National University of Modern Languages

Department of English (UGS)

Name Maha Khan

Assignment Term Project

Submitted to Dr. Fauzia

Submitted on 27th May, 2022

Course Environmental Studies

Semester BS 5th (Afternoon)

Topic Waste - Solid Waste Generation and Disposal Systems

# Table of Content

1 Introduction

2 Causes

3 Health Hazards

4 Preventive Measures

5 Conclusion

6 References

➔ Introduction:
 ● What is solid waste ?

`Humans generate waste that other organisms cannot use`

Ans : Solid waste is defined as trash or garbage in the United States and rubbish in Britain,
is a waste type consisting of everyday items that are discarded by the public. Solid waste"
means any garbage or refuse, sludge from a wastewater treatment plant, water supply
treatment plant, or air pollution control facility and other discarded material, resulting from
industrial, commercial, mining, and agricultural operations, and from community activities.
In an ecological system , plants, materials , nutrients , water and energy are the inputs .In
human systems , inputs are very similar but may contain materials manufactured by humans
and within this system humans use these inputs and materials to produce goods. And as a
result outputs include anything not useful or consumed and non useful products generated
within the system and these outputs we call waste.

Example:
Dung beetles live on the energy and nutrients contained within elephants and other dung in
the natural world , this is not waste, it is food . Even humans make use of animal waste for
fertiliser ,heat and cooking. In most situations the waste of one organism becomes the
source of energy for another organism but humans are the only organisms that produce
waste others cannot use .

● The Throw Away Society :

Many people say that we have developed into a ‘throw-away society’, because we are filling
up our environment with so many plastic bags and rubbish that we cannot fully dispose of
them. It is true that ever-increasing waste produced from human activities is taking a heavy
toll on the environment. In my opinion, an increasingly high consumption of goods is the
main factor contributing to this trend.

With people eating and using more, the amount of rubbish generated from the packaging of
various commodities is becoming exceedingly harmful for our environment. What makes the
situation worse is our tendency to use something once and throw it away. A typical example
would be single-use plastic bags. The unrestricted use of these bags has resulted in the
prevalence of plastic garbage that cannot be thoroughly degraded. They eventually produce
greenhouse gases that deplete Earth’s ozone layer.

In order to solve this problem, a few measures could be effective. Firstly, it would greatly
help if people minimised the consumption of products, which have a short shelf life. People
should be encouraged to spend money on items that are more durable, rather than
constantly replacing things. This decrease in consumption will contribute to reducing the
production of these items. I feel that recycling and reusing waste items would assist in
alleviating this problem. Instead of throwing away or disposing of unwanted items, it would
be beneficial to the environment if people reused some products. For instance, old t-shirts
could be used as cleaning cloths and empty cans could be used as simple vases or pen
holders.
A ‘throw-away society’ is the result of the soaring amount of goods we think we need every
day. If we do not take proper measures promptly, this trend would likely cause more serious
problems to the environment and people’s lives.

The throw-away society is a generalised description of human social concept strongly

influenced by consumerism, whereby the society tends to use items once only, from
disposable packaging, and consumer products are not designed for reuse or lifetime use.
We live in an age where everything gets thrown away. From disposable cameras to
disposable diapers, few products marketed to consumers are made to last. But what many
consumers don't realise is that this throw-away world was largely made by design.
Manufacturers call it "planned obsolescence".

● Municipal Solid Waste :

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)—more commonly known as trash or garbage—consists of
everyday items we use and then throw away, such as product packaging, grass clippings,
furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint, and batteries. This
comes from our homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses.Each year EPA produces a
report called Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures 2013,
formerly called Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: Facts and Figures. It includes
information on MSW generation, recycling, and disposal.After 30 years of tracking MSW, the
report has been expanded to include additional information on source reduction (waste
prevention) of MSW, information on historical landfill tipping fees for MSW, and information
on construction and demolition debris generation, which is outside of the scope of MSW.

EPA encourages practices that reduce the amount of waste needing to be disposed of, such
as waste prevention, recycling, and composting.

