WASTE

The definition of waste can be very subjective since what is considered as waste to one person

may represent a valuable resource to another. Wastes are unwanted or usable materials. Waste is

and substance which is discarded after primary use or is worthless, defective and of no use.

Examples of waste include municipal solid waste (MSW), hazardous waste, wastewater,

radioactive waste, electronic waste and many others. Waste is also defined according to the Basel

convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their

Disposal of 1989, Art 2 as substances or objects which are disposed of or are required to be

disposed of by the provisions of national law (Basel Convention, 1989).

The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) also defines waste as materials that are not prime

products for which the generator has no further use in terms of his or her own purpose of

production, transformation or consumption and of which he or she wants to dispose (UNSD,

2013).Waste may be generated during the extraction of raw materials, the processing of raw

materials into intermediates and final products, the consumption of final products and other

human activities. Materials that are left as residuals and are reused or recycled are not classified

as waste.

Another school of thought which is the European Union defines waste as an object the holder

discards, intends to discard or is required to discard (Directive 2008/98/EC of the European

Parliament and of the Council).A number of criteria are usually employed to classify wastes into

types. Such classification of waste provides the basis for the development of appropriate

management practices. Waste can be classified by physical state (solid, liquid, gaseous). Other

ways in which waste is classified is by its primary use (packaging waste, food waste, etc); by

material (glass, paper, etc); by physical properties (combustible, compostable, recyclable); by

origin (household, commercial, agricultural, industrial, etc.) or by safety level (hazardous, non-

hazardous) (White et al., 1995).

SOURCES OF WASTE

Waste can be obtained from many sources and these sources according to Laura Thomas (1999)

include the following:

a. Residential Source: This source of waste are generated from single and multifamily

dwellings. Types of waste generated by this source include food wastes, paper,

cardboard, yard wastes, wood, glass, metals, ashes, consumer electronics, batteries, tires

etc.

b. Industrial Source: The wastes obtained from this source are generated from light and

heavy manufacturing works, fabrication, construction sites, power and chemical plants.

Examples of waste that are generated from this source include housekeeping wastes, food

wastes, ashes and hazardous wastes.

c. Commercial Source: Stores, hotels, restaurants, markets and office buildings are the

typical generators waste in this sector. Examples of the waste include paper, cardboard,

plastics, wood, food wastes, glass, metals etc.

d. Institutional source: Institutions such as hospitals, schools, prisons, government centers

and many others also contribute a lot of waste in societies. Examples of wastes from

these sectors include paper, cardboard, plastics, wood, food wastes, glass, metals etc.

e. Construction and Demolition Source: New construction sites, road repairs, renovation

sites and demolition of buildings generate large amounts of wastes in communities. Some

of these wastes are wood, steel, concrete and dirt.

f. Municipal Services: Street cleaning, landscaping, parks, beaches, recreational areas,

water and wastewater treatment plants also contribute a lot of waste in the communities.

Some of these waste include street sweepings, landscape and tree trimmings, general

wastes from parks, beaches and other recreational areas, sludge etc.

g. Process (Manufacturing): One major contributor of waste in the societies is the

processing sector of production. The wastes are generated by the heavy and light

manufacturing, refineries, chemical plants, power plants, mineral extraction and

processing services. Examples of these waste include industrial process wastes, scrap

materials, off-specification products, slay, tailings etc.

h. Agriculture Source: Agricultural waste is waste produced as a result of various

agricultural operations. Crops, farms, orchards, dairies and vineyards generate a lot of
 waste. These wastes include spoiled food wastes, pesticides, fertilizer run-off, silt drained

from fields, waste from slaughterhouses etc.

TYPES OF WASTE

Liquid Waste

Liquid waste is commonly found both in households as well as in industries. This waste includes

dirty water, organic liquids, wash water, waste detergents and even rainwater. Liquid waste can

be classified into point and non-point source waste. All manufactured liquid waste is classified as

point source waste. On the other hand, natural liquid waste is classified as non-point source

waste.

2. Solid Waste

Solid waste can include a variety of items found in households along with commercial and

industrial locations. Solid waste is commonly broken down into the following types:

Plastic waste – This consists of bags, containers, jars, bottles and many other products that can

be found in your household. Plastic is not biodegradable, but many types of plastic can be

recycled.

Paper/card waste – This includes packaging materials, newspapers, cardboards and other

products. Paper can easily be recycled and reused.

Tins and metals – This can be found in various forms throughout the home. Most metals can be

recycled. They can be taken to recycling depot to dispose of waste type properly.

Ceramics and glass – These items can easily be recycled.

3. Organic Waste

Organic waste is another common household. All food waste, garden waste, manure and rotten

meat are classified as organic waste. Over time, organic waste is turned into manure by

microorganisms. However, this does not mean that they can be disposed anywhere. Organic

waste in landfills causes the production of methane, so it must never be simply discarded with

general waste.

4. Recyclable Rubbish

Recyclable rubbish includes all waste items that can be converted into products that can be used

again. Solid items such as paper, metals, furniture and organic waste can all be recycled.

5. Hazardous Waste

Hazardous waste includes all types of rubbish that are flammable, toxic, corrosive and reactive.

These items can harm you as well as the environment and must be disposed of correctly.

(4 Waste Removals, 2018)

IMPACTS OF WASTE IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Negative effects of improper waste management not only ends in a disgusting view but also

affects the overall economy of a country. State has to spend a lot of money to counter the effects

of improper waste management. Moreover, animals depended on the environment also face a

great threat due to the oil spills and leaching of chemicals which directly cause soil and water

contamination. Burning of any disposed waste and plastic materials results in air and

environmental pollution. Some of the catastrophic effects of today’s poor waste management

systems are listed below:

1. Waste Management & Soil Contamination

Ideally, we would like our plastic, glass, metal and paper waste to end up at a recycling facility.

