Effective disposal of waste material is important for public health and the clean environment. With the increase in world population and waste production, waste management has become a difficult task. Futuristic developments are being made in this regard to keep waste management effective and eco friendly. However, following are the most common methods used up till date for waste disposal and management.
Landfilling
It is the most common method for waste disposal. It involves compressing the waste material into a comparatively compact form and then burying into designated areas called landfills. This method is very common as it has less side effects and is inexpensive. This method is effective as large amounts of waste can be disposed of in a short period of time. However, a common disadvantage of landfilling is that it leads to production of an unwanted gas called methane. Increased methane production sometimes causes land to lose its fertility. Often, landfill pump controls authorities are asked to remove waste from landfills.
Incineration
Incineration is another effective method to get rid of waste. Large amounts of disposed materials are gathered, composed and burnt hence converted to ash and heat. This heat can be further used to produce more energy that can be used for power production. It is an effective method with the side effect that this produces too much heat leading to climate change. And sometimes toxins are produced as a result of burning waste.
Recycling
Recycling is the process of gathering, repurposing and reusing waste material as raw material for new projects. This is by far a great way to reduce overall resource consumption and dispose of waste. A common challenge that recyclers face is that not all materials can be recycled. And sometimes recycling waste costs a lot more compared to the benefit they provide.
Compositing
Gathering waste material and maintaining certain levels of temperature and pressure allow microorganisms to decompose waste naturally. This is an effective method with almost no side effects. But the limitation this method faces is that it cannot be applied to large amounts of waste material. Moreover, the process is time taking and hence can’t manage all the waste disposal.
Waste to Energy
Converting waste materials to energy and then using that energy for useful purposes is another method of waste disposal. This method is useful as far as energy production is concerned. However these units are very expensive to build and maintain. Also they tend to produce some stringent odors and gasses that might affect the nearby community poorly.
Hazardous waste disposal
Scientific methods like asbestos removal are applied in order to remove hazardous materials from land marks. Specialized professionals perform these disposals. These methods are effective but specialists are scarce as these removals pose a potential threat to the professional’s own health and safety.
Common waste management methods seem to have proved insufficient for effective waste management and eco protection. Futuristic approach and research is needed in this domain to ensure the safety of our ecosystem.
