–Composting Vs Thermal Treatment
Waste Management refers to the process of controlling, collecting, handling, and protecting waste that is disposed of by a commercial, residential, or industrial establishment. Waste Management involves the critical processes and actions necessary to manage waste from the onset to its final disposition. It also involves regulatory activities aimed at the protection of human health, the environment, and the resources that are affected by waste.
The processes involved in waste management involve the collection, transportation, processing, recycling, or disposal of the waste. The collection is the process of collecting materials in one condition and transporting them to a place of processing. This can be done either on a public road or railway road. Materials that are collected in this manner include motor oil, paint, batteries, paper, and other waste. After the collection of these materials, they are transported to a facility where they are processed into useful products.
Recycling is a part of waste management that involves the process of reusing solid substances. The most common example of recycling is food waste. The biodegradable material can be used to produce new items. Examples of food waste that can be recycled include vegetable oil, fish, meat, eggs, and dairy products.
Biological Waste Management deals with the management of hazardous or sensitive waste that is generated by biological processes or that contain living organisms. This includes biological drugs, biological toxins, and hazardous drugs. This is one of the largest categories of waste management and is the primary way in which the US government satisfies their requirement for safe handling of hazardous waste.
One way that solid wastes are disposed of is through burning. In the process of burning, solid wastes are burned underground. This method is usually associated with solid wastes containing chemicals. The resulting gases or fumes contain high concentrations of toxins such as chlorine, hydrochloric acid, and mercury, which can be harmful to the environment. However, there are other methods of waste management available.
Another waste management option is the process of plasma gasification. This is achieved by using high-energy beams of ultraviolet light to chemically react the waste with the substance it is in contact with – usually water. The resulting solution contains hydrogen, which is naturally highly alkaline, making it suitable for use as an additive to soil and water. In addition, this process also produces very few toxins.
A final disposal option that has become popular among companies managing hazardous waste is carbon neutralization. It involves creating a deep “fissure” in the waste so that it can seep into the ground and be recovered easily. There are two types of fissures – one that is horizontal and one that is vertical. Under these conditions, liquid or gaseous waste may escape in either direction, depending on the permeability of the ground. For this reason, the type of final disposal solution chosen will depend upon whether the substance is expected to seep into the ground or if it should be recovered in a horizontal manner.
All the waste management solutions discussed above have their own benefits and drawbacks. With regard to composting, it is probably the best green alternative to landfills. However, because it uses active ingredients that emit no CO2, it cannot be used to address the problem of greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gas emissions from landfills cannot be addressed through composting alone, as it cannot remove the root of the problem, which is the excessive burning of fossil fuels for fuel production. Therefore, carbon neutralization is an effective waste management strategy but it cannot be considered the best solution to landfill pollution and thermal treatment.