It then returns to us as a renewable product. But the reality is entirely different. Contamination

occurs by spilling and burying hazardous components in soil. So, we need to be watchful of how

we process petroleum hydrocarbons, solvents, pesticides, heavy metals and lead. When a plastic

water bottle is incorrectly sent to a landfill, or left, at any other place, to be absorbed by the soil.

Plastic water bottles eventually break down to release a harmful component called,

DIETHYLHYDROXYLAMINE (DEHA). (A carcinogen which hurts our reproductive

capabilities, causes liver dysfunction and weight loss issues.)DEHA seeps into the surrounding

areas of the soil and water bodies to harm the animal and plant lives that depend on it.

2. Water Contamination

Water is an excellent solvent; it can contain numerous dissolved chemicals. As a result, while

moving through, water picks up pollution along the way. It often has dissolved substances like

various chemicals and gases. Rainfall easily mixes to toxic liquid substances and seeps into the
water streams to end up in nearby water bodies. Thus, the neighbourhood fountain, pond, lake or

even drinking water taps are susceptible to the dangers of contamination.

3. Severe Weather Due to Climate Contamination

Firstly, harmful greenhouse gases are created from decomposing waste. These rise up to the

atmosphere and trap heat. This adversely causes extreme weather reactions in the form of storms

and typhoons. Apart from temperature the level of precipitation in the air is also affected; from

acid rain to severe hail storms or global warming waste is causing a lot of harm to the

environment.

November 2017 (Global Climate Report active pollution, 2017)

4. Air Pollution

On the occasions paper and plastic are burned at the landfill, causing landfill gas, the chemicals

released accumulate and contribute to the destruction of the ozone layer and also hurt the

surrounding human population. Methane gas adds to it as well. Besides, chemicals such as

dioxins also cause a lot of harmful effects.

5. Destruction of Animal and Marine Life

Despite strict measures to stop it, people continue to dump garbage, raw or untreated sewage into

water bodies. Any animal or marine life coming in contact gets impacted in the worst of ways.

The inevitable formation of algal bloom and clusters contaminates and eventually suffocates

marine life such as coral and fish.

As discussed comprehensively by, the consumption of fishing lines, cigarette butts, plastic

bottles and Styrofoam can kill millions of marine lives each year (Conservation International,

2017)

6. Human Damage

Wastes in the societies harm children and those who live near such waste disposal sites. From the

fires at landfills to the accumulation of the air from these landfills in our cells, these expose

human lives to diseases such as cancer, respiratory disorders as well as visibility problems.

Additionally, contact with waste could lead to skin irritation and blood infections. Diseases

could also be contracted from flies which are carriers of illnesses after breeding on solid waste.

Mosquitoes feed on dead fish, sewage, rainwater and other objects deemed as ideal breeding

grounds and in doing so they carry and spread diseases especially malaria which claims a lot of

lives in a year.

MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE (MSW)

One major type of waste is the municipal solid waste and this type of waste consist of everyday

items that are disposed or discarded by the public (Kumar et al, 2016). Municipal waste is

defined as wastes made up of everyday materials such as grass clippings, furniture, clothing,

bottles and cans, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, consumer electronics and batteries. These

wastes come from homes, institutions such as schools and hospitals and commercial sources such

as restaurants and small businesses (United States EPA, 2017).

In the municipal solid waste stream, waste is broadly classified into organic and inorganic. The

composition of municipal solid waste varies greatly from municipality to municipality and it

changes significantly with time. In municipalities which have a well-developed waste recycling

system, the waste stream mainly consists of intractable wastes such as plastic film and non-

recyclable packaging materials. In developed areas without significant recycling activity it

predominantly include yard wastes, market wastes, food wastes, plastic containers and product

packaging materials and other miscellaneous solid wastes.

MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE COMPOSITION.

Solid waste composition is influenced by factors such as culture, economic development, and

climate and energy sources. The composition of waste in a certain municipality also impacts how

waste is collected and disposed. Low-income countries have the highest proportion of organic

waste (Bhada-Tata et al, 2012). The composition of waste varies according to the pattern of

consumption and economic growth rates.

THE CONCEPT OF WASTE HIERARCHY

Studies by Girling (2005) and Furedy (1992) have revealed that one method of ensuring

sustainable solid waste management is to follow the waste hierarchy. The concept of a waste

hierarchy was first introduced into a European waste management policy in 1975, which showed

that waste should be handled differently based on its characteristics (Girling, 2005). It is

therefore expected that developing countries would draw upon this positive experience of the
developed world. Waste recovery provides a solution to the multi-billion dollar waste disposal

problem by reducing the waste and possibly, greenhouse gas emissions generated by the waste

sector based on the concept of the “3Rs” (reduce, reuse and recycle). The concept of the “3Rs”

or the hierarchy classifies waste management strategies according to their desirability in terms of

waste minimization. The waste hierarchy remains the cornerstone of most waste minimization

strategies with source reduction being the most preferred option and landfilling the least.

Broadly, the objective of the concept is to as much as possible extract the maximum practical

benefits from products as to generate the minimum amount of waste meant for final disposal.

Following the waste hierarchy will enable institutions and local authorities identify ways to

reduce waste and offer the most wide reaching benefits in terms of reuse, recycling and cost

savings. A waste hierarchy is widely used as a simple communication tool that consists of the

following waste management approaches, in order of importance:

DIAGRAM