English Research Paper

http://pollutionarticles.blogspot.com/2010/05/waste-management-definition-and-waste.html
09/08/12
Waste management definition and waste disposal methods
Posted by Ned Haluzan
In order to define waste management we need to include several different processes such as collection, transport, processing, recycling, disposing, and monitoring of waste. Without proper waste management we are not only harming a beauty and health of our environment but we are also reducing negative effect that waste can have on our own health.

Waste management significantly differs for developed and developing countries, and many developing countries are still many years away from developing proper waste management systems.

World produces huge amounts of waste, if we look at the U.S. data only we can see that in 2008 U.S. generated 250 million tons of waste. More than half of this waste ends up in landfills, and is therefore consuming huge amount of land. Despite the recent technological advancement landfilling is still the most frequently used method of waste disposal in the US.

Other important waste disposal methods include incineration, plasma gasification, and recycling.

Incineration is a high temperature waste disposal method that includes combustion of waste materials where incinerators convert waste materials into heat, gas, steam, and ash. Incineration is very common waste disposal method in Japan. In United States this method is relatively rarely used.

Plasma gasification waste disposal method uses plasma, a highly ionized or electrically charged gas to convert solid or liquid wastes into a syngas. This waste disposal method is more acceptable compared to incineration because all hazardous materials are destroyed in the process.

Recycling is well known waste-disposal method that is becoming increasingly popular around the globe. Recycling is all about collecting and reusing everyday waste. By recycling used materials into new products to we do not only prevent piling up of the waste but we also reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling).

http://scp.eionet.europa.eu/definitions/management
09/08/12
“Waste management shall mean the collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste, including the supervision of such operations and after-care of disposal sites.”
The legal definition of waste management is established by the Waste framework Directive 75/442/EEC http://www.ecolife.com/define/waste-management.html 09/08/12
Definition of Waste Management
What Is Waste Management?
The concept of waste management involves the collection, removal, processing, and disposal of materials considered waste. Waste materials can be solid, gaseous, liquid, or even hazardous and are generally generated through human activity. Historically, developed nations have dealt with their waste by sending it to landfills or burning it in incinerators. Both of these options come with some significant environmental problems.
Leachate which is the liquid that passes through landfills’ garbage, absorbing poisons and other harmful substances that negatively impact underground waterways and fresh water systems
Wind can scatter trash from a landfill into local ecosystems and waterways, creating hazards for wildlife and people, as well as visual pollution of local environments
As organic waste rots it creates methane gas, a greenhouse gas that is 20+ times more potent in terms of climate change than carbon dioxide
Incineration, both in backyards and on a commercial scale, emits air pollutants, including things like dioxins, furans, and particulate matter
Of course, one of the problems with this way of viewing waste management is that it assumes the stuff we throw in the trash has no value – that it is indeed “waste.” However, if we were to turn our thinking around and think of leftover materials as resources for making new products, the problem of “waste management” would become an opportunity for resource extraction – a new way of “mining” the earth for materials to use in the manufacturing stream.
An integrated waste management approach attempts to solve this problem by considering the entire life cycle of a product and determining the best processing method for it in order to extract as much useful material while saving energy, water, and other resources. http://www.stonecourses.net/environment/wastes1.htmlWaste Management
09/08/12
Definitions of Waste in OECD Member Countries in Europe...(OECD 1998, Modified)
Wastes are objects, which the owner or holder wishes to dispose of or where their collection and treatment as waste is required by the public interest. It shall be in the public interest to collect, store, and transport and treat waste if otherwise the results may be:
a) Hazard to human health or intolerable nuisances.
b) Hazards to the natural living conditions of animals and plants.
c) More than inevitable pollution of the environment.
d) Fire or explosion risks.
e) Sound and noise in excessive amounts.
f) Disturbances of public order and safety.
g) Appearance and multiplication of harmful animals and plants as well as the encouragement of pathogenic substances. http://www.scribd.com/doc/16568045/Methods-of-Waste-Disposal 09/08/12
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Waste management is the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics. Waste management is also carried out to recover resources from it. Waste management can involve solid, liquid, gaseous or radioactive substances, with different methods and fields of expertise for each. Waste management practices differ for developed and developing nations, for urban and rural areas, and for residential and industrial, producers. Management for non-hazardous residential and institutional waste in metropolitan areas is usually the responsibility of local government authorities, while management for non-hazardous commercial and industrial waste is usually the responsibility of the generator. Solid Waste Disposal, disposal of normally solid or semisolid materials, resulting from human and animal activities that are useless, unwanted, or hazardous. Solid wastes typically may be classified as follows:
Garbage: Decomposable wastes from food
Rubbish: Non decomposable wastes, either combustible (such as paper, wood, and cloth) or noncombustible (such as metal, glass, and ceramics)
Ashes: Residues of the combustion of solid fuels
Large wastes: demolition and construction debris and trees
Dead animals
Sewage-treatment solids: material retained on sewage-treatment screens, settled solids, and biomass sludge
Industrial wastes: such materials as chemicals, paints, and sand
Mining wastes: slag heaps and coal refuse piles
Agricultural wastes: farm animal manure and crop residues.
WASTE MANAGEMENT METHODS
Waste management methods vary widely between areas for many reasons, including type of waste material, nearby land uses, and the area available.
DISPOSAL METHODS
1. LANDFILL
Disposing of waste in a landfill involves burying waste to dispose it off, and this remains a common practice in most countries. Landfills were often established in an abandoned or unused quarries, mining voids or borrow pits. A properly-designed and well-managed landfill can be a hygienic and relatively inexpensive method of disposing of waste materials. Older, poorly-designed or poorly-managed landfills can create a number of adverse environmental impacts such as wind-blown litter, attraction of vermin, and generation of liquid leachate. Another common byproduct of landfills is gas (mostly composed of methane and carbon dioxide), which is produced as organic waste breaks down anaerobically. This gas can create odor problems, kill surface vegetation, and is a greenhouse gas.
Sanitary landfill is the cheapest satisfactory means of disposal, but only if suitable land is within economic range of the source of the wastes; typically, collection and transportation account for 75 percent of the total cost of solid waste management. In a modern landfill, refuse is spread in thin layers, each of which is compacted by bulldozer before the next is spread. When about 3 m (about 10 ft) of refuse has been laid down, it is covered by a thin layer of clean earth, which also is compacted. Pollution of surface and groundwater is minimized by lining and contouring the fill, compacting and planting the cover, selecting proper soil, diverting upland drainage, and placing wastes in sites not subject to flooding or high groundwater levels. Gases are generated in landfills through anaerobic decomposition of organic solid waste. If a significant amount of methane is present, it may be explosive; proper venting eliminates this problem.

3. RECYCLING METHODS
The process of extracting resources or value from waste is generally referred to as recycling, meaning to recover or reuse the material. There are a number of different methods by which waste material is recycled: the raw materials may be extracted and reprocessed, or the calorific content of the waste may be converted to electricity. New methods of recycling are being developed continuously, and are described briefly below.
•PHYSICAL REPROCESSING
The popular meaning of ‘recycling’ in most developed countries refers to the widespread collection and reuse of everyday waste materials such as empty beverage containers. These are collected and sorted into common types so that the raw materials from which the items are made can be reprocessed into new products. Material for recycling may be collected separately from general waste using dedicated bins and collection vehicles, or sorted directly from mixed waste streams.
The most common consumer products recycled include aluminum beverage cans, steel food and aerosol cans, HDPE and PET bottles, glass bottles and jars, paperboard cartons, newspapers, magazines, and cardboard. Other types of plastic (PVC,LDPE,PP, and PS: see resin identification code) are also recyclable, although these are not as commonly collected. These items are usually composed of a single type of material, making them relatively easy to recycle into new products. The recycling of complex products (such as computers and electronic equipment) is more difficult, due to the additional dismantling and separation required.