1. Source reduction, or waste prevention, is designing products to reduce the amount of

waste that will later need to be thrown away and also to make the resulting waste
less toxic.
2. Recycling is the recovery of useful materials, such as paper, glass, plastic, and
metals, from the trash to use to make new products, reducing the amount of virgin
raw materials needed.
3. Composting involves collecting organic waste, such as food scraps and yard
trimmings, and storing it under conditions designed to help it break down naturally.
This resulting compost can then be used as a natural fertiliser.

● Content of the Solid Waste Stream:

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) consists of the things we use and then throw away. The
goods that we use are generally a combination of organic items , fibres, metals and plastics
made from petroleum.A certain amount of waste is generated during any manufacturing
process. Waste is also generated from packaging and transporting goods . Consumers use
the materials , products and goods they possess. Ultimately all products wear out , lose
their value, or are discarded . At this point they enter the waste stream which is defined as
the flow of solid waste that is recycled ,incinerated ,placed in a solid waste landfill , or
disposed of in another way .A waste stream is the complete flow of waste, whether it is from
domestic or industrial sources. Each waste stream represents the life cycle of waste from its
source up until and including its eventual disposal. Recycling may be used to lessen the
waste stream load as it moves down the line.

● Types of Solid Waste :

The following are some of the most common kinds of solid waste management:

a. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW),

b. Hazardous Wastes,

c. Industrial Wastes,

d. Agricultural Wastes,

e. Bio-medical Wastes,

f. Waste Minimization

a. Municipal Solid Waste (MSW):

The term municipal solid waste (MSW) refers to the majority of non-hazardous solid waste
generated by a city, town, or village that requires routine collection and transportation to a
processing or disposal site. MSW sources include private homes, commercial establishments
and institutions, and industrial facilities.

Municipal solid waste contains a wide variety of materials. It can contain food waste (like
vegetable and meat material, leftover food, eggshells etc, which is classified as wet garbage
as well as paper, plastic, tetra-pack, plastic cans, newspaper, glass bottles, cardboard boxes,
aluminium foil, meta items, wood pieces, etc., which is classified as dry garbage. The
different types of domestic wastes generated and the time taken for them to degenerate is
illustrated in the table given below.

● Domestic wastes and their degeneration time:

Common domestic wastes Approximate time taken for

degeneration
 Organic kitchen waste 1-2 weeks
vegetables, fruits

Paper, cardboard paper 15 days-1 month

Cotton clothes 2-5 months

Woollen clothes about a year

Metal cans, tin, aluminium 100-500 years

Plastics 1 million years

b. Hazardous Wastes:

Hazardous wastes are those that can cause harm to humans and the environment.

Characteristics of Hazardous Wastes:

Wastes are classified as hazardous if they exhibit any of four primary characteristics based on
physical or chemical properties of toxicity, reactivity, ignitability and corrosivity.

1. Toxic wastes: Toxic wastes are those that are poisonous in small or trace amounts.
Some may have acute or immediate effects on humans or animals. Carcinogenic or mutagenic
causing biological changes in the children of exposed people and animals. Examples:
pesticides, heavy metals.

2. Reactive wastes:

Reactive wastes are those that have a tendency to react vigorously with air or water, are
unstable to shock or heat, generate toxic gases or explode during routine management.
Examples: Gun powder, nitroglycerin.

3. Ignitable waste:
They are those that burn at relatively low temperatures (< 60 °C) and are capable of
spontaneous combustion during storage, transport or disposal. Examples: Gasoline, paint
thinners and alcohol.

4. Corrosive wastes:

They are those that destroy materials and living tissues by chemical reactions? Examples:
acids and base.

Sources of Hazardous Wastes:

Chemical manufacturing companies, petroleum refineries, paper mills, smelters and other
industries. Plastic industries thousands of chemicals are used in industries every year. When
used incorrectly or inappropriately they can become health hazards.

Effects of Hazardous Wastes:

As most of the hazardous wastes are disposed off or in land, the most serious environmental
effect is contaminated ground water. Once groundwater is polluted with hazardous wastes, it
is very often not possible to reverse the damage. Pesticides form residues in the soil that are
washed into streams which then carry them forward.

c. Industrial Wastes:
These contain more of toxic and require special treatment.

