English Views: 521 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2020-12-25 Origin: Site
Solid waste management is an essential service in any society. Before introducing the process, however, let's start with a discussion of the material being managed—solid waste.
Solid waste refers to the range of garbage materials—arising from animal and human activities—that are discarded as unwanted and useless. Solid waste is generated from industrial, residential, and commercial activities in a given area, and may be handled in a variety of ways.
Waste can be categorized based on material, such as plastic, paper, glass, metal, and organic waste. But regardless of the origin, content, or hazard potential, solid waste must be managed systematically to ensure environmental best practices.
Solid waste management is defined as the discipline associated with control of generation, storage, collection, transport or transfer, processing and disposal of solid waste materials in a way that best addresses the range of public health, conservation, economic, aesthetic, engineering, and other environmental considerations.
The primary goal of solid waste management is reducing and eliminating adverse impacts of waste materials on human health and the environment to support economic development and superior quality of life. This is to be done in the most efficient manner possible, to keep costs low and prevent waste buildup.
The popular method of treating municipal solid waste is composting, a biological process in which the organic portion of refuse is allowed to decompose under carefully controlled conditions. Microbes metabolize the organic waste material and reduce its volume by as much as 50 percent. The stabilized product is called compost or humus. It resembles potting soil in texture and odour and may be used as a soil conditioner or mulch.
Composting offers a method of processing and recycling both garbage and sewage sludge in one operation. As more stringent environmental rules and siting constraints limit the use of solid-waste incineration and landfill options, the application of composting is likely to increase. The steps involved in the process include sorting and separating, size reduction, and digestion of the refuse.