•BIOLOGICAL REPROCESSING
Waste materials that are organic in nature, such as plant material, food scraps, and paper products, can be recycled using biological composting and digestion processes to decompose the organic matter. The resulting organic material is then recycled as mulch or compost for agricultural or landscaping purposes. In addition, waste gas from the process (such as methane) can be captured and used for generating electricity. The intention of biological processing in waste management is to control and accelerate the natural process of decomposition of organic matter. There are a large variety of composting and digestion methods and technologies varying in complexity from simple home compost heaps, to industrial-scale enclosed-vessel digestion of mixed domestic waste (see Mechanical biological treatment). Methods of biological decomposition are differentiated as being aerobic or anaerobic methods, though hybrids of the two methods also exist.
An example of waste management through composting is the Green Bin Program in Toronto, Canada, where household organic waste (such as kitchen scraps and plant cuttings) are collected in a dedicated container and then composted.
• ENERGY RECOVERY
The energy content of waste products can be harnessed directly by using them as a direct combustion fuel, or indirectly by processing them into another type of fuel. Recycling through thermal treatment ranges from using waste as a fuel source for cooking or heating, to fuel for boilers to generate steam and electricity in a turbine. Pyrolysis and gasification are two related forms of thermal treatment where waste materials are heated to high temperatures with limited oxygen availability. The process typically occurs in a sealed vessel under high pressure. Pyrolysis of solid waste converts the material into solid, liquid and gas products. The liquid and gas can be burnt to produce energy or refined into other products. The solid residue (char) can be further refined into products such as activated carbon. Gasification and advanced Plasma arc gasification are used to convert organic materials directly into a synthetic gas (syngas) composed of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The gas is then burnt to produce electricity and steam.
4. COMPOSTING
Composting operations of solid wastes include preparing refuse and degrading organic matter by aerobic microorganisms. Refuse is presorted; to remove materials that might have salvage value or cannot be composted, and is ground up to improve the efficiency of the decomposition process. The refuse is placed in long piles on the ground or deposited in mechanical systems, where it is degraded biologically to humus with a total nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium content of 1 to 3 percent, depending on the material being composted. After about three weeks, the product is ready for curing, blending with additives, bagging, and marketing.

http://www.benefits-of-recycling.com/definitionofcomposting/
09/08/12
Definition of Composting
Definition of Composting / What’s Compost
Composting, often described as nature’s way of recycling, is the biological process of breaking up of organic waste such as food waste, manure, leaves, grass trimmings, paper, worms, and coffee grounds, etc., into an extremely useful humus-like substance by various micro-organisms including bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes in the presence of oxygen.
Actinomycetes are similar to fungus in the way they grow and spread, but its distinguishing elements are that the types of materials they are efficient at decomposing. The active nature in this microscopic bacteria and the sheer number present (about 10 million per 1 gram of soil), make them highly effective at breaking down materials like tree bark, newspaper, and other hard organic material.
Today, the use of composting to turn organic wastes into a valuable resource is expanding rapidly in many countries, as landfill space becomes scarce and expensive, and as people become more aware of the impact they have on the environment.
Definition of Composting / A Natural Cycle
Decomposition naturally happens almost everywhere even without exerting too much effort because nature has been generating compost as an element to the Earth’s life and death cycle, but without the perfect mixture, and ingredients, the process slows down and may eventually result to unpleasant compost.
All organic matter will decompose, given enough time to devolve and perish. Nevertheless, not all products come out perfect for planting. There are important factors to consider such as temperature, the biological process, and the mechanical process.
Low temperature interrupts the composting progress, as it cannot reach the temperature hot enough to kill pathogens. It eventually disallows the booming of decomposers and microbes. However, bacteria performs exothermic actions as they help in the process of decomposition, so it helps the temperature to become higher than that of the environment where decomposition takes place, but a cold weather still slows down the progress.
A hot temperature stimulates the microbes to flourish even faster.

Definition of Composting / The Human Factor
The help of humans is necessary for the mechanical process to take place. Non-biodegradable should be separated from the biodegradable matters. Biodegradable matter that has a lot of pathogens living in it should be in a hotter environment when the decomposition takes place.
These pathogens usually live in manure of a living organism that is not a vegetarian. Scraps of animal meat and dairy products have a lot of pathogens living in it too.
The biological process is the very important part of the decomposition procedure. As nature conceives decomposition, it will shorten the process if the combination is right.
Water, nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen all together is a perfect mixture to combine with organic matter to materialize the process of decomposition. This procedure will result to productions of compost which will eventually help the soil become healthy for planting.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/124375-effects-improper-garbage-disposal/
09/08/12
-------------------------------------------------
THE EFFECTS OF IMPROPER GARBAGE DISPOSAL
Tossing everyday items into the trash can seem like second nature to many people. If you are implementing recycling techniques into your lifestyle, you are taking a positive step toward helping the environment. Learner.org notes that in the U.S. alone, over 230 million tons of trash is produced each year. Less than 25 percent of that waste is recycled and the rest ends up in landfills, incinerated or in ditches and roadsides. Improper garbage disposal isn't just an eyesore; it poses a serious threat to nature.
Soil Contamination
It is important to learn the basics of recycling so that the waste that does end up in landfills can be disposed of properly. Plastics, metals, papers and certain types of glass can all be recycled at your local recycling center. If you take the time to send these items to recyclable locations, the items can be reused and returned to consumers. They won't end up as trash or hurting the environment. If recyclables are placed into the ground they can potentially contaminate the surrounding soil. The Western Courier shares with readers that as plastic water bottles break down they can release DEHA, a type of carcinogen that can cause reproductive problems, liver issues and weight loss. This type of chemical can leach into the soil and cause contamination that can reach plant and animal life as well as water sources. Newspapers or paper that contains ink can be toxic to the soil as well. If the garbage is dumped or not contained properly in a landfill it will contaminate the surrounding ground.
Air Contamination
When disposing of garbage that contains harmful chemicals such as bleach, acid or oil it is important that it is disposed of in approved containers and labeled correctly. Paper, plastics and other materials that are burned can contaminate the air when they are burned. Over time the chemicals can build up in the ozone layer. If they contain toxic chemicals like dioxin they can reach the air that people breathe and cause a public health risk. Garbage that is disposed of improperly can also begin to release methane gases. According to the Energy Information Administration, these gases are greenhouse gasses that can destroy the earth's ozone layer and contribute to significant climate changes or global warming.
Animals and Marine Life
Humans are not the only ones affected by improper garbage disposal---animals are too. Conservation International notes that garbage dumping and discharging raw or untreated sewage can threaten marine life and animals who come in contact with the water. When waste forms a cluster or algal bloom, the area can suffocate and contaminate sea bottom habitats such as coral and fish reducing their numbers. This contamination not only destroys their habitat it can also affect human consumption as fish and shellfish that were feasting off of contaminated areas reach fishermen and are caught for human consumption. Old fishing lures, plastic bottles, rope, Styrofoam, cigarette butts and fishing lines can be consumed by marine animals leading to the death of millions each year according to Conservation International.

http://www.superpages.com/supertips/improper-waste-disposal.html
09/08/12
Improper Waste Disposal Consequences
Most people know that certain types of waste need to be disposed of in specific ways, in order to keep from contaminating the environment through improper waste disposal. Taking old paint to the hazardous facility, keeping recyclables out of the trash, and various other rules of disposal are all designed as a form of protection for the world around you. However, not everyone realizes the major consequences that can come from disregarding these rules. Everyone slips at one time or another and disposes of waste in an irresponsible way, but once you’re aware of what improper waste disposal can do – and once you realize the scope of the problem if everyone in the world keeps slipping once or twice – you’ll probably pay a lot more attention to the issue.
Improper Waste Disposal Consequences
You remember campaigns in grade school about littering? Waste that’s not properly disposed of can be ugly. Here are just a few side effects of improper waste disposal: * Litter can pose a threat to the health and well-being of various animals: the stories about fish stuck in six-pack rings that blew into the water aren’t fictions. * Hazardous waste, if dumped into the environment, leeches into the ground – and the ground water. The ground water is used for lots of things you may not realize, including watering the local fields, which grow the food people eat. Oh, and most communities get their drinking water from down there, too. * As some waste decomposes, it releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The earth has more than enough of those already.
Are you getting the idea? Waste disposal procedures exist because people have realized that certain types of waste can do damage if they’re just thrown anywhere. The system of waste disposal was developed through lots of research, and is carefully planned to funnel waste into various places, and through various disposal methods, in order to ensure the safety and health of humans as well as the planet. The problem is that this carefully planned system doesn’t work if people don’t participate in it; when you dispose of your waste, you’re the first step in the chain. if you do it properly, the waste goes on to its safe destination. If you don’t – or if anyone else along the chain doesn’t – do it right, the waste gets sent off into places where it can do plenty of damage.
If you have questions about proper waste disposal, ask. If you don’t know how to sort your recyclables, or if you’re unsure what to do with old drywall, call around to local disposal facilities to find the answers. These may seem like small things, but if you let them slip – and everyone else lets them slip – they can quickly turn into big problems.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling
-------------------------------------------------
Recycling
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Recycling is processing used materials (waste) into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production.[1][2] Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third component of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" waste hierarchy.
There are some ISO standards relating to recycling such as ISO 15270:2008 for plastics waste and ISO 14001:2004 for environmental management control of recycling practice.
Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles, and electronics. Although similar in effect, the composting or other reuse of biodegradable waste – such as food or garden waste – is not typically considered recycling.[2] Materials to be recycled are either brought to a collection center or picked up from the curbside, then sorted, cleaned, and reprocessed into new materials bound for manufacturing.
In the strictest sense, recycling of a material would produce a fresh supply of the same material—for example, used office paper would be converted into new office paper, or used foamed polystyrene into new polystyrene. However, this is often difficult or too expensive (compared with producing the same product from raw materials or other sources), so "recycling" of many products or materials involves their reuse in producing different materials (e.g.,paperboard) instead. Another form of recycling is the salvage of certain materials from complex products, either due to their intrinsic value (e.g., leadfrom car batteries, or gold from computer components), or due to their hazardous nature (e.g., removal and reuse of mercury from various items). Critics dispute the net economic and environmental benefits of recycling over its costs, and suggest that proponents of recycling often make matters worse and suffer from confirmation bias. Specifically, critics argue that the costs and energy used in collection and transportation detract from (and outweigh) the costs and energy saved in the production process; also that the jobs produced by the recycling industry can be a poor trade for the jobs lost in logging, mining, and other industries associated with virgin production; and that materials such as paper pulp can only be recycled a few times before material degradation prevents further recycling. Proponents of recycling dispute each of these claims, and the validity of arguments from both sides has led to enduring controversy. http://www.elaw.org/node/2376 Section 4. Creation of a City and Municipal Solid Wastes Management Board
The City and Municipal SWM Boards shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

