Environment Management Strategy and Solid Waste Management - Term Paper Example

?ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT STRATEGY The Concepts behind the Strategy The principle of source reduction suggests that the reduction of wastes produced can be achieved by using the minimum amount of resources in units as simple as households or as big as manufacturing. This can be done by the 3 R’s, reuse, reduce, recycle, in which materials can be used again like how it was used before, by making new products with less freshly gathered materials, and by modifying a material so that it can be used differently from how it was used before. For example, scratch papers can be reused again for beddings of pet rodents, can be grind and processed again so that the fresh products that are used to make paper are reduced, and they can be recycled so that it can be used to make lamps out of paper mache. Evidently, regular practice of this 3R’s not only ensures waste reduction, but can save natural resources as well (EPA, 2011). Joint Effort Within and Among Communities 1.) The Government Initiative However, the success of solid waste management plan is highly dependent on the concerted efforts of all the members of the community. Efforts on solid waste management starts with creating policies that members of a community agree upon. Municipal waste management, or efforts on solid waste management by the community, is usually facilitated by the local government, which, aside from creating policies and enforcing them, may also implement ways to promote activities such as recycling and pollution reduction. For example, they may give incentives to constituents that followed the rules and regulations regarding solid waste management. They may put up a community warehouse wherein residents can display their old but re-usable housewares to be sold to other residents who needs them. (EPA, 2011). In addition, a significant protection on the environment may be conferred if different communities get together to support this cause. In this case, coordination among communities, through their respective governments, is essential in ensuring that the enforced laws still work efficiently for the betterment of the environment (EPA, 2011). 2.) The Role of Manufacturers Manufacturers and industry giants play a big role in the reduction of waste and use of natural resources simply because they are the ones that have the highest amount of waste produced and natural resources consumed. As well, they are major contributors in the current polluted status of the earth. There are many ways by which they can help the cause of source reduction. First, they can offer repair of their broken products, so that consumers will not just easily throw away broken manufactured products such as electrical devices. They can also invest on emission purifier that ensures that whatever they release to their surroundings are free from harmful chemicals. They can also help fund discovery of natural materials that may substitute synthetic, non-biodegradable material that they are currently using. For example, they may opt to use biodegradable cartons for packaging instead of the non-biodegradable Styrofoam, which takes a long time to degrade and pollutes water or even land. Speaking of packaging, manufacturers should work on packaging their products with the least material possible, especially when the consumers throw them away anyway. With these steps, not only will the factories help the environment, they can also save money through it solid waste management (EPA, 2011). 3.) The Middlemen The supermarkets, considered as one of the middlemen between the manufacturers and consumers, can contribute a lot in solid waste reduction. They may give incentives to the buyers who bring their own bags, probably an old plastic bag, in lieu of getting a new one every time they shop. Supermarkets, as well as other establishments such as schools and restaurants, can also be a venue for nearby households to bring their recyclables to. This way, processing of these recyclables becomes a lot cheaper because no extra manpower is needed to get them from every home (EPA, 2011). Gas stations may also be considered as middlemen. However, they are bound to play a unique role in pollution prevention. As have been currently discussed in various environmental forums, by-products of gasoline, petroleum, or cars, when emitted, cause the ozone layer to deteriorate, allowing more sunrays to reach the Earth’s atmosphere. One good example of by-product capable of destroying the ozone layer is chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which is used as a cooling agent in refrigerators and car air conditioners (EPA, 2011). Other volatile chemicals, on the other hand, prevent sunlight that bounced-off from the earth surface to escape the planet. Scientists suggest that prolonged occurrence of this phenomenon has led to increasing temperature levels on the planet and unpredictable weather that are apparent nowadays (EIA, 2004). Some air pollutants are also carcinogenic, and their accumulation in the atmosphere makes it harder for humans and animals to breathe. They can also irritate the eyes, throat and lungs (EPA, 2011). Also, gasoline unscrupulously spilled on water bodies is unviable to aquatic life. It may cause fish kills and death of aquatic plants and invertebrates. It prevents solar energy from penetrating the water and reaching the autotrophic animals. It contaminates the water and lessens the dissolved oxygen available to aquatic animals. They have chemicals that cause