policies such as poor waste handling and lack of funding worsen the problem. Some landfills today do not have filters or liners that could protect the soil and groundwater. Waste combustion with energy recovery, captured gas screening and composting are the best waste treatment options, however, these strategies are condemned by environmentalists due to their potentialities on destructive gas discharges and unsuccessful eradication of disease-causing agents (Hamer, 2003). My Sustainability Plan My sustainability plan will help increase people’s awareness and knowledge about waste management and its link between a healthy environment and the public’s health. My plans to sustain a community free of problems on solid wastes are enumerated as follows: Goal 1: To present a brief report about problems on solid waste by scheduling a presentation inviting the community members as the audience. Prior to conveying the concerns on the health and environment resulting from solid waste generation to the seniors of society, my community should initially be informed regarding the detrimental effects that inappropriate waste control schemes carry to facilitate in making each resident aware of the problem, thus encouraging them to partake in the mitigation strategies on solid wastes. Actions: For this presentation to take place, I will attend the Homeowners’ Association (HOA) meeting next month and will request permission from the HOA Board to include it in the next month’s program. Prior to attending the HOA meeting, my in-depth research on the topic of solid waste, its causes and effects, as well as my plan for sustainability, must be ready in a month’s time. Goal 1 will be completed in 1 – 2 months. Goal 2: To promote neighbourhood support and involvement on proper waste management. To live in an environmentally safe community, residents and their families have a responsibility in protecting their surrounding environment and guaranteeing that their wastes do not pose health risks and problems for neighbors. Moreover, residents should be made aware that fines and punishments apply to violators of government solid waste policies. Actions: I, with the help of my friends from the neighborhood, will distribute handouts on the community’s responsibilities in practical, simple and doable management of their waste. This will include: (a) keeping backyards litter-free so as not to attract insects and rodents; (b) providing secured covers for garbage bins to guard against scavenging animals; (c); making garbage bins accessible for the local garbage collectors; (d) regularly cleaning up pet manures to thwart habitation of flies; (e) preventing pets from straying and soiling public areas or neighbors’ yards; and (f) and avoiding waste dumping, particularly the inorganic and harmful ones. Goal 2 is a five-year objective, with the hope that my community’s involvement and support on proper waste management will continue thereafter. Goal 3: To encourage residents to reduce the amount of garbage collected. Actions: Encouraging everyone to take simple steps in minimizing needless waste by (a) recycling plastic bottles; (b) reusing refillable bottles, reconditioned barrels, grocery bags, cardboards, empty jars and cans; and (c) composting to provide natural soil fertilizers to their gardens. Goal 3 is a five-year objective that will effectively reduce waste by approximately 50%. Goal 4. To encourage the community to reduce the garbage volume through sensible product purchases. Actions: Giving out handouts that will include the following important reminders on: (a) purchasing durable products; (b) purchasing repairable products; and (c) purchasing products made from recycled materials to support markets for recovered materials. Goal 4 is a five-year objective that will decrease waste volume and will make everyone aware of the quality of products they purchase. Benefits and Challenges of my Sustainability Plan A safe solid waste management will always raise concerns as waste generation continues to soar alongside population increase and the mounting demands of modern civilization. However, by working together, my community will make significant progress in successfully countering solid waste problems through active participation in waste reduction, reusing and recycling, and sensible product purchasing. My proposed sustainability program will strengthen community participation in support of a long-term vision of my objectives on waste management. This goal is to achieve a practical and sustainable solid waste management in my community that will not only be beneficial to my locality but likewise to society, the economy, public health and the environment. My sustainability schema aims to inspire change in the behavior of every resident regarding proper solid waste management and will rouse awareness on the possible negative impacts that solid waste will create when improperly managed. Required Government, Societal and Global Support A low-waste society through prevention and reduction, reuse and recycle of wastes is only achievable with local, national, and global support and involvement. Modernization and economic development will produce more products; hence more wastes and an amplified necessity for waste reduction actions such as minimizing on packaging, reuse and recycling of products, composting and incineration. More properly designed, operated and managed landfills, and incineration facilities must be funded by the government to help alleviate problems on solid wastes. The reuse-recycle-recovery plan will decrease reliance on landfills and combustion plants (U.S. EPA, 2002). Today, waste reduction is mostly voluntary. More effective compulsory measures on disposal restrictions on recyclable materials and an obligatory recycling and reuse actions by every household and business will economically benefit the nation. Progressing toward a sustainable environment free of the nuances of solid waste will require a remarkable change in the behavior and habitual activities of consumers, workers, and business individuals on waste disposal and handling. References Chase, N. L. et al. (2009) -“This Is Public Health: Recycling Counts!” Description of a Pilot Health Communications Campaign. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 6, 2980-2991. Hamer, G. (2003) Solid waste treatment and disposal: Effects on public health and environmental safety. Biotechnology Advances, 22(1), 71-79. Morris, J. (1996). Recycling versus incineration: an energy conservation analysis. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 47, 277-293. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2002). Solid Waste and Emergency Response. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA530-F-02-026. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2003). Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2001 Facts and Figures. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA530-R-03-011. Yu, P. et al. (1996). Analysis of a municipal recyclable material recycling program. Resource Consortium and Recover, 17, 47–56.   Read More