a) Develop the City or Municipal Solid Waste Management Plan that shall ensure the long-term management of solid waste, as well as integrate the various solid waste management plans and strategies of the barangays in its area of jurisdiction. In the development of the Solid Waste Management Plan, it shall conduct consultations with the various sectors of the community; b) Adopt measures to promote and ensure the viability and effective implementation of solid waste management programs in its component barangays;

http://thinkgreen.wordpress.com/2007/01/23/hello-world/
09/09/12
MANAGING SOLID WASTE IN THE PHILIPPINES: THE DIRTY BUSINESS
January 23, 2007, 8:14 am
Filed under: garbage
Solid waste, over the past thirty years, has remained the most visible, and silently dangerous, environmental problem in the country.
In September 1999, not one Filipino was left without a trauma out of the tragedy that befell Payatas in Quezon City. Hundreds died, buried alive underneath filth, as mountains of garbage collapsed due to heavy downpour.
This is among the worst human-made disasters that have ever hit the Philippines, a disaster we should never allow to happen again.
Dirty Living
The country’s garbage problem has a lot to do with lifestyle. Every individual must be responsible for the wastes he generates. Considering that we are among the most populated in the world, with the amount of trash each of us produces, it is no surprise that our lands have become the largest dumpsite.
Our streets are lined with garbage, our waters flooded, and our creeks clogged with trash, even our mountains are junk – all these are reflections of the need to heed to the serious call for waste management – it is time for each and every one of us to stop living dirty.
And why? The indiscriminate throwing of garbage contaminates our waters, with clogged drains open for insect breeding which brings about diseases like cholera and dengue, targeting most especially, our children. Floods have become a common sight during rainy seasons. Backyard burning, or simply, burning of garbage, releases toxic air pollutants, which leads to respiratory diseases like asthma, bronchitis, lung cancer, even death. To be direct, dirty living equals death.
Trash Course
The National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), has identified three key trends in the local garbage situation: 1) increase in sheer volume of generated wastes; 2) change in the quality and make-up of waste generated; and 3) waste handling methods.
Everyday, the country has a per capita waste generation of 0.3 to 0.7 kilograms of garbage. In 2003*, we have generated 27,397 tons of garbage daily, a step backwards compared to the 19,700 tons of garbage we have generated daily in 2000 (*based on the study conducted by the NSWMC-Secretariat and the Metro Manila Solid Waste Management Project of the Asian Development Bank in 2003). That is tantamount to ten million tons of garbage generated in 2003.
Of the ten million tons of generated garbage in 2003, 2.5 million came from Metro Manila. This is a strong evidence of the forecast which indicated that by 2010, in comparison to the 2000 data, waste generation shall have increased by 47%.
Ways to Beat Wastes
Lucky for us, the Philippine solid waste composition is generally highly-organic (biodegradable) and recyclable, with 50 percent of the wastes made up of yard, wood, and kitchen wastes. The high percentage of biodegradables is an indication of the great potential of composting as a means to recover this type of wastes, especially those coming from agricultural zones. Moreover, potentials for recycling are good considering that the remaining wastes are made up of recyclable materials.
The DENR has always been steadfast in its commitment to reduce, and eventually, eradicate the amount of garbage in the country. Projects and programs on solid waste management are consistently being implemented by the Department, through the NSWMC, in coordination with the local government units, non-government organizations, international groups, and other government agencies.
To date, the Commission has initiated the closure and rehabilitation of existing open dumpsites, the establishment of sanitary landfills in municipalities, the establishment of an ecological solid waste management system, the categorized compliance for disposal facilities, and the promotion and development of alternative technologies to process residual wastes.
The DENR, along with the Department of Interior and Local Government and some civil society groups, has also conducted the Nationwide Search for Model Barangays for Eco-Waste Management System, to assist our local communities to comply with, and reward them on their compliance, to Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
Waste Recovery Programs are also being instituted by the government. The DENR has forged an agreement with the Recyclean Foundation, Inc (RFI) on a waste paper recovery program. The NSWMC, Tire Importers and Traders Association of the Philippines, Tire Manufacturers of the Philippines, and the Philippine Retreaders Association agreed to facilitate recovery of used tires for the effective management of the waste material – which would include their recycling, re-use, and environmentally sound disposal. In terms of plastics and plastic packaging, the Polystyrene Packaging Council of the Philippines coordinated with several malls and industrial parks, to recover polystyrene wastes which resulted to the recovery of about 8,000 cu. m. of said plastics in 2003. An Agreement was made between the council and the Department of Science and Technology to design melting kettles for potential recyclers to convert polystyrene into other form of materials.
To spread environmental awareness, particularly on solid waste management concerns, the DENR, together with the Eco-Waste Coalition signed an agreement for the establishment of the Ecological Solid Waste Pavilion. It is a national center for meetings, congregations, trainings, educational purposes particularly for showcasing effective, innovative and creative SWM procedures, techniques and activities.
The DENR is vigilant in its quest to manage solid wastes in the Philippines. The government is bent on empowering the municipalities to address their own garbage issues. We are all parts which make up a whole in each municipality. Together, let us put a stop to the thirty years of garbage problem we have stumbled upon. We have more than enough.

http://www.spectrumbluesteel.com/blog/2011/07/01/wastemanagement-problems-philippines/
09/09/12
Waste Management Problems of the Philippines
1 JULY 2011 - BY D. PEREZ
Environmental issue is one of the most widely known problems that the Philippine country is encountering. It is not just a problem in this country but also to other countries as well. It is the most common topic that is being talked about aside from the economic and political issues. There are a lot of studies and invention created to solve the environmental issues, specifically the waste management problems.
There are tons and tons of garbage that is being disposed in just one’s home. What more for the whole country? Floods that the country faces also starts with the garbage that filled the canals from where the water should flow. Thousands of homes are being swept away by flood which resulted from trash that has been thrown just anywhere. Garbage kills a lot of people if it is mismanaged. Illness and diseases from garbage will not only kill the lives of the people but they will also lose money from it. Money they can use for other purposes, instead of buying medicine or paying for hospital bills. Waste management is really necessary to be able to resolve and even just to minimize the garbage and other problems of the country.
Landfill is one of the waste management procedures that Philippine country is patronizing. But the problem that arises with this kind of waste management is the location of dump sites. There are certain measure of garbage that a certain dump site can accommodate that won’t harm the environment and the people residing in the place. Finding a new location for a dump site will include a lot of issues from the residents and the government as well. Incinerators are also one procedure for waste management. But this kind of procedure emits more greenhouse effect to the environment. So the Philippines ban this kind of waste management process under the Clean Air Act.
Waste management is not just a government’s responsibility. It should also be done by every individual. Since garbage starts from one’s home, waste management should start from it as well. Recycling is part of waste management method which can be done even at home. Segregating the waste is also doing part in waste management. Avoidance of having trash is one way of lessening the garbage problem in the country. Using materials that are environment-friendly, we can help in minimizing and even solving the garbage problems of the Philippines.

