Many of us will not know plenty about garbage other than that you throw it out once a week. However, we must acknowledge that our waste stream is out of control, and many people are unaware that garbage is slowly turning into one of the world’s most important industries. The main reason for this is that the garbage industry isn’t a competitive marketplace, which means that only a few companies provide a decent recycling system. And the only way to achieve a zero-waste future is to recycle.
Improper garbage disposal practices continue to be a significant source of pollution. Over 200 million tonnes of trash are produced in the United States alone every year. Only about a quarter of this waste is recycled, with the rest found on roadsides, in drainages, and landfills. In 2013, a total of 254 million tonnes of waste were produced. Only 87 million of these were collected and treated. As a result, if we want future generations to be capable of living peacefully on this planet, we must prioritize measures that promote environmental health. With improper garbage disposal actively contributing to soil and air pollution and posing a significant risk to the health of humans, animals, and aquatic life, it is past time to investigate eco-friendly garbage disposal methods, you can use biodegradable garbage bags for the same.
Why is a proper eco-friendly Garbage Disposal the need of the hour?
Even the fastest-growing economies frequently fail to manage massive amounts of waste properly. Following are some of the reasons why a proper garbage disposal method is required:
- Recycle to extend usage: Hazardous and toxic waste should be recycled and used as much as it can for lessening production. Less production means less garbage.
- Preserve Natural Resources: Waste disposal is critical for the conservation of all of our natural resources, such as forests, minerals, and water.
- Proper garbage disposal is necessary to control pollution, such as water pollution, air pollution, and soil pollution, and control the quick transmission of contagious diseases.
Eco-friendly Garbage Disposal Methods:
Whether you’re just a homeowner or a construction company, you have proper waste disposal needs, and you must be knowledgeable about eco-friendly disposal methods. You don’t have to “go green” to benefit from eco-friendly waste disposal. These are some of the most efficient garbage disposal techniques:
Recycling
Recycling is the most efficient idea of environmentally friendly garbage disposal. Although approximately 75% of all waste is recyclable, the uptake is deficient. This is because most people are unaware of which materials can be recycled and how to recycle them properly.
Begin by concentrating on waste separation, keeping in mind that recyclable products are frequently mixed with non-recyclable ones, making separation difficult. As a result, always separate non-recyclable waste from recyclable waste and obtain the appropriate containers for each type of waste you will be recycling: plastic, paper, glass, metal, batteries and light bulbs, electronics, compost, and so on. Many people recycle, and communities demonstrate their environmental stewardship by providing separate bins for glass and PET.
Recycling helps to reduce one’s carbon footprint. Recycled materials create new products, which use nearly 20% less energy than creating an item from scratch. This helps maintain a healthy environment by lowering the carbon footprint without sacrificing anything. Moreover, the use of recyclable materials in the production of new items excludes raw materials and aids in preserving equilibrium. To illustrate this, consider the production of paper; by recycling paper, lesser trees are required to be cut down. This aids in the fight against deforestation and promotes environmental balance.
Employ Waste to Produce Energy
Although after reusing and recycling, some waste remains; rather than simply dumping it, use it to generate energy. The use of waste to generate energy has been around for a while. Anaerobic digestion plants do an excellent job converting anything that rots into biogas and farm fertilizer.
Sweden is a country that has done an excellent job of generating energy from organic waste. They convert 100 percent of their organic waste to sustainable energy, even going so far as to import waste from neighboring countries to generate energy.
Reuse
Reusing waste directly correlates to producing less of it. When less waste is produced, the method of disposing of it becomes much more straightforward. You can save money on bags by purchasing one cloth bag and using it for the rest of your life. Similarly, you can reuse fizzy drink bottles for water on hot days rather than throwing away fizzy drink bottles. Consider recycling and reusing materials such as wood, metals, and glass in your building projects.
Composting
Composting converts food waste into fuel for the garden and is suitable for all types of gardens. Wastes generated in the kitchen in vegetable peels or yard clippings are effectively put to use by letting them decompose in a compost pile, which has gained a lot of attention in common households. Composting is not an expensive process. Fill one small container with nitrogen-rich materials and a second small container with carbon-rich materials. Green and soft materials are nitrogen-rich, whereas dry and brown materials are carbon-rich. Nitrogen-rich materials are typically derived from vegetables, while carbon-rich materials are derived from woody materials. Keep the carbon-rich items at the bottom of your compost bin to help aerate them.
Even if you are not a skilled gardener, you should be aware that composting is always beneficial to plants and gardens. If you do not have a garden at your home or a nearby plant, you can donate the compost to a public garden. This will benefit the garden while also reducing your carbon footprint.
Prepare sites for Hazardous Waste
Toxic waste should never be mixed with or disposed of with regular garbage. When hazardous waste is not correctly disposed of or is mixed in with regular waste, it poses a significant threat to people and the environment. One of the most effective ways to dispose of hazardous waste is to start dumping it off at hazardous waste disposal sites. Cleaning and polishing chemicals, pharmaceuticals, petrol, kerosene, motor oils, thermometers, batteries, and others commonly found in an American home must be disposed of properly. When these items are mixed with regular waste and disposed of in a landfill, they can pollute the water, soil, and air and have a negative impact on the environment.
Use Green Waste
Green waste, such as yard cuts, can be used to keep it out of landfills, but it could also be used to nurture the soil or as livestock feed. We suggest that you spread grass clippings over your lawn and maintain your yard waste as efficiently. It is now more essential than ever to focus on ways of protecting our environment.
Incineration
Incineration is another method of destroying waste while remaining environmentally conscious. It entails using extreme heat to combust waste to remove its base components. However, this does not allow you to build a bonfire in your garden and throw anything that will burn while choking your entire town with noxious smoke. Municipalities have strict waste incineration policies and regulations, which you should investigate before you decide to go with this method.
Conclusion:
While there are numerous garbage disposal methods, using eco-friendly methods is always a good practice because they cause less environmental damage. It’s now extremely easy than ever before. Aside from assisting nature in replenishing its resources, the garbage disposal and management methods listed above are directly involved in developing a healthier environment for humanity.
You can only ensure that as much of your recyclable waste as possible is placed in the appropriate canisters at home, as all good things start at home, so begin classifying, recycling, and reusing as much as you can. And, at the very least, try to persuade others to do the same.
