Waste disposal is something that everyone has to deal with, whether at home or in the workplace. Apart from reducing the negative effects of a business or household on the environment, proper waste disposal will help keep the premises clean and hygienic, thus preventing diseases and health issues. Disposing of waste will also help ensure the safety of the workforce and possibly even enhance efficiency.
Waste disposal involves a number of essential steps including collection, transport, processing and the actual disposal. Throughout every stage, the waste will also have to be managed and monitored in order to ensure the safety and efficiency of the process.
The most common method for disposing of waste is incineration or burning. This is the most suitable method for countries that have limited space for landfills. Smaller incineration chambers are suitable for most domestic uses, but municipal waste disposal programs require the use of larger incinerators.
Incineration is commonly used for the disposal of contaminated waste from hospitals and hazardous waste from industrial facilities. The method has come under criticism from environmental advocates due to the high volume of carbon dioxide produced by the incineration process. However, new methods for incinerating waste have been developed that are more efficient and produce less dioxins. These new incinerating processes are now widely used in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and a few other countries in Europe.
In most developed countries, waste is disposed of in a landfill. However, space for landfills is rapidly dwindling. Additionally, waste material that ends up in a landfill can result in considerable long-term damage to the environment. In order to reduce the amount of waste material that goes into landfills, it would be advisable to follow these tips:
- segregate waste
- recycle any recyclable materials
- compost organic material
- avoid purchasing non-biodegradable material
These methods can help reduce your waste output and help make the waste disposal process much more efficient.