Source of Industrial Wastes:

Food processing industries, metallurgical chemical and pharmaceutical unit’s breweries,

sugar mills, paper and pulp industries, fertiliser and pesticide industries are major ones which
discharge toxic wastes. During processing, scrap materials, tailings, acids etc.

Effects of Industrial Wastes:

Most common observation is that the health of the people living in the neighbourhood of
dumping sites is severely affected. The exposure may cause disorders of the nervous system,
genetic defects, skin diseases and even cancer.

d. Agricultural Wastes:

Sources of Agricultural Wastes:

The waste generated by agriculture includes waste from crops and livestock. In developing
countries, this waste does not pose a serious problem as most of it is used e.g., dung is used
for manure, straw is used as fodder. Some agro-based industries produce waste e.g., rice
milling, production of tea, tobacco etc. Agricultural wastes are rice husk, degasses, groundnut
shell, maize cobs, straw of cereals etc.
Effects of Agricultural Wastes:
If more C: N ratio wastes like paddy husk or straw may cause immobilisation of nutrients if
applied on the fields. It occupies large land areas if not properly disposed of.

e. Bio-Medical Wastes:

Bio-medical waste means any waste, which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or
immunisation of human beings or animals or in research activities pertaining thereto or in the
production or testing of biological.

Segregation, Packaging, Transportation and Storage:

1. Bio-medical waste shall not be mixed with other wastes.

2. Bio-medical waste shall be segregated into containers/bags at the point of generation prior
to its storage, transportation, treatment and disposal. The containers shall be properly
labelled.

f. E-waste
E-waste is any electrical or electronic equipment that’s been discarded. This includes
working and broken items that are thrown in the garbage or donated to a charity reseller like
Goodwill. Often, if the item goes unsold in the store, it will be thrown away. E-waste is
particularly dangerous due to toxic chemicals that naturally leach from the metals inside
when buried.

Why is e-waste a problem?

The UK is currently one of the largest producers of household e-waste in the world. When broken
or unwanted electronics are dumped in landfill, toxic substances like lead and mercury can leach
into soil and water.

Electronics also contain valuable non-renewable resources including gold, silver, copper,
platinum, aluminium and cobalt. This means when we dispose of them without recycling, we are
throwing away precious materials.

3Rs – Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle helps in reducing the amount of carbon-di-oxide in the
atmosphere and save the environment. You can also be a part of this mission just by
making a few changes in your daily lifestyle. Everyone’s contribution is needed to
breathe healthily and live healthily. Let’s understand the 3 R’s of the environment in
detail.In order to keep as much material out of the landfill as possible, it’s important
for each of us to do our part. One of the ways to put that plan into action is through
the 3 Rs of waste management — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
helps in reducing the amount of carbon-di-oxide in the atmosphere and saves the
environment. You can also be a part of this mission just by making a few changes in
your daily lifestyle. Everyone’s contribution is needed to breathe healthily and live
healthily. Let’s understand the 3 R’s of the environment in detail.
 1. Reduce means to cut back on the amount of trash we generate.
2. Reuse means to find new ways to use things that otherwise would have been
thrown out.
3. Recycling means to turn something old and useless (like plastic milk jugs) into
something new and useful (like picnic benches, playground equipment and
recycling bins).

★ REDUCE

The first R in the waste hierarchy is “Reduce.” The crucial thing in the waste management
procedure is to maintain a perfect balance in consumption and recycle & reuse. If the
consumption is less, the rate of recycling or reuse will also be less.

