Prepare a report of solid waste management showing effects on environment

1.0 Brief introduction

Waste management is an important part of the urban infrastructure, as it ensures the protection of the environment and of human health. It is not only a technical environmental issue, but also a highly political one. Waste management is closely related to a number of issues such as urban lifestyle, resource consumption patterns, jobs and income levels, and other socio economic and cultural factors. Lately there has been a trend to enlarge the scope of waste management and include it within the larger concept of resource management. Today, waste management must be seen in its full context. It cannot be solved with merely technical end-of-pipe solutions.

When we employ a long-term waste management strategy to ensure sustainable development, this will not only affect a number of different dimensions; there are also different levels of decision-making and action involved. Decision-making and action take place at various levels – nationwide, regional, local and finally in households. All aspects and all actors must be considered when we develop a waste management system and implement it in daily life.

6 Negative Effects of Improper Waste Management

Solid-waste management

Solid-waste management, the collecting, treating, and disposing of solid material that is discarded because it has served its purpose or is no longer useful. Improper disposal of municipal solid waste can create unsanitary conditions, and these conditions in turn can lead to pollution of the environment and to outbreaks of vector-borne disease—that is, diseases spread by rodents and insects. The tasks of solid-waste management present complex technical challenges. They also pose a wide variety of administrative, economic, and social problems that must be managed and solved.

Solid waste damps are seriously spoiling the environmental conditions in developing countries. Negative environmental impacts from improper solid waste dumping can be easily observed everywhere in the developing world. In Pakistan, due to a lack of proper planning and funding, the solid waste management scenario is becoming worse day by day. To highlight the main causes of improper solid waste management in developing countries, Rawalpindi city is selected as a case study. This city is facing miserable solid waste management crises due to rapid industrialization, urbanization and insufficient funding. Improper solid waste dumps are spreading different diseases in the study area.

Historical background

Early waste disposal

In ancient cities, wastes were thrown onto unpaved streets and roadways, where they were left to accumulate. It was not until 320 BCE in Athens that the first known law forbidding this practice was established. At that time a system for waste removal began to evolve in Greece and in the Greek-dominated cities of the eastern Mediterranean. In ancient Rome, property owners were responsible for cleaning the streets fronting their property. But organized waste collection was associated only with state-sponsored events such as parades. Disposal methods were very crude, involving open pits located just outside the city walls. As populations increased, efforts were made to transport waste farther out from the cities.

After the fall of Rome, waste collection and municipal sanitation began a decline that lasted throughout the Middle Ages. Near the end of the 14th century, scavengers were given the task of carting waste to dumps outside city walls. But this was not the case in smaller towns, where most people still threw waste into the streets. It was not until 1714 that every city in England was required to have an official scavenger. Toward the end of the 18th century in America, municipal collection of garbage was begun in Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia. Waste disposal methods were still very crude, however. Garbage collected in Philadelphia, for example, was simply dumped into the Delaware River downstream from the city.

Developments in waste management

A technological approach to solid-waste management began to develop in the latter part of the 19th century. Watertight garbage cans were first introduced in the United States, and sturdier vehicles were used to collect and transport wastes. A significant development in solid-waste treatment and disposal practices was marked by the construction of the first refuse incinerator in England in 1874. By the beginning of the 20th century, 15 percent of major American cities were incinerating solid waste. Even then, however, most of the largest cities were still using primitive disposal methods such as open dumping on land or in water.

Technological advances continued during the first half of the 20th century, including the development of garbage grinders, compaction trucks, and pneumatic collection systems. By mid-century, however, it had become evident that open dumping and improper incineration of solid waste were causing problems of pollution and jeopardizing public health. As a result, sanitary landfills were developed to replace the practice of open dumping and to reduce the reliance on waste incineration. In many countries waste was divided into two categories, hazardous and nonhazardous, and separate regulations were developed for their disposal.

Categories of Waste

· Organic waste: Kitchen waste, waste from food preparation, vegetables, flowers, leaves, fruits, and market places.

· Combustibles: Paper, wood, dried leaves, packaging for relief items etc. that are highly organic and having low moisture content.

· Non-combustibles: Metal, Tins, Cans, bottles, stones, etc.

· Toxic waste: Old medicines, paints, chemicals, bulbs, spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries, shoe polish.

· Recyclables: Paper, glass, metals, plastics.

· Ashes or Dust: Residue from fires that are used for cooking.

· Construction waste: Rubble, roofing, broken concrete etc.

· Hazardous waste: Oil, battery acid, medical waste, industrial waste, hospital waste.

· Dead animals: Carcasses of dead livestock or other animals.

