Waste (Rubbish, Trash, Refuse, Garbage, or Junk) Is Unwanted or Unusable Materials

Download as docx, pdf, or txt
Download as docx, pdf, or txt
You are on page 1of 4

Waste (rubbish, trash, refuse, garbage, or junk) is unwanted or unusable materials.

Litter is
waste which has been disposed of improperly, particularly waste which has been carelessly
disposed of in plain sight, as opposed to waste which has been dumped to avoid paying for waste
disposal fees.

In living organisms, waste is the unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from them.
More commonly, waste refers to the materials that are disposed of in a system of waste
management.

Waste is directly linked to human development, both technologically and socially. The
composition of different wastes have varied over time and location, with industrial development
and innovation being directly linked to waste materials. Examples of this include plastics and
nuclear technology. Some components of waste have economical value and can be recycled once
correctly recovered.

Waste is sometimes a subjective concept, because items that some people discard may have
value to others. It is widely recognized that waste materials are a valuable resource, whilst there
is debate as to how this value is best realized.

There are many waste types defined by modern systems of waste management, notably
including:

Environmental costs

Waste can attract rodents and insects which cause gastrointestinal parasites, yellow fever,
worms, the plague and other conditions for humans. Exposure to hazardous wastes, particularly
when they are burned, can cause various other diseases including cancers. Waste can
contaminate surface water, groundwater, soil, and air which causes more problems for humans,
other species, and ecosystems.[10] Waste treatment and disposal produces significant green house
gas (GHG) emissions, notably methane, which are contributing significantly to global climate
change.[8]

[edit] Social costs

Waste management is a significant environmental justice issue. Many of the environmental


burdens cited above are more often borne by marginalized groups, such as racial minorities,
women, and residents of developing nations. NIMBY (not-in-my-back-yard) is a popular term
used to describes the opposition of residents to a proposal for a new development close to them.
[11]
However, the need for expansion and siting of waste treatment and disposal facilities is
increasing worldwide. There is now a growing market in the transboundary movement of waste,
and although most waste that flows between countries goes between developed nations, a
significant amount of waste is moved from developed to developing nations.[12]

[edit] Economic costs


The economic costs of managing waste are high, and are often paid for by municipal
governments.[13] Money can often be saved with more efficiently designed collection routes,
modifying vehicles, and with public education. Environmental policies such as pay as you throw
can reduce the cost of management and reduce waste quantities. Waste recovery (that is,
recycling, reuse) can curve economic costs because it avoids extracting raw materials and often
cuts transportation costs.[14] The location of waste treatment and disposal facilities often has an
impact on property values due to noise, dust, pollution, unsightliness, and negative stigma. The
informal waste sector comprises mostly of waste pickers who scavenge for metals, glass, plastic,
textiles, and other materials and then trade them for a profit. This sector can significantly alter or
reduce waste in a particular system, but other negative economic effects come with the disease,
poverty, exploitation, and abuse of its workers.[15]

[edit] Education and awareness


Education and awareness in the area of waste and waste management is increasingly important
from a global perspective of resource management. The Talloires Declaration is a declaration for
sustainability concerned about the unprecedented scale and speed of environmental pollution and
degradation, and the depletion of natural resources. Local, regional, and global air pollution;
accumulation and distribution of toxic wastes; destruction and depletion of forests, soil, and
water; depletion of the ozone layer and emission of "green house" gases threaten the survival of
humans and thousands of other living species, the integrity of the earth and its biodiversity, the
security of nations, and the heritage of future generations. Several universities have implemented
the Talloires Declaration by establishing environmental management and waste management
programs, e.g. the waste management universityproject. University and vocational education are
promoted by various organizations, e.g. WAMITAB and Chartered Institution of Wastes
Management.

Waste Management
Waste management involves both waste collection and recycling. Garbage is normally collected
from properties on alternate weeks. The waste collection tariff consists of a basic fee plus a
charge based on the weight of the rubbish collected on each occasion. The weighing of rubbish
has been introduced to encourage source-sorting and recycling. Waste that has been collected is
delivered to the Dåva CHP (combined heating and power) plant a few kilometres to the north of
Umeå, where it is incinerated and converted into district heating and electricity in one of the
most efficient installations in the world.

Waste is recycled via recycling centres, recycling stations and environmental stations.
N.B. These facilities are for households and not for companies or other commercial operations.

Composting
Composting garden and kitchen waste is a good way of reducing the weight of rubbish prior to
collection. Compost installations must be notified to the Environmental and Health Protection
unit. Contact the unit for further information, advice about composting procedures, etc.

Telephone: +46-(0)90-16 16 97
Recycling centres
Recycling centres are major facilities which accept virtually all types of waste, with the
exception of kitchen waste. There are six recycling centres in the Umeå municipality where
householders can dispose of heavy/bulky items or materials, garden waste, hazardous waste,
electrical scrap (old appliances, TVs, etc.), packaging and newspapers, free of charge.
The recycling centre closest to central Umeå is located at Gimonäs. Drive towards Holmsund,
take the first turn to the right after the Strömpilen roundabout and then follow the signposts.

Waste management is the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal


of waste materials, usually ones produced by human activity, in an effort to
reduce their effect on human health or local aesthetics or amenity. A subfocus
in recent decades has been to reduce waste materials' effect on the natural
world and the environment and to recover resources from them.
Waste management can involve solid, liquid or gaseous substances with
different methods and fields of expertise for each.
Waste management practices differ for developed and developing nations, for
urban and rural areas, and for residential, industrial, and commercial producers.
Waste management for non-hazardous residential and institutional waste in
metropolitan areas is usually the responsibility of local government authorities,
while management for non-hazardous commercial and industrial waste is
usually the responsibility of the generator.
One of the benefits of Waste Management include Recycling the waste to
obtain new and different usable products.
Recycling means to recover for other use a material that would otherwise be
considered waste. The popular meaning of ‘recycling’ in most developed
countries has come to refer to the widespread collection and reuse of various
everyday waste materials. They are collected and sorted into common groups,
so that the raw materials from these items can be used again (recycled).
In developed countries, the most common consumer items recycled include
aluminium beverage cans, steel, food and aerosol cans, HDPE and PET plastic
bottles, glass bottles and jars, paperboard cartons, newspapers, magazines, and
cardboard. Other types of plastic (PVC, LDPE, PP, and PS: see resin identification
code) are also recyclable, although not as commonly collected. These items are
usually composed of a single type of material, making them relatively easy to
recycle into new products.
The recycling of obsolete computers and electronic equipment is important, but
more costly due to the separation and extraction problems. Much electronic
waste is sent to Asia, where recovery of the gold and copper can cause
environmental problems (monitors contain lead and various "heavy metals",
such as selenium and cadmium; both are commonly found in electronic items).
For more information, please see the Source of this material.

You might also like