Solid waste disposal

What is Solid Waste? -solid waste is any unwanted material

thatis intentionally thrown away for disposal.

Kinds of Solid Waste?-Commercial Waste- waste from trade or

business.-Institutional Waste- waste from institutions ,like schools,hospitals, etc.

-Construction/Demolition Waste-Process Waste- generated from manufacturing a product or doing a service -Agricultural Waste-Nuclear Waste- to be discussed by the other group.-industrial waste- factory waste, usually hazardous

-Domestic Waste – residential waste* Biodegradable / Compostable waste -Decomposed to make fertilizer, or compost.

-Composes majority of solid waste -ex. Fruit peelings, leftover

* Recyclable waste -Waste that is processed again to make something else - Ex. PTE bottles, paper, metal * Toxic/Hazardous Waste - Waste that doesn’t fall under any of the other three categories

-Cannot be composted, recycled, and isn’t toxic. -Ex. Plastic , ceramic, nailpolish

Solid Waste Disposal Methods

-Compositing-decaying of biodegrable material into fertilizer, or compost.-Incineration-involves controlled combustion of waste in a treatment facility

-Landfills * Open Dump –waste is simply dumped in open land and low- lying areas. * Semi-controlled Landfills- dumped waste is compacted and covered with soil. * Sanitary Landfills- engineered system of landfill - Ensures that there are no leaks of toxic waste into the soil, makes sure it is not accessible by pests. It’s very controlled and very sanitary. - common in first world countries.

Solid Waste Disposal Issues

General Issues in Asia -The amount of solid waste generation is usually based on economic development, industrialization, population density, urbanization, and consumption.- This is even worsened by the fact that there are not enough institutions to effectively dispose solid waste, because of the lack of financial resources.

-Climate, topography, and geographical location greatly affect SWD. North Asia-Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions can disrupt SWD sites in North Asia.-North Asia is highly industrialized , so majority of its waste are toxic, factory waste.East Asia - Solid Waste is increasing by more than 10 % a year in China because of rapid population growth and booming economic activity.-east Asia is also becoming very urbanized, so there are high rates of construction and demolition wastes.

-East Asia is prone to earthquakes and typhoons.West and South Asia-Overpopulation in South and West Asia greatly affect SWD.-Many SWD are being used for shelter.-South and West Asia are becoming more industrialized, so factory wastes pollute surrounding areas.

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Southeast Asia-SWD is very difficult in SEA because of its geographic location; the climate and the topography affect areas for SWD.-Industrialization of South East Asia generates toxic factory waste.-High population density increase solid waste, and fills up SWD site.

Effects of Improper Solid Waste Disposal

• Improper SWD causes air, land, and water pollution.

• Uncontrolled burning and improper incineration generates carbon and greenhouse gases, polluting the air

• Toxic wastes dumped in open landfills can pollute the soil, and it can seep into ground water supplies ,polluting soil and water

• Solid waste can clog drains and sewers, creating stagnant water for breeding insects.

• Land can get degraded and poisoned.

-because of polluted air, land, and water , it can cause diseases and sickness in humans.

-improper SWD affects Asian economy.*the government ends up paying for the impact

of acid rain on crops, medical bills of citizens , lost work from sick workers, disaster relief after floods and earthquakes , etc.

• China loses a total of $1.4 trillion annuallytlo cope with the effects of improper solid waste disposal! (that’s 187 times our national budgets!)

• Solution to Improper Solid Waste Disposal The government in Asia should work to invest on proper

SWD facilities, like sanitary landfills and incineration factories. They should also improve solid waste collection, by making sure they collect most of the waste and segregating it to make disposal easier.

- Although it is expensive to invest in such, it is far cheaper in the long run.

- They should also increase awareness throughout all sectors of society on how they can lesson solid waste, even in their own homes.

- Without awareness , no solution is possible

The End