Understanding Sustainable Waste Management

“We are such spendthrifts with our lives, the trick of living is to slip on and off the planet, with the least fuss you can muster. I’m not running for sainthood. I just happen to think that in life we need to be a little like the farmer, who puts back into the soil what he takes out.” ― Paul Newman

We must treat our environment in a way that we are able to leave something behind for future generations. This is the concept of sustainability. It is not just the way we use our resources, but also the way we manage our waste that determines our future. Traditional waste management practices have been damaging the environment, therefore they are getting replaced with sustainable waste management methods. The world is facing the challenge of efficiently managing their waste. Dumping the waste in bodies of water or filling up landfills is not an adequate method of getting rid of the waste that is produced. It causes a lot of damage to the environment and raises safety concerns. What can be done to approach waste management in a sustainable manner? Let us find out.

Become Part of The Solution

Turn Waste Into Energy

Many countries have adopted the approach of turning waste into energy. By doing so, they have made a commitment to creating a better environment. Turning waste into energy saves our resources and can also help mitigate the effects of climate change.

Minimizing Waste Production

With the increase in production and consumption, the amount of waste generated has increased tremendously. Therefore, waste management should start at the beginning by targeting waste production. Spreading awareness through campaigns can help people understand various ways in which waste can be reduced. For example, waste can be reduced by bulk food purchases, using mason jars, refillable water bottles, and reusable bags. Then there will be less waste to deal with.

Sustainable Landfilling 

If the landfills are watertight, airtight, and covered to some extent, they do not cause as much harm to the environment. However, exposed landfills create a possibility of a wide variety of problems ranging from bad odor to posing health hazards. Furthermore, they harm many animals and destroy their habitats. Therefore, sustainable waste management and properly maintained landfills can prevent future issues from occurring. Today, you can find covered landfills that have solar panels installed on top to produce energy.

Manage Green Waste

Instead of putting the green waste in landfills, use it in a way that enriches the environment without polluting it. Green waste removal doesn’t require bulky machinery or sophisticated techniques. Therefore, recycling or reusing the green waste can be done in any household.

Sorting The Waste

Sustainable waste management begins at the point of waste creation. Every household, every office, and every other place that is a potential source of waste generation needs to understand the method of separating the trash. There are two broad categories of waste: wet waste and dry waste. Wet waste mostly consists of organic waste such as food and other damp materials, while dry waste consists of recyclable materials like plastic and paper. These two types of waste belong in separate bins. There is another category of waste which is a source of potential hazard which includes waste such as dead batteries, bulbs, e-waste, etc. In order to get rid of these hazards, it is best to hire a professional removal service that will take care of the disposal process. These must not be mixed with either the dry or the wet waste.

Sustainable Waste Management Conclusion

Sustainability revolves around the three R’s: reduce, recycle, and reuse. The first step is to take care of minimizing the waste produced (reduce). The second step is to efficiently sort waste to make it recyclable. The third step is to reuse. Then there are other options such as converting waste into energy. This involves some initial high costs but is beneficial in the long run.

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