Waste management is a term that refers to all of the various actions taken and plans created to manage waste, from composting or recycling existing waste to minimizing waste production in the first place. 

You’ll sometimes hear “waste management” used interchangeably with “waste disposal,” but that’s not quite accurate. The latter is actually just one potential component of waste management – and waste management covers the entire lifecycle of waste, from its creation through to its disposal or recovery.

Because we currently produce so much waste – plastic waste alone comes to 400 million tons annually – managing it all is a complex process, and different countries and regions have created different answers to the challenge. Even some states and counties have come up with their own systems on this front. 

Sources of Solid Wastes

• Solid domestic garbage.
• Solid waste material from various industries.
• Solid agricultural waste.
• Plastics, glass, metals, e-waste, etc.
• Medical waste.
• Construction waste, sewage sludge

Disposal of Waste

The process of waste handling and disposal varies in different countries. In India, the processes differ according to the source of solid waste. They can be classified as:

⦁ Municipal Solid Waste.
⦁ Hazardous Solid Waste.

Municipal solid waste can further be divided into biodegradable, recyclable and hazardous domestic wastes. The biodegradable waste includes rotten food, vegetable peel and mostly wet kitchen waste. Recyclable waste includes plastic and hazardous wastes include, bulb, batteries, etc.

The industry generated waste from chemical factories, medical waste from hospitals are considered as Hazardous Solid Waste and they need special settings to dispose of them.

In any region, solid waste management is very important for the safe disposal of wastes and to reduce environmental pollution and avoid any health hazards that it may cause.

Landfills are the most common method of disposing of solid wastes. Modern-day landfills are designed by taking care of various environmental factors and types of wastes, so as to minimise pollution and health risks.

Different waste management methods 

1. Recycling- Recycling is a key part of a circular economy because it involves processing materials that would otherwise become waste, and instead turning them into new items.

2. Incineration - Waste incineration involves burning hazardous materials at temperatures high enough to destroy contaminants. This method reduces the amount of material that gets dumped in landfills, which has a positive impact.

3. Waste-to-energy- This process takes non-hazardous waste and combusts it rather than dumping it in a landfill. It’s a good alternative to landfills because the combustion process generates energy. This way, waste can be converted into electricity and/or steam power.

4. Landfill - A landfill is a piece of land that’s used as a dumping ground for solid waste. This method often contaminates soil and groundwater. It’s also antithetical to the concept of a circular economy because landfill waste is not repurposed or reintroduced into the lifecycle.  

5. Anaerobic digestion - One form of waste management that’s especially encouraging is anaerobic digestion. During this process, bacteria break down organic matter (think food waste or animal manure) in the absence of oxygen. 

Hazards of waste management

There are multiple facets of waste management that all come with hazards, both for those around the disposal site and those who work within waste management. Exposure to waste of any kind can be detrimental to the health of the individual, primary conditions that worsen with exposure to waste are asthma and tuberculosis.The exposure to waste on an average individual is highly dependent on the conditions around them, those in less developed or lower income areas are more susceptible to the effects of waste product, especially though chemical waste.The range of hazards due to waste is extremely large and covers every type of waste, not only chemical. There are many different guidelines to follow for disposing different types of waste.

Diagram showing the multiple ways that incineration is hazardous to the population

The hazards of incineration are a large risk to many variable communities, including underdeveloped countries and countries or cities with little space for landfills or alternatives. Burning waste is an easily accessible option for many people around the globe, it has even been encouraged by the World Health Organization when there is no other option.Because burning waste is rarely paid attention to, its effects go unnoticed. The release of hazardous materials and CO2 when waste is burned is the largest hazard with incineration.

Summary

Waste management is an inescapable challenge of our times – whenever waste is produced, it needs to be managed well and with the potential environmental impacts in mind.

The five “Rs” of waste management are refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, and recycle. They’re meant to serve as a guide on what to try before deciding to recycle waste.