death to these animals. For example, gasoline can attach onto the gills of fishes, preventing them to breathe. What is more bothersome is that gasoline, which is liquid, is harder to clean up than simple solid wastes floating in the water (EPA, 2011). Because of these effects of unmanaged gasoline wastes, gas stations should be conscientious in following waste management guidelines specific for such establishment. Arguably the most important thing that gas stations should ensure is that their storage facilities are free from leaks. This will prevent contamination of groundwater or other bodies of water, which are sources of potable water for the residents of the community. They should use specialized nozzles in filling up vehicles, as fumes that may escape are actually more harmful than the gas emitted from its exhaust pipes when cars are running. Other by-products, such as oils in used oil filters and the oil filter itself should be collected and sent to a processing facility where they are recycled. Used oil, CFCs and worn-out tires, because of their harmful effects, should be collected in big containers and sent to an appropriate waste management facility specialized for these products. Also, less harmful and recyclable cleaning solvents are already available and should be used by gasoline stations (EPA, 2011). 3.) Building the Habit As people usually say, habits, behavior and character modeling begins at home. The importance of protecting the environment, and how waste management is beneficial, should be taught and reinforced at home. Wastes should be segregated, and harmful chemicals, such as household cleansers, batteries, pesticides and fluorescent lamp tubes, should be disposed safely. Paper and plastic bags should be sent for recycling. Jars can be used to store leftover food (EPA, 2011). Families should also make solid waste management guidelines that cater to their household. This is important in practicing source reduction. They can ask the mailers to refrain from giving them advertising mails, and by opting to check through the internet information from companies such as banks. Important component of this guideline is to buy only what is needed. Instead of buying materials that they don’t usually use, they can opt to rent or borrow them. For those that they use a lot, they should buy them in bulk to reduce packaging that goes with buying smaller quantities. Not only will these save them money, it will save them storage space. When buying, they should also opt for reusable materials, such as rechargeable batteries (EPA, 2011). Electrical appliances and vehicles are usual components of a home, and contribute significantly to energy consumption. When not in use, these should be turned off and unplug to avoid unnecessary energy consumption. Instead of using cars, they can ride the bicycle, especially when going to short distances. They should also be kept in good shape so that they can efficiently use the energy they consume. By properly maintaining electrical appliances, their lifespan is prolonged and money is saved from repairs or buying new ones. These practices should also be regularly conducted at school for better reinforcement. Aside from that, more information about the environment and waste management should be provided by the teachers. The school library can allow borrowing of books to provide students with a cheaper hobby. Playgrounds and various facilities can be made with reusable materials. The school can also provide a gardening lot to promote planting amongst the students and to use the biodegradable wastes as compost. School buses should be invested upon as they are more energy-efficient compared to cars having to send to and pick up each children from school. Also, the use of natural gases or electric buses should be considered (EPA, 2011). Pros and Cons of Solid Waste Management According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (2011), solid waste management plan strictly followed by everyone makes a sustainable community. As what was discussed above, natural resources, which are currently continuously being depleted, are saved. Landfills, which are dedicated for inefficiently managing wastes, can be cleared and used instead as residential areas or parks. Living things can be better protected from the harmful effects of chemicals by properly disposing them. However, solid waste management still poses several disadvantages. First, produce with recycled components are still below par as compared to those totally made of fresh materials. And even though future processing decreases this disparity to null, the mindset of among consumers may be hard to convince it as so. In addition, the most environment friendly materials or products, such as electric cars and biodegradable plastics, are more expensive than their less environment friendly and usually used counterparts. In relation, industries that make the non-biodegradable plastics and the gasoline cars will suffer in case the shift ensues. As such, it is hard to impose on communities the use of these more expensive products. In correlation, facilities that have the best solid waste disposal are still widely available (CYEN). References Greenhouse Gases, Climate Change and Energy. 2004. Energy Information Administration. October 9, 2011. www.eia.gov. Recycle City. 2011. Environmental Protection Agency. October 8, 2011. www.epa.gov. Solid Waste Management. Caribbean Youth Environment Network. October 9, 2011. www.cyen.org. Water Pollution. 2011. Environmental Protection Agency. October 9, 2011. www.epa.gov. Read More