Heading: Australia Waste Production - Essay Example

Heading: Australia waste production Name: Institution: Course: Tutor: Date: Australia waste production Introduction The recent increase in waste production in Australia can be attributed to a number of factors. Among the factors include the demographic factors as well as the economic factors. The other factor that has been attributed to increase in the volume of waste is improved waste reporting as well as advanced recycling data.It is imperative to note that the total amount of waste being produced in Australia is said to be growing at a rate higher than that of annual GDP. Population is the strongest factor that causes increase in waste volume. States in Australia which have had the largest population growth are the same states which have had the largest volume of waste. They are; New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland with waste contribution of 35%, 23% and 18% respectively (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). This paper discusses the major causes of waste increase in Australia and the possible solutions to problems caused by waste increase. Situation Over the past few years, waste production in Australia has increased significantly. The country has been producing more waste than any other time before. In the year between 2006 and 2007, waste production in Australia was approximated at 43.8 million tons. Each person’s waste production was approximated to be 2, 080 kilograms. This figure is said to have doubled from 22.7 million tons in the year between 1996 and 1997. Waste production can be used as a measure for the level of activity by human beings. As a result, the increased waste production in Australia indicates that there has been increased human activity in the country over the last couple of years (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). Causes of waste increase in Australia Among the major factors that can be attributed to increase in waste production include economic factors and demographic factors (Daven& Klein, 2008). This section discusses these two factors among others. The economy of Australia has grown significantly over the years.The lives of many Australians have improved as a result of the economic growth.As the economy continues to grow, there increased demand for energy and any other resources that can be used to drive the economy. Consequently, the level of waste production has been higher than ever before (Fogh,Mountford&Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2001). In fact, due to the high level of production, a factor to the increased economic growth rate,Australian consumers have been exposed to a wide variety and diversity of products. This has resulted to diversified waste materials with diverse complexity and toxicity. Everything that happens has its positive and negative consequences. One of the negative consequences of economic growth is the increase in the volume of waste produced. In fact, international evidence indicates that an increased rate of economic growth leads to an increased generation of waste per person. This is because people have more income and therefore they have a high spending power. They can buy more products. More consumption is directly proportional to increased volume of waste (Daven& Klein, 2008). The fastest growing type of waste has been electronic related waste. This indicates a growth in the technology sector. In the current economic environment, technology is important to enhance a nation’s economic growth. This is one of the major contributors to Australian economic growth. It has been noted that each year, about 2.4 million personal computers are sold to Australian consumers. In addition, about 1 million television sets are bought. When one buys a new electronic device, the old one becomes obsolete in most cases. It is dumped and becomes waste. Therefore, as the rate at which new electronic devices are being bought increases, the rate at which the old ones becomes waste increases at almost the percentage (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). As the economy grows, the number of factories also increases as production usually increases. This means more energy has to be used. Sources of energy produce waste products. Most factories consume energy from fossil sources. In fact, the largest percentage of waste produced in Australia comes from industrial sector and commercial sector.For instance, in the year 2006- 07, waste from these sectors was approximately 33% of total waste. 38% was from construction and demolition sector which is also a sector that contributes to economic growth. This percentage has continued to increase since then (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). The other factor that contributes to increased waste production is the demographic factor. Demography is concerned with the population growth, lifestyles as well as other issues that affect the lives of individuals living in a particular area (Daven& Klein, 2008). The population growth in Australia has been notable over the last ten years. Generally, as the population increases, the level of consumption in a country definitely increases since there are more people to consume. This is regardless of whether then economic growth is positive or negative. Household consumption increases as well as consumption in any other area where human beings are associated with e.g. in offices, in institutions and in business areas. Household waste products are also said to be increasing at a high rate. Most household waste is usually solid waste. Solid waste in Australia is said to be increasing at a rate of 6% every year since the year 1996-97 when total waste was approximately 22.7 million tons. Increase in house hold waste is caused by the increased population growth which has been at a rate above one percent since 1997. As the population increases, the level of household consumption also increases and consequently, the volume of household waste also increases. In Australia, household consumption has increased at a rate of about 3% per year since the year 1997. In the year 2006-07, waste from municipal sources was approximated at 29% of the total waste (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010). Municipal waste was composed of waste from domestic sources and waste from council sources. It was also composed of waste from small businesses in municipalities, institutions and offices. This indicates that the increased number of people is responsible for the increased volume of domestic and council waste. Possible solutions to problems created by increased waste production The best way to deal with problems associated with waste production is to reduce waste production or to