The Challenges of Sustainable Waste Disposal

by | Apr 12, 2013 | Waste Management

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A civilized society will generate waste, waste is inherent when living in a society which is industrialized and produces product. The amount of waste being generated is growing rapidly; much of this has to do with migration of rural populations to densely packed urban centers.

The traditional method of waste management in Denver CO was to dispose of the waste in landfills, incinerate it or truck it to be dumped in the ocean. These methods are no longer viable, the planet we live on is suffering and waste is becoming a problem for the survival of our ecosystem.

Sanitary landfill, the disadvantages:

Over 55% of the waste produced in the United States ends up in landfills. This percentage is common in global societies which are similarly industrialized. Sanitary landfills are disadvantageous because they are a major source of disease and the spread of these diseases by rats and other vermin which thrive on garbage. Over the years of use, pathogens can and do find their way into the water table, and while burning the waste, the air becomes tainted with noxious chemicals.

Ocean disposal, the disadvantages:

Unfortunately, the disposal of waste directly into the world’s oceans is on the rise. Ocean disposal is reasonably cheap to accomplish and it is convenient. Large barges are towed into the ocean and the waste is simply dumped. The facts are damming, this waste is causing huge amount of destruction in the natural food sources, this in turn has a serious detrimental effect on the food chain, and we as consumers, are the ones most affected. As well as impacting the food we eat, the destruction of the plankton and algae which help keep the ocean healthy, leads to a deterioration of the air quality.

Incineration, the disadvantages:

Incineration, as one of the methods of waste management Denver CO, although superior to both land fill and ocean disposal, still has disadvantages. The facility itself is expensive to construct and the fuel costs are high. The by-products, which are airborne are detrimental to the ozone layer, they also have a noxious quality to them.

To overcome these disadvantages, the industrialized world must get serious with recycling as an integral part of waste management in Denver CO. Organic waste material can be separated from non-organic materials, the organic waste can head to a compost heap, the non-organics can head to recycling facility where the material is separated, prepared, baled and shipped to plants where the recycled waste is mixed with virgin materials to produce new raw material such as aluminum, paper and steel.

When waste is properly disposed of, there are significant health benefits. When garbage, and particularly plastics are burned, they release hazardous compounds which are suspended in the air, expose to these particulates can cause asthma, emphysema, heart disease and many respiratory illnesses.