http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8217856-the-impacts-of-improper-solid-waste-management-to-our-environment
09/09/12
The Impacts of Improper Solid Waste Management to our Environment
Manila : Philippines | Feb 17, 2011 at 3:43 AM PST
BY iamforpeace
The most apparent environmental issue we literally see everyday is the problem on solid waste management. Obviously, we can see piles of garbage around every corner of the streets; litters are scattered almost everywhere from your very own house, as you ride the jeep, and even until you reach the university. Now, you see what i mean? Unfortunately, improper solid waste management is one of the causes why we are suffering from different natural catastrophes such as rampant flooding and dying rivers and lakes.
We better start off with the “garbage” talk. According to Gregorio Santos Jr., a senior science research specialist who works in DENR, do you know that the average solid waste generation is 0.56 kg/day for every person? Imagine, in the next 30 years in metro manila alone, we can generate about 230 million cubic meters of solid wastes, an amount that equates to a knee-deep layer of waste over the entire metropolis which is about 630 square kilometers. It can even fill the country’s largest shopping mall for over 175 times. And for the same thirty (30) years we can generate about 70 million tons of solid waste, in which the collection of these wastes will require a line of waste trucks going three times around the earth and over half way to the moon and at a cost of over PHP 100 billion or $ 1.9 billion. distressing as it is, DENR statistics shows that only 10 of these solid wastes are being recycled and composted while the remaining 90 % either go to the dumpsites, rivers, streets or backyards.
With this massive solid waste generation, it undeniably causes rampant flooding. Important constituents of solid waste which contributes to floods are the plastic carrier bags. These solid materials slowly enter into the drainage system clogging the drainage canals and outlets. Take for an example the tragic case of typhoon Ondoy whose damage cost reached a conservative estimation of the NDCC amounting to PHP 10.45 billion in infrastructure and agriculture only. the fact that solid wastes caused flooding was confirmed by then-denr secretary Lito Atienza, “garbage blocked the natural and man-made drainage systems so these failed to function properly”. Also, during Leonardo Liongson’s talk in UP Diliman, he stated that the record-high 12 hour rainfall amounts in metro manila on September 26, 2009 attained the annual maximum rainfall values for 150-year return period. as a matter of fact, the peak flood flows of Pasig-Marikina river which is 4000 cubic meters/second exceeded the 30 year design flood capacity of 2900 cubic meters/second for the DPWH flood control project. Unfortunately, Ondoy wreaked havoc to 80,000 families in 2009.
The problem on solid waste management also poses a grave threat to our rivers and lakes. Government data showed that 10% of the 4,100 metric tons of waste generated by the residents of metro manila are dumped into rivers and lakes. And as reported by the now defunct MWSS, only 15% of the residents in the area have an effective waste disposal system. Not to mention that over 85% of the families living along the shoreline do not have toilets. Moreover, in Laguna, about 60% of the estimated 8.4 million people residing in Laguna de Bay discharge their wastes indirectly to the lakes through its tributaries. Shocking as it can get, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) loadings from these wastes significantly came from households which covers almost twice the percentage of wastes from industries and agriculture.
Indeed, the issue on solid waste management impinges development, safety and security of the human race. it aggravates mother earth, thus, we suffer from nature’s anger. But the good news about it is “we can do something about it”. The government with the participation of different stakeholders can significantly mitigate the effects of these natural phenomena. As a matter of fact, the government in partnership with the civil society groups had institutionalized environmental projects like the manila bay and Pasig clean-up. a series of environmental education and mobilizations like the inclusion of environment protection and management in tertiary level education, promotion of the “reduce, re-use and recycle” campaign and the Pasig run have successfully instilled the sense of urgency among stakeholders. Think about it, you can save the world, simply, by doing your part. And in case that you might’ve forgotten, it’s the only world we got.

http://compost.css.cornell.edu/technique.html
09/09/12
Composting as a Waste Management Technique

A major issue facing modern society is waste management. More simply put, what should we do with the waste we produce? A growing emphasis has been placed on the three R's: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Composting provides a means of accomplishing all three of the R's. Through composting the amount of garbage sent to the landfill is reduced, the organic matter is reused rather than dumped, and it is recycled into a useful soil amendment.
Natural ecosystems have a proven method of breaking down organic materials into a useful end-product: the decomposers found within the food chain break down nature's organic waste and turn it into humus, the organic component of soil.
Composting is a way of harnessing the natural process of decomposition to speed up the decay of waste. The history of composting dates back to the history of early agriculture. Many find that composting is as much of an art as a science. Recent concern about managing wastes and producing food in an environmentally sound manner has led to a renewed interest in small-scale, backyard composting as well as an interest in developing large-scale, commercial and municipal composting systems.
Designing successful composting systems requires an understanding of certain biological, chemical, and physical processes such as the movement of air, uptake of carbon and nitrogen, and heat production and transfer. Students can be a part of the process of obtaining scientific information about composting, whether their results are applied in their own home, school, or by industry. At the same time, students engage in hands-on, minds-on composting activities with an opportunity to improve their understanding of many scientific processes and disciplines.
The study of waste production and management lends itself to interdisciplinary study, and school composting provides an opportunity for real-world problem solving with cooperative learning groups. It therefore can motivate students who feel alienated by traditional "science" experiences. Furthermore, students gain an awareness of individuals' roles in the world today as they learn how waste is produced and how it can be reduced. Finally, through construction of compost systems, students are empowered to make a positive change in their world. For it is after all our youth to whom this planet belongs.

http://www.ehow.com/list_7422216_solutions-waste-disposal.html
09/09/12
Solutions for Waste Disposal By Ron Brow, eHow Contributor
Compost Your Waste * Composting waste is an option for getting rid of your household waste. You can compost lots of items: food waste, animal waste, yard waste, and much more. Basically, anything that is organic can be composted and will break down into rich compost that can be used for a variety of things. For example, people use their compost for fertilizer for their lawns and plants. Be sure that if you are going to compost, you build a compost bin because it is a process that does take some time.
Recycling
* Recycling waste is another option for getting rid of waste. There are many different things that are recyclable: paper, tin, aluminum, plastic, and much more. A lot of people aren't aware of all the different things that they can recycle, and many do the obvious, which is paper and aluminum. If you are using a trash service company, ask them if they can help you set up the recycling bins. You can also find a recycling center that is near you and drop the waste off. *
Buy Products that are Good for the Environment * Instead of purchasing those plastic pop bottles, find a way that you can buy things that are more environmentally friendly. When you cut down on the waste that you created, you will cut down on the needs for waste disposal, and this is a great solution. There are a lot of products that are compostable, or products that used recycled materials. Some of these items include bottle openers, calendars, coloring books, and much more. Just by purchasing these products, you can do so much.

http://www.ehow.com/about_5591699_harmful-effects-plastic-waste-disposal.html
09/09/12
Harmful Effects of Plastic Waste Disposal By Russell Huebsch, eHow Contributor