devices appropriate ways to deal with waste produced. At times, it is difficult to reduce waste production because people have to consume and therefore waste has to be generated. Therefore, the most appropriate way is to manage waste. Waste management can either be through reusing or through recycling (Thomas-Hope, 1998). Recycling of waste has been widely used in Australia since the level of waste started to increase in the late 1990s. By reducing the level of waste production, or other waste minimization, it is possible to reduce cost to the society and to businesses which are as a result of waste associated problems (Grosswiler, 1989). High costs to the community may result from diseases which are caused by waste products. As it has been mentioned earlier in this article, the level of toxicity of waste products has increased due to increased diversity of waste being produced from the diverse production.The high toxicity is likely to cause health related problems which are expensive to treat and manage. This is one of the major problems associated with increased waste production. In Australia, it has not been easy to measure the level of waste minimization through reuse. However, there is some data that indicates reuse of waste products. For instance, there is information that indicates second hand computers have been increasing in the market. When people buy new computers, they opt to sell the old ones as second hand instead of disposing it as waste. This reduces the number of waste computers through reuse. Actually, 65% of second hand computers are entering the market. Reuse of some packaging materials has also been witnessed. It should be encouraged that containers that can be used more than once be produced. This is an effective method that can reduce the level of waste by a large percentage and consequently reduce the number of problems caused by waste production (Grosswiler, 1989). The other important and effective method to deal with waste production and waste related problems is through recycling of used items. Recycling means reproducing a certain product so that it be used for other purposes or for the same purpose as it was being used initially. There are waste products which can be recycled while others cannot be recycled. Products recyclability can be increased so as to avail more products for recycling. Changes in production technology can be very effective for this bid. Technology should be advanced such that it enables production of products which can be recycled and reused. This will also reduce the cost of production. When a product is being produced for the second time, less cost is likely to be incurred. In addition, changes in production methods and technology are likely to enable tracking of goods throughout their life cycle and this enhances recyclability (Grosswiler, 1989). Proper disposal of waste products is the other method that can be used to deal with problems associated with increased waste production. There are waste products which can neither be reused nor recycled. These waste products may also cause problems to human beings. Therefore, the best way to deal with such waste products is proper disposal.They may degrade the environment causing environmental related products if not well disposed. Waste products which are highly risky are the ones which are not biodegradable. It is easy to manage degradable waste products than it is to manage the non –degradable waste products. Degradable waste will decompose after some time and therefore problems associated with such waste are not very serious though they can be avoided through proper disposal (Tammemagi, 1999). One of the methods that can be used to dispose non- degradable waste products is through disposing them in landfills. This is where waste products are buried under the ground. Then method is not 100 percent effective in reducing the problems related to waste production. However, it can reduce the effect of such waste products significantly. In Australia, landfills have been on the rise as the level of waste production continues to increase. There are some landfills whereby waste is not buried. Such landfills are not highly effective since waste products that are exposed are likely to cause environmental problems (Tammemagi, 1999). Another factor that can be considered is implementation of waste management policies by the government. The government can impose bylaws which address the management of waste products. This will enhance reduction of waste and hence reduce problems related with waste production. Evaluation There is no solution that has been proved to be perfectly effective. Therefore, the best idea would be to pick the one that is most appropriate in terms of effectiveness and economy. Landfills would be expensive to maintain. In addition, they are less effective especially if they are open. Recycling could be effective and cost saving. However, not all waste products can be recycled. This makes it less effective for products which cannot be recycled. Similarly, not all products can be reused. Though reuse is cost effective, it is not appropriate for products which cannot be reused. Therefore, it would be effective to combine all the three methods in addition to imposing waste management policies. Conclusion Waste production has been increasing over the last decade in Australia according to statistics. The increase has been attributed to increased level of population and economic growth. More solid waste has been reported in Australia over the last ten as years as compared. Waste can cause a number of problems to human beings, animals as well as to the environment. Proper waste management can help reduce the effects of waste related problems. A combination of all the possible waste management strategies would be highly effective. References Australian Bureau of Statistics, (2010).Australia's Environment: Issues and Trends. Retrieved from < http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/lookup/4613.0chapter40jan+201> on December 13, 2012 Daven, J. I., & Klein, R. N. (2008).Progress in waste management research. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Fogh, M. L., Mountford, H., Braathen, N. A., &Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.(2001). OECD environmental outlook. Paris: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Thomas-Hope, E. (1998). Solid waste management: Critical issues for developing countries. Kingston: Canoe Press, Univ. of the West Indies. Grosswiler, P. (1989). Recycling works!: State and local solutions to solid waste management problems. S.l.: Diane Pub Co. Tammemagi, H. (1999). The waste crisis: Landfills, incinerators, and the search for a sustainable future. New York: Oxford University Press. Read More