· Bulky waste: Tree branches, tires etc.

· Soiled waste: Hospital waste such as cloth soiled with blood and other body fluids.

Methods of Solid Waste Management

There are different methods of solid waste management. The following are some of the recognized methods:

1. Sanitary Landfill

This is the most popular solid waste disposal method used today. Garbage is basically spread out in thin layers, compressed and covered with soil or plastic foam. Modern landfills are designed in such a way that the bottom of the landfill is covered with an impervious liner, which is usually made of several layers of thick plastic and sand. This liner protects the groundwater from being contaminated because of leaching or percolation. When the landfill is full, it is covered with layers of sand, clay, topsoil and gravel to prevent seepage of water.

Advantage: If landfills are managed efficiently, it is an ensured sanitary waste disposal method.

Constraint: It requires a reasonably large area.

2. Incineration

This method involves the burning of solid wastes at high temperatures until the wastes are turned into ashes. Incinerators are made in such a way that they do not give off extreme amounts of heat when burning solid wastes. Incinerators that recycle heat energy through furnace and boiler are called waste-to-energy plants. These waste-to-energy systems are more expensive to set up and operate compared to plain incinerators because they require special equipment and controls, highly skilled technical personnel, and auxiliary fuel systems.

Advantage: The volume of combustible waste is reduced considerably by burning waste. In the case of off-site pits, it is an appropriate method to minimize scavenging.

Constraint: It can cause smoke or fire hazard and also emits gaseous pollutants.

3. Recovery and Recycling

Recycling or recovery of resources is the process of taking useful but discarded items for the next use. Plastic bags, tins, glass and containers are often recycled automatically since, in many situations, they are likely to be scarce commodities. Traditionally, these items are processed and cleaned before they are recycled. The process aims at reducing energy loss, consumption of new material and reduction of landfills. The most developed countries follow a strong tradition of recycling to lower volumes of waste.

Advantage: Recycling is environmentally friendly.

Constraint: It is expensive to set up, and in most emergencies, there is limited potential.

4. Composting

Due to a lack of adequate space for landfills, biodegradable yard waste is allowed to decompose in a medium designed for the purpose. Only biodegradable waste materials are used in composting. It is a biological process in which micro- organisms, specifically fungi and bacteria, convert degradable organic waste into substances like humus. This finished product, which looks like soil, is high in carbon and nitrogen. Good quality environmentally friendly manure is formed from the compost that is an excellent medium for growing plants and can be used for agricultural purposes.

Advantage: Composting is environmentally friendly as well as beneficial for crops.

Constraint: It requires intensive management and experienced personnel for large scale operation.

5. Pyrolysis

This is a method of solid waste management whereby solid wastes are chemically decomposed by heat without the presence of oxygen. It usually occurs under pressure and at temperatures of up to 430 degrees Celsius. The solid wastes are changed into gasses, solid residue of carbon and ash and small quantities of liquid.

Advantage: This will keep the environment clean and reduce health and settlement problems.

Constraint: The systems that destroy chlorinated organic molecules by heat may create incomplete combustion products, including dioxins and furans. These compounds are highly toxic in the parts per trillion ranges. The residue it generates may be hazardous wastes, requiring proper treatment, storage, and disposal.

Litter Surroundings

Due to improper waste disposal systems, particularly by municipal waste management teams, wastes heap up and become a menace. While people clean their homes and places of work, they litter their surroundings, which affect the environment and the community.

Impact on Human Health

Improper waste disposal can affect the health of the population living nearby the polluted area or landfills. The health of waste disposal workers and other employees involved with these landfill facilities are also at a greater risk.

Exposure to wastes that handled improperly can cause skin irritations, respiratory problems, blood infections, growth problems, and even reproductive issues.

Disease-causing Pests

This type of dumping of waste materials forces biodegradable materials to rot and decompose under improper, unhygienic and uncontrolled conditions. After a few days of decomposition, a foul smell is produced, and it becomes a breeding ground for different types of disease-causing insects as well as infectious organisms. On top of that, it also spoils the aesthetic value of the area.

Environmental Problems

Solid wastes from industries are a source of toxic metals, hazardous wastes, and chemicals. When released to the environment, the solid wastes can cause biological and physicochemical problems to the environment that may affect or alter the productivity of the soils in that particular area.

Aim of the Micro – Project

We studied from this project about solid waste management showing effects on environment

Actual resources used

Sr No	Name of resource/material	Remarks
1	Reference Books	Industry as a partner for sustainable development
2	Internet Connection	For data searching and To make soft copy of project.
3	Reference Websites	https://www.britannica.com/technology/solid- waste-management

Outputs of the Micro –Projects