History * Scientists had been tinkering with plastic-like material based on cellulose compounds since the mid-1850s, reports The American Chemistry Council. New York chemist Leo Baekeland invented the first true plastic material in 1907, Bakelite, which people still use today. The effects of plastic waste became evident during the 1950s, according to PackagingToday. Some children playing with discarded plastic bags suffocated, requiring a public campaign to warn people of plastic bag danger.
Significance
* The effects of plastic waste disposal can readily be seen in the environment. Plastics account for 12 percent of all municipal waste, according to the EPA Fact Book on solid waste. Californians Against Waste reports that plastic waste constitutes 60 to 80 percent of the waste in our waters, and 90 percent of floating waste. Most of this marine plastic waste originates from land sources, such as landfills. Water current can spread this waste over a large area and many miles from its source.
Effects
* Plastic wastes can break down and release toxins that harm the environment, animals and the general public, according to the International Plastics Task Force. Certain chemicals--such as bisphenol A--can cause some serious health concerns, according to an article on plastic bottles by Beth Daley of the Boston Globe. Even low doses of bisphenol may cause developmental problems in children.
Prevention/Solution
* You can help reduce the effects of plastic waste disposal by recycling plastics and reducing their use, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Many communities have recycling services that pick up plastic waste from your door. When you shop for products, consider buying economy size products and open-air fruit. Businesses can help by finding ways to make plastic packaging more efficient. Milk producers use 30 percent less plastic than they did 20 years ago.
Misconceptions
* If you plan to reduce the effects of plastic waste by recycling, consider that just because a product has a "chasing arrow" symbol does not mean it can be recycled. The symbol simply contains a number relating to the type of plastic, according to Ecology Center. Not all recycled plastics go into new, recyclable products. Recycled plastic that goes into secondary products--such as plastic lumber and textiles--cannot themselves be recycled. http://www.azocleantech.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=15 09/09/12
Connection between Waste Management and Global Warming
Introduction
The surface temperature of the Earth has risen in the past century and during the past two decades an accelerated warming has been noticed. Evidence suggests that it is likely that human activities have contributed to this warming. The chemical composition of the atmosphere has been changed by the increase in emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
Waste Reduction and Recycling
The reduction and recycling of solid waste can help address global climate change. The distribution, application and manufacture of products, as well as management of the resulting waste, all result in greenhouse gas emissions.
The prevention and recycling of waste reduces greenhouse gases associated with these activities by reducing methane emissions, saving energy, and increasing forest carbon sequestration.
Connection between Waste and the Climate
The life cycle of a product directly and indirectly contributes to the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere and affects the global climate. For example, the manufacture of a product releases greenhouse gases both directly or indirectly.
Directly, from the manufacturing process; and indirectly, from the energy produced while running the manufacturing plant, the carbon dioxide released from gasoline-powered vehicles, and the release of methane gas during the decomposition of the product when it is discarded in a landfill.
The disposal of materials suggests that the product is being replaced by new products. This production often requires the use of fossil fuels to obtain raw materials and manufacture the items.
The Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions through Waste Management
Waste prevention and recycling or commonly referred to as waste reduction assists in the management of the solid waste we generate. The prevention and recycling of waste also are potent strategies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For example: * The prevention and recycling of waste diverts organic wastes from landfills, as a result, a reduction in the release of methane gas from the decomposition of these organic materials. * A reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from incinerators from the combustion of waste through waste prevention and recycling. * A saving of energy since the manufacture of goods from recycled materials normally requires less energy than goods produced from raw materials. * Waste prevention and recycling of paper products allow more trees to remain standing in the forest, where they can continue to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, in a process commonly referred to as carbon sequestration.
Source: AZoCleantech
Last Update 2nd January 2008 http://www.energyefficienthomearticles.com/Article/global-warming----Waste-Management-for-a-Modern-World-/3599 09/09/12
By: D. Both
Waste Management refers to the process of (i) collection of waste matter generated mainly by human consumption and activity, (ii) transport and shipment of the collected waste matter to a waste treatment facility and (iii) processing/recycling this waste material for further use or disposing it for good.

Waste Management is required for three reasons. One, you can't be having waste lying around in any area as it will make the area look awful and the waste will raise a stink. Two, if waste is unattended to, it will attract pests and termites and the chances of a disease spreading will increase. Three, Man has realized that, if he allows waste to pile up or even burned, such an act would be disastrous for our environment. It is a mans duty to control waste and recycle it back into use by recovering resources from it.

History Of Waste Management
Once upon a time, when the density of population was low, the exploitation of the world's natural resources was minimal and manageable. Plus, there was not much of industrialization and the wastes generated by humans were mostly biodegradable and thus their impact on the environment, minimal. This coupled with the fact that not much waste was generated, man did not feel the necessity to manage it.

Time flew, population grew and before humans knew it, the industrial revolution set in (18th Century). People from rural areas migrated to cities and industrial towns en masse. Human consumption began to get concentrated and waste began multiplying. The proliferation of waste led to many diseases such as bubonic plague, cholera and typhoid, which led to suffering and death.

From this event on, the industrialized nations realized the importance of waste management.

Recovering Resources From Waste
As the world population increases and waste grows in volume, the world's scientists and planners have evolved technologies to recover resources from waste, which can be used again. For example, the developed nations have sophisticated facilities that convert the calorific content present in waste into electricity. In developing nations, manual laborers sift through the waste and extract recyclable material from it, thereby reducing the volume of waste that needs to be disposed.

Recycling Waste
The term recycling is universally associated with waste management. When we say recycle, we mean that our everyday waste will be collected, processed and then reused in another form. For example, products made out of paper, aluminum, plastic are collected and converted back into paper, aluminum and plastic respectively. Recycling of waste items made up of one material is an easy task.

Electronic waste is sent to developing nations where recycling plants extract gold and copper from the e-waste. Used automobiles are scrapped and their metal is sold to scrap lots, which then sell the metal back to factories for re-conversion. And so on.

Waste Management Techniques
Nations employ many techniques to deal with their waste. Here is a brief roundup of these techniques:

1. Landfill: This is the most traditional way of managing waste, by dumping it in a landfill. Countries such as Australia that have vast expanses of land, normally dispose their waste in abandoned quarries or mines. A landfill is an inexpensive way to get rid of waste. However, care should be taken to ensure that only waste that does not harm the environment is dumped in landfills. Populous countries or small countries, such as Japan, have to resort to other means to manage their waste.

2. Incineration: Incineration is the disposal of waste by burning it. However, incineration is not an effective tool for waste management as the burning of waste consumes resources and energy, destroys the recyclable material present in the waste and emits many harmful pollutants.

3. Composting: Composting is a technique in which organic waste materials (food, plants, paper) are decomposed and then recycled as compost for use in agriculture and landscaping applications.

4. Mechanical Biological treatment: In this technique, a variety of waste (plastic, paper, glass, etc.) are fed in bulk into the waste treatment plant. The MBT process extracts the recyclable content in the waste and converts it to calorific fuel that can be used by cement/power plants.

5. Pyrolysis and Gasification: These are thermal techniques, using these, waste is treated at high temperatures and at a very high pressure. In Pyrolysis, the waste material is converted to solid or liquid. The solid material can be further refined into a carbon form while the liquid extract can be used as energy-giving oil. In gasification, the waste material is converted into a synthetic gas, which can be burned to produce more energy.

In conclusion, waste management has become part of our survival strategy. If we have to live, we will produce waste. If we do not treat waste, it will choke us. Waste is a problem, waste Management is the solution.

http://www.preservearticles.com/2012030625231/solid-waste-management-causes-effects-and-control-measures-of-urban-and-industrial-wastes.html
09/12/12
Solid Waste Management: Causes, Effects and Control Measures of Urban and Industrial Wastes

AMBIKA PRASAD
Solid wastes are the material that arises from various human and economic activities. It is being produced since the beginning of civilization. Ever increasing population growth, urbanization and industrialization are contributing to the generation of solid waste in huge quantities.
Waste is enviable; waste is by product of human activity which has lack of use. The term waste refers to the useless material generated from different sources such as household, public places, hospital, commercial centre construction sites and production of waste from industries.
Waste can be classified through various methods on the basis of physical state (solid, liquid and gaseous) and then within solid waste (according to its original use packaging waste, food waste etc.) material (glass, paper etc.) physical properties, domestic, commercial, biodegradable, non-biodegradable etc. Solid wastes have prevailing characteristics which sets them apart from the liquid and gaseous wastes.
The characteristics are that the waste remains highly visible in the environment. Liquid wastes are quickly relegated to sewer and are out of sight and gaseous wastes disperse in to the atmosphere. Accumulation of large quantities of solid wastes is having an adverse impact on the environment.
Different sources of wastes are mentioned as follows:
(i) Industrial Waste
(ii) Municipal Solid Wastes
(iii) Agricultural Waste
(iv) Mining Waste
(v) Energy Production Waste
(vi) Dredging Waste