Here are some easy ways you can reduce the amount of waste you make:

● Pack your lunch in a lunchbox. Paper and plastic bags create a huge amount of waste
— and plastic bags take hundreds of years to decompose. Try a durable lunchbox or
reusable lunch bag instead. Ditto for what goes inside your lunchbox. Instead of
plastic baggies, try reusable containers.
● Bring reusable bags to the grocery store. Most stores sell canvas or durable plastic
shopping bags that can be used again and again. Some grocery stores even give you a
little money off at the checkstand when you BYOB — bring your own bags.
● Say no to bottled water. Instead of buying bottled water, use a reusable water bottle.
● Watch what you buy. When you’re in the supermarket, pay attention to the packaging.
Can the container be cleaned out and used for something else? And when comparing
two similar products, if one has less packaging, consider making that your selection.
● Buy products in bulk. Larger, economy-size products or ones in concentrated form
use less packaging and usually cost less per ounce.
● Avoid over-packaged goods, especially ones packed with several materials such as
foil, paper, and plastic. They are difficult to recycle, plus you pay more for the
package.
● Avoid disposable goods, such as paper plates, cups, napkins, razors, and lighters.
Throwaways contribute to the problem, and cost more because they must be replaced
again and again.
● Buy durable goods – ones that are well-built or that carry good warranties. They will
last longer, save money in the long run and save landfill space.
● At work, make two-sided copies whenever possible.
● Maintain central files rather than using several files for individuals.
● Use electronic mail or the main bulletin board.
● Remove your name from the mailing lists of materials you no longer want to receive:
write to Mail Preference Service, c/o Direct Marketing Assoc., P.O. Box 90008,
Farmingdale, NY 11735.
● Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins.
● Use a dish cloth instead of paper towels.
 ★ REUSE: It makes economic and environmental sense to reuse products.
Sometimes it takes creativity:
● Reuse products for the same purpose. Save paper and plastic bags, and
repair broken appliances, furniture and toys.
● Reuse products in different ways. Use a coffee can to pack a lunch; use
plastic microwave dinner trays as picnic dishes.
● Sell old clothes, appliances, toys, and furniture in garage sales or ads, or
donate them to charities.
● Use resealable containers rather than plastic wrap.
● Use a ceramic coffee mug instead of paper cups.
● Reuse grocery bags or bring your own cloth bags to the store. Do not take
a bag from the store unless you need one.
★ RECYCLE:

Recycling is a series of steps that takes a used material and processes, remanufactures,
and sells it as a new product. Begin recycling at home and at work:
Recycling is the recovery and reuse of materials from wastes. Solid waste recycling refers to
the reuse of manufactured goods from which resources such as steel, copper , or plastics can
be recovered and reused. Recycling and recovery is only one phase of an integrated approach
to solid waste management that also includes reducing the amount of waste produced,
composting , incinerating, and landfilling.

There are two main types of recycling processes —open-loop recycling and closed-loop
recycling—that differ in the overall sustainability of the supply chain of the raw materials
processed so it is important to be aware of both.

Open-loop recycling is a recycling process that postpones disposal through converting

manufactured goods into both new raw materials (which can be used as production inputs)
and waste products. Closed-loop recycling, on the other hand, is a recycling process through
which a manufactured good is recycled back into itself or a similar product without
significant degradation or waste.

Closed-loop recycling is focused on supply chain sustainability. Closed-loop systems are

developed so that all of the materials in manufactured goods can be recycled, usually for use
in the same type of product. For closed-loop recycling, the manufacturing process is usually
designed with recycling in mind. Aluminum can recycling is an example of a closed-loop
recycling process because aluminum can be recycled to form new cans with little material
degradation or waste creation.

Buy products made from recycled material. Look for the recycling symbol or ask store
managers or salesmen. The recycling symbol means one of two things – either the product is
made of recycled material, or the item can be recycled. For instance, many plastic
containers have a recycling symbol with a numbered code the identifies what type of
plastic resin it is made from. However, just because the container has this code does
not mean it can be easily recycled locally.
● Check collection centers and curbside pickup services to see what they
accept, and begin collecting those materials. These can include metal cans,
newspapers, paper products, glass, plastics and oil.
● Consider purchasing recycled materials at work when purchasing material for
office supply, office equipment or manufacturing.
● Speak to store managers and ask for products and packaging that help cut
down on waste, such as recycled products and products that are not over
packaged.
● Buy products made from material that is collected for recycling in your
community.
● Use recycled paper for letterhead, copier paper and newsletters.