http://bmb.oxfordjournals.org/content/68/1/183.full
09/12/12
Health hazards and waste management
Lesley Rushton
-------------------------------------------------
Abstract
Different methods of waste management emit a large number of substances, most in small quantities and at extremely low levels. Raised incidence of low birth weight births has been related to residence near landfill sites, as has the occurrence of various congenital malformations. There is little evidence for an association with reproductive or developmental effects with proximity to incinerators. Studies of cancer incidence and mortality in populations around landfill sites or incinerators have been equivocal, with varying results for different cancer sites. Many of these studies lack good individual exposure information and data on potential confounders, such as socio-economic status. The inherent latency of diseases and migration of populations are often ignored. Waste management workers have been shown to have increased incidence of accidents and musculoskeletal problems. The health impacts of new waste management technologies and the increasing use of recycling and composting will require assessment and monitoring.
-------------------------------------------------
Introduction
The generation of waste and the collection, processing, transport and disposal of waste—the process of ‘waste management’—is important for both the health of the public and aesthetic and environmental reasons. Waste is anything discarded by an individual, household or organization. As a result waste is a complex mixture of different substances, only some of which are intrinsically hazardous to health. The potential health effects of both waste itself and the consequences of managing it have been the subject of a vast body of research. This chapter gives an overview of waste, waste management processes, and the research into health hazards associated with these, discusses the limitations of studies to date and outlines some future developments and challenges.
-------------------------------------------------
Methods of waste management
Waste management is now tightly regulated in most developed countries and includes the generation, collection, processing, transport and disposal of waste. In addition the remediation of waste sites is an important issue, both to reduce hazards whilst operational and to prepare the site for a change of use (e.g. for building).
The major methods of waste management are: 1. Recycling—the recovery of materials from products after they have been used by consumers. 2. Composting—an aerobic, biological process of degradation of biodegradable organic matter. 3. Sewage treatment—a process of treating raw sewage to produce a non-toxic liquid effluent which is discharged to rivers or sea and a semi-solid sludge, which is used as a soil amendment on land, incinerated or disposed of in land fill. 4. Incineration—a process of combustion designed to recover energy and reduce the volume of waste going to disposal. 5. Landfill—the deposition of waste in a specially designated area, which in modern sites consists of a pre-constructed ‘cell’ lined with an impermeable layer (man-made or natural) and with controls to minimize emissions.
-------------------------------------------------
Impact of waste management practices on health
Introduction
There is a large body of literature on the potential adverse health effects of different waste management options, particularly from landfill and incineration. There is little on potential problems resulting from environmental exposures from composting and very little on recycling. Although much research has focused on the health of the general population, particularly those living near a waste disposal site, occupational health problems of the workforce involved in waste management are also important to consider.
Much of the health literature on the toxicity of the individual substances highlighted above relates to occupational or accidental exposure and thus generally to higher levels of exposure than those expected from waste disposal methods. Many of the substances, such as cadmium, arsenic, chromium, nickel, dioxins and PAHs are considered to be carcinogenic, based on animal studies or studies of people exposed to high levels. Evidence that these substances cause cancer at environmental levels, however, is often absent or equivocal. In addition to carcinogenicity, many of these substances can produce other toxic effects (depending on exposure level and duration) on the central nervous system, liver, kidneys, heart, lungs, skin, reproduction, etc. For other pollutants such as SO2 and PM10, air pollution studies have indicated that there may be effects on morbidity and mortality at background levels of exposure, particularly in susceptible groups such as the elderly. Chemicals such as dioxins and organochlorines may be lipophilic and accumulate in fat-rich tissues and have been associated with reproductive or endocrine-disrupting endpoints.
Landfill sites
One of the mostly widely known and publicized landfill sites is that of Love Canal in New York State. Large quantities of toxic materials, including residues from pesticides production, were deposited in the 1930s and 1940s, followed by the building of houses and a school on and around the landfill in the 1950s. By the mid 1970s, chemicals leaking from the site were detected in local streams, sewers, soil and indoor air of houses. This site and the subsequent studies of the health of the population in the vicinity fuelled public opinion on the problems of waste disposal practices and raised public concern more generally.
Since then there have been many studies of populations living near landfill sites, frequently carried out near one specific site in response to public concern. These studies have varied in design and include cross-sectional, case-control, retrospective follow-up and ecological (geographical comparison) studies (see Chapter 2). The last of these have often been initiated after apparent clusters of specific diseases have been reported near a site. In addition, several large studies have been carried out investigating health outcomes near hundreds of sites.
There have been several comprehensive reviews of epidemiological studies9–12.
Birth defects and reproductive disorders
Reproductive effects associated with landfill sites have been extensively researched and include low birth weight (less than 2500 g), fetal and infant mortality, spontaneous abortion, and the occurrence of birth defects. Vianna and Polan13 and Goldman et al14 both found increased incidence of low birth weight in the populations around the Love Canal site, the former during the period of active dumping (1940–1953) and the latter among house owners (although not among those renting) from 1965 to 1978. A similar increase in the proportion of low birth weight babies was found in those living within a radius of 1 km of the Lipari Landfill in New Jersey, particularly in 1971–75 following a period of heavy pollution of streams and a nearby lake from leachate from the site15. Trends in low birth weight and neonatal deaths were found to correspond closely with time and quantities of dumping at a large hazardous waste disposal site in California, with significantly lower birth weights in exposed areas than control areas during the periods of heaviest dumping16. It should be noted that exposed areas were defined according to the number of odour complaints rather than any more objective measure.
The results from these single site studies for low birth weight contrast with results from two large multiple site case-control studies in the USA17,,18. These used residence as an exposure measure and found no association with low birth weight. However, a geographical study of adverse birth outcomes associated with living within 2 km of a landfill site between 1982 and 1997 in Great Britain found a significantly excess risk, which increased during operation or after closure compared with the risk before opening19. An interesting finding from this study was that 80% of the population in Great Britain live within 2 km of an operating or closed landfill site.
The results of studies of congenital malformations are less convincing than those of low birth weight. In the two US multiple site studies, one17found a small increase (1.5-fold) in heart and circulatory malformations but no increased risk for other malformations. The other18 found no association, although the response to the questionnaire used to collect data was relatively poor (63%) and it is unclear how congenital malformations were defined. The UK study19 found significantly elevated risks for several defects, including neural tube defects, hypospadias and epispadias, abdominal wall defects and surgical correction of gastroschisis and exomphalos, although there was a tendency for there to be a higher risk in the period before opening compared with after opening of a landfill site, for several anomalies. A similar finding was also reported in the analysis of congenital malformation rates among the population living near the Welsh landfill of Nant-y-Gwyddon where nearly double the risk was found in exposed areas both before and after the site opened. However four cases, a nine-fold excess, of gastroschisis, were observed after the site opened20. A study of 21 European hazardous waste sites found that residence within 3 km of a site was associated with a significantly raised risk of congenital anomaly, with a fairly consistent decrease in risk with distance away from the sites. Risk was raised for neural-tube defects, malformations of the cardiac septa and anomalies of great arteries and veins21. A study by the same group showed similar increases in chromosomal anomalies, even after adjustment for maternal age22.
The studies of congenital malformations described above have generally used residential proximity as a measure of exposure. A similar study was carried out in New York State but also attempted to investigate associations with off-site migration of chemicals and certain categories of chemicals present at the sites23. A small (12%) statistically significant risk of congenital malformations was associated with maternal proximity to a site which increased with off-site chemical leaks. Significant associations were found for pesticides with musculoskeletal system defects, metals and solvents with nervous system defects, and plastics with chromosomal anomalies. However, a case-control study to follow-up these findings which established the probability of low, medium or high exposure for four potential pathways of exposure (groundwater ingestion and inhalation, air, vapour, particulates) found no increased risk for mothers assigned a medium or high exposure24.
Cancer
Several geographical comparison studies have investigated cancer mortality and incidence around waste sites. Increased frequency of cancers in counties containing hazardous waste sites was found in two US studies25,,26, particularly for gastrointestinal, oesophageal, stomach, colon and rectal cancer. These studies are, however, limited by a lack of chemical release data. No increase in cancer rates or the frequency of chromosome changes was found in relation to the Love Canal site27,,28. Two reports29,,30 of cancer incidence among persons living near the Miron Quarry site, the third largest in North America found increased incidence of cancers of the liver, kidney, pancreas and non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas. Once again no measurements of exposure were available, and there was a relatively short period from first exposure (1968) to cancer onset (1979–1985).

http://www.hrwc.net/wastemanagement.htm
09/12/12
AGRICULTURAL WASTE MANAGEMENT

How would one implement waste management? | Fortunately, there are planning documents and BMP options available to farmers for managing agricultural waste. Waste management is commonly part of an overall nutrient management plan developed for a farm. These plans play an integral role in the comprehensive waste management planning process and are used to spell out how farmers intend to maximize the benefit of nutrients available from farm waste products to benefit crop production and minimize environmental impact. Although State and Federal governments are demanding more accountability in agricultural waste management, many such plans are developed voluntarily as an important aspect of the business. Developing a plan for how waste is managed on your farm not only aids in the tracking of operational costs and the making of better management decisions; it can also be used to leverage State and Federal funding assistance. Self-regulation protects private property rights and reduces the need for governmental control and regulations. Site-specific waste management strategies should be developed and adhered to in order to maximize the cost efficiency and adequately protect local environmental resources. This will require that routine soil and waste testing take place to match the crop needs to the nutrients available. By tracking the timing and application rates (quantity) of agricultural waste required, the space required to store operational waste can be determined.Waste can be stored as a solid in building structures, or as a liquid in holding ponds or anaerobic lagoons. Being able to store waste in an acceptable form until it is needed is a critical component of a waste management strategy. If waste is not handled properly or is not applied at the right time, valuable nutrients are lost and environmental and human and animal health problems are created. Besides the management practices noted above, the BMPs listed below can be used to improve waste handling and application: * Avoid over-application by only applying manure to crops that can benefit from the nutrients; * Do not apply waste to fields when heavy rain is expected and runoff potential is high; | * Exclude livestock from sensitive areas such as riparian buffers and wetlands; * Locate winter feeding areas in a relatively flat upland area; * Do not spread waste near waterways; * Employ other conservation practices that minimize runoff and erosion to fields where waste is applied; * Avoid spillage or overflow of lagoons, ponds and structures used to house waste; * Regularly check waste application equipment and make sure it is calibrated; * Where possible, divert runoff from land above livestock areas and away from nearby surface waters and wells; * If an alternative water supply source is unavailable for livestock, create dedicated, limited access points to streams for drinking; and * Consider adding flush gutters to livestock confinement systems to confine waste for future application. | Other ways to improve waste management on farms is to routinely check areas where fuel and chemicals are stored for spills and leaks and to be sure your farm is in compliance with applicable storage and handling regulations. Keeping up-to-date on technologies designed to improve waste management such as composters for disposing of livestock mortalities and integrating them into your waste management strategy is also good practice. |

http://www.preservearticles.com/201101082856/adverse-effects-of-improper-waste-disposal.html
09/13/12
What are the adverse effects of improper waste disposal ?
MOHIT IASIJA
Improper disposal of hazardous waste causes adverse effects on human health and the environment. The normal practices of waste disposal such as insanitary open dump, land filling, discharge in water courses, or open-pit burning will need modification when dealing with hazardous wastes. The principle hazard of improper waste disposal is contamination of soil and groundwater. This arises largely from the waste containing hazardous substances deposited in landfills or on the ground.
With regard to hazardous waste disposal sites, at least five different routes of human exposure are possible: 1. direct ingestion through drinking 2. inhalation of contaminants that volatilize from heated water 3. absorption through the skin during washing and bathing 4. ingestion through consumption of goods derived from plants or animals exposed to polluted groundwater, and 5. absorption through the skin when handling contaminated soil.
A worldwide awareness has been created amongst the public against the improper and uncontrolled dumping of hazardous wastes. Such practices have brought about the death of livestock and ill-health in humans. Some of the examples of improper disposal of hazardous wastes are given below.
During the seventies more than 250 houses were built in the Netherlands in the municipality named Lekkerkerk on a belt where hazardous and toxic waste had been dumped. After nearly ten years, the ill effects of dumped hazardous waste were noticed by the residents of that area and about 150,000 tonnes of the polluted soil had to be dug out and disposed of. The total cost of the remedial action was about 200 million Dutch guilders.
In Japan, zinc mining industry at Kamioka discharged effluents containing toxic material without treatment into the Zintsu River. Water from the river was, and continues to be, used for drinking and irrigation. In 1919, a thirty-five year old patient is said to have exhibited symptoms similar to those of Itai-Itai disease, which is now known to be caused by cadmium poisoning. In 1955, Itai-Itai disease was reported to the Society of Medicine, yet only in 1963 did the Ministry of Public Health and Welfare organise a survey committee on this pollution associated disease. It took another ten years before the Japanese Government announced official findings on Itai-Itai disease, linking it to health damage caused by cadmium
In another case, in Hamburg city of West Germany, during 1935 to 1971, about 150,000 m3 of waste oil as liquid chemical waste and 50,000 drums of solid chemical waste was dumped along with the city refuse in Georgswerder landfill site. The total area of the site is about 42 hectares and it is 40 m high. In 1983, dioxine was identified in the oily leachate from the landfill site. The cleaning up cost of this site would be more than 100 million Deustche Mark.
One of the most alarming case came into limelight in 1988 when village Bichhri of Udaipur district suffered a heavy toll because of water pollutants released from Silver Chemicals Factory. The water has become red all over from the dye stuff waste released by the factory. Drinking this water causes vomiting. It is worthless for all irrigation purposes. Grass cant grow near the pools containing this water. Today, in December 1990, the water continues to be contaminated, as the amount of pollutants is virtually 1.5 lakh times the standards of safety prescribed by an Aligarh Muslim University study. According to the Observer, the authorities have sued the culprits but procedures of court are too long to provide instant respite to residents of Bichhri village.
Cyanide is one of the raw materials used for electroplating and heat treatment operations of metals. The waste generated as sludge from these operations contains high concentration of cyanide.
A considerable number of large and small scale units, using cyanide as raw material, are located near Madras. Since at present, there is no control over the disposal of hazardous wastes, they are being disposed off indiscriminately. Recently, on 21 August 1989, an incident of cyanide dumping has come to light in Madras with the death of a number of buffaloes. Based on the police reports, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board served a show cause notice to M/s. T. I. Cycles in Madras. After investigations, it was traced that the unit in question had dumped their cyanide bearing waste near Ezhilnagar canal.
This resulted in pollution of canal water and subsequently the death of buffaloes confirmed that the death was due to cyanide contamination. The unit has, however, admitted that they had handed over vast quantities of cyanide waste to the contractor for dumping into the sea at a specified distance of 7 kilometer from the sea shore. The contractor dumped the waste on. Ezhilnagar canal bank. An analysis of canal water showed that the cyanide content was as high as 210 milligrams per litre. Since the canal passes through a low income group colony, the pollution of canal water could have resulted in loss of human life, had it gone undetected.

http://www.themindfulword.org/2012/improper-waste-management-disposal/
09/13/12
-------------------------------------------------
A WORLD OF WASTE: Effect of poor waste management on the planet
Since the 1970s, major changes in waste disposal have taken place around the planet. Recycling has become a regular component of garbage pick-up—even mandatory, in some places. Compost pick-up, clean incineration, and proper disposal in high-tech,environmentally-friendly industrial centres is common practice for industrialized nations. This starkly contrasts other parts of the world where poor waste management continues spreading disease and polluting the air, land, and water. At stake is the life and health of our planet. Many endangered plant and animal species are at risk of extinction due to improper waste disposal.
Incineration
Incineration and landfills are the most widely-used waste management methods. From small-scale to municipal-industrial units, incineration is the burning of garbage and is favoured by small countries that lack adequate landfill space. This method can, however, have a major impact on the environment. Burning plastics and other types of waste releases toxic gases into the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect. Most hazardous waste, especially biomedical, is destroyed by incineration to prevent contamination and the spread of disease.
But incineration has come a long way in recent years. Some plants are now able to produce biomass energy from waste without releasing many harmful gases into the atmosphere. Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands are major proponents of these plants. Some of these plants operate so efficiently that they release less dioxin than home fireplaces and backyard barbecues.
Landfills
Smell, safety, and pollution are the major concerns with using “the dump.” Landfills, often abandoned quarries, are places where waste is collected and compacted before burial. Landfills do not impact the environment as they once did. Use of plastic protective liners prevents soil and water pollution and, thanks to composting, less organic waste makes its way into industrialized landfills. All this means less noxious odours and greenhouse gases get released into the atmosphere. If all landfills and incinerators operated as efficiently andenvironmentally friendly as described above, worldwide pollution would be drastically reduced.

Improper waste management

Unfortunately, far too few are acting with the best interest of the planet in mind. Improper waste management continues to be a major problem that affects us all. Waste dumped into various waterways has created floating islands of toxic pollutants in our oceans. One of these islands, “The Great Pacific Garbage Patch” has received media attention for its size—estimated to be twice the size of Hawaii—and its known destructive effects on wildlife and the food supply.
Diseases, such as Dengue fever, prevalent in developing nations, are believed to be perpetuated by unsanitary waste disposal methods. Higher prevalence of reproductive disorders, including low birth weight, are common in areas located near existing and former landfills. And although studies have produced equivocal results, “cancer clusters” are said to also exist in areas within close proximity to landfills.
Individual choices
So where do we go from here? We can keep ignoring the problem of improper waste disposal and continue filling the earth and air with toxic waste, or we can begin to address the problem individually. Each of us can make better choices with the items we purchase to reduce our waste. Things such as disposable baby diapers take many lifetimes to decompose. Instead of opting for plastic, we can choose cloth diapers that are not only better for our children, but best for the planet. We can also choose items that are sold in as little packaging as possible—opting for fresh fruits and vegetables, sans plastic bags, instead of canned substitutes. Composting organic matter is another way to reduce waste. Many municipalities now offer composting facilities, making it easier than ever.
Education, assistance, and enforcement
On a global scale, education is key. Those who exercise poor waste management techniques may not fully understand the impact of their actions. Teaching identification of different types of waste and appropriate disposal methods is one initiative that can be accomplished globally to reduce improper waste management. Many, however, know the consequences of their actions but have no other choice since their government doesn’t provide proper waste disposal methods. In such cases, we need to help those governments implement the necessary waste management infrastructure. Tougher punishment for companies who pollute our rivers and streams with toxic waste is another global initiative that can reduce pollution. We are all in this together, so it’s up to each one of us to be more responsible with what we throw away and how our waste is disposed. http://www.fukuoka.unhabitat.org/kcap/activities/egm/2009/pdf/torres_en.pdf SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE PHILIPPINES
Eric O. Torres
Field Engineer
Bayawan Bayawan City Philippines City, Philippines
PHILIPPINES RECENT TRENDS IN THE FIELD OF WASTE MANAGEMENT
In 2000, Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act was enacted to provide a framework for managing the growing problem of solid waste in the country.
Furthermore, Republic Act 9003 9003 gives prime importance to the roles of LGUs in managing their respective solid wastes.
PHILIPPINES RECENT TRENDS IN THE FIELD OF WASTE MANAGEMENT
Creation of Solid Waste Management Board
(SWMB)
• Prepares Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) as specified under
RA 9003
• Monitors the implementation of the SWMP in cooperation with the private sector and NGOs
• Adopts revenue generating measures to promote the viability of SWMP
• Recommends measures for the preservation of the ecosystem, and safeguards against pollution
• Suggests ways, such as franchises or Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) agreements, for the collection, transfer, storage, processing, recycling, or disposal of solid wastes.
In 2004, a total of 103 cities representing 94% of the total 109 had organized their SWMBs in accordance with the provisions of RA their SWMBs in accordance with the provisions of RA 9003. Of this number, however, only 49 cities or 44% had effective SWMPs.
PHILIPPINES RECENT TRENDS IN THE FIELD OF
WASTE MANAGEMENT
Creation of Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP)
• Waste characterization
• Proper waste collection and transfer
• Waste processing
• Waste reduction at source
• Recycling
• Source for final waste disposal
In 2004, a total of 91 cities or about 85% of the 107 urban centers had formulated their respective 10 had formulated their respective 10-year SWMPs. Of this number, year SWMPs. Of this number, only 67 cities had formulated quality SWMPs in accordance with the minimum requirements of RA 9003. Another 25 cities had demonstrated high performance levels for formulating quality levels for formulating quality SWMPs. Furthermore, the remaining 15 cities had within and below benchmark capacity levels in preparing their respective SWMPs.
PHILIPPINES RECENT TRENDS IN THE FIELD OF WASTE MANAGEMENT * Establishment of Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Barangay and City level * Composting of Biodegradable Waste to be used as organic fertilizer * Innovative way of Recycling of Non-biodegradable waste * Segregation at source Household level * Innovative Innovative way of collecting segregated waste using dump trucks, tricycles and pedicabs * Construction of Sanitary Landfill
IMPLEMENTATION CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED
• Cannot be effectively addressed by most LGU alone
• Most don’t have enough technical and engineering expertise
• Regulatory and enforcement powers with public education, awareness, and involvement campaigns are not properly implemented
• It is not fully implemented, accepted, and institutionalized by the people and institutions
• Doesn’t have strong political will in implementing what is good for the environment and the people
• Only 2% of the Cities of the entire country had established Sanitary Landfills due to lack of funds

http://www.nidirect.gov.uk/composting-and-disposing-of-garden-and-kitchen-waste
09/13/12
Composting and disposing of garden and kitchen waste
Composting turns waste into valuable food for your garden. Most garden waste, including grass cuttings, prunings, leaves, hedge trimmings, aswell as uncooked vegetable waste from your kitchen, can be composted. Your local council may help you get a composter and most collect green waste at the kerbside.
What you can and can't compost
You can compost: * * fruit and vegetable scraps * tea bags, coffee grounds * crushed egg shells * grass cuttings, prunings and leaves * small amounts of shredded paper and soft cardboard * animal hair * vacuum dust (only from woollen carpets) * garden and pond plan
You can't compost: * * cat or dog excrement * meat and fish * dairy products

* diseased plants * disposable nappies * shiny card * hard objects

Animals and kitchen waste
Generally, keeping domestic pets doesn't prevent you using composted kitchen waste in the garden. However, animals like pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, deer or other hoofed animals mustn't be allowed near catering waste, as they could catch diseases from it.
If you keep any of these, you mustn't compost on the premises. If you keep poultry you must compost using an enclosed container so that the poultry doesn't come into contact with it.
Kitchen waste regulations
Food and kitchen waste can be composted at home or at a composting plant. If your local council sends kitchen waste to a plant, you'll be told how they collect it (you may be given a separate bin or bag for it). http://housewares.about.com/od/wastemanagement/a/garbagedisposalvstrashcompactor.htm 09/13/12
How to Manage Kitchen Waste & Garbage Disposals Versus Trash Compactors
Options for Reducing Household Trash
By Mariette Mifflin, About.com Guide

There are several ways to reduce the amount of trash that goes to the landfill site. The most practical and budget-minded of course, is to compost vegetable and other food matter and use the rich compound to boost your flower or garden plot soil. This is a simple recycling effort that pays off in way of a better garden harvest.

Another common method that requires only time, is recycling basically anything that can be re-used, re-worked or donated. These methods are great green initiatives that have large environmental benefits and they will help to reduce your overall curb trash.

However, though these endeavors are worthwhile and should be undertaken, they can be combined with the use of garbage reducing appliances, which will maximize your trash reducing efforts. When you can eliminate several garbage bags a month from going to your curb for pick up, you'll save on bag fees if these apply and you'll also save the time, effort and annoyance of taking out lots of trash bags.

There are two appliance options for reducing household trash - installing either a garbage disposal unit or a trash compactor. Though they are often referred to by similar names, they are two totally different appliances with their own distinct operating functions.

Garbage Food Disposal

Also called a food waste disposer but more commonly known as a garbage disposal unit, this small grinding system works unnoticed under-the-sink to crush meat bones, vegetable matter or other foods that go down the drain. A garbage disposal requires a connection to your kitchen drain as well as an electrical hook-up. Prices vary from $100 up, with the most popular residential models being in the $200 - $300 range. However, due to the nature of the installation required, there are several things to consider when buying a food waste disposer.

Trash Compactor

More commonly known as trash or garbage compactors, these larger appliances are available in free-standing units but are usually installed under the kitchen counter, close to the sink area. Depending on the style, a trash compactor also requires a certain amount of installation and an electrical outlet.

Trash compactors are more expensive than food disposers, but have the most impact on reducing trash overall. Depending on their design, they can compact to a bag ratio of 4:1 or even up to 6:1. That means that with a larger unit, you can compact six bags worth of trash into one take-to-the-curb bag. However, the compacted bag will be that much heavier than a normal garbage bag, which may be a consideration for some.

Garbage Disposer Versus Trash Compactor

Either of these appliances will help to reduce your household trash, with the compactor being the most efficient when it comes to eliminating a larger amount of garbage bags. Since the two appliances have different functions, wide price differences and unique installation requirements, choosing between either will probably first depend on your available budget, then installation and finally on your need to reduce trash quantities.

It's not uncommon to install and combine the use of both a trash compactor and food waste disposal to better manage household waste. While some prefer to have both units conveniently located in the kitchen, others like to have a disposer in the kitchen with a freestanding trash compactor in the garage mainly for crushing cans, glass and other waste. Either appliance will help you to manage your waste, reduce landfill garbage overall and compliment your other green initiatives.