How to Manage Waste to Protect the Environment

How to Manage Waste to Protect the Environment

Name: Xiaoxia Zhuang
ID: 12231711
Date: 04/09/13
Word: 1430
Tutor: David King
Group: EAP-Standard 10
“Waste is material perceived to have little or no value by society’s producers or consumers.” (Rhyner, et al, 1995:1) The waste has many different kinds, for example solid waste, liquid waste and gaseous waste. Because of the mass of the waste of produce, the environment was destroyed more severe it. According to Rhyner, et al (1995) “the quantity of municipal solid waste will continue to rise in the future. The U.S. Environment Protection Agency has estimated it.”
Therefore, how to manage waste problem is highly valued by society. There are many ways to manage waste, such as waste transformation, waste classification and recycling. Managing waste means people to using science, through the law, economy, education and policy to encourage people to utilize and control the waste, and to promote the sustainable development of the economy and the environment. “It has a principal objective to protect the health of the public, but often this is forgotten in highly developed economic.” (Open 2013) Acton (2011) explains that the government and individuals have responsibility to play an important role to protect the environment. For this reason, the purpose of this essay is to illustrate how waste management can protect the environment. In particular it will address how government and individuals, through waste management, can protect the environment. However, there are many different methods so this essay will limit its focus to how waste management can protect the environment. This essay will analyse and discuss how to manage waste to protect the environment. The conclusion will summarize how waste management can protect the environment.

Impact of waste
Different wastes have different ways to damage the environment. Huang et al (2005) explain that a great deal of municipal solid waste has been poured into the ponds and roadsides around the cities. The cities will be surrounded by municipal solid waste. For example, when the solid waste is piled up that will occupy a large amount of land. Therefore, effective waste management can reduce the waste of the land resources. In addition, if the waste, such as electronic waste, plastic waste and metal waste, have not dealt with properly, the toxic substances in the solid waste will seep into the soil thus destroying the soil structure. Rhyner et al (1995:181) state that “the purpose of wastewater treatment is to remove the suspended solid, dissolved chemicals, pathogens, and other biological organisms from municipal sewage and contaminated industrial process waters, to yield an effluent that can legally and safely be discharged into the environment.” If the industrial wastewater has not been properly treated, it will pollute the riverbed and underground water system. After the toxic water flows into the sea, the vicious circle begins. As a result, the strictly-controlled sewage discharge can protect the rivers, lakes, reservoirs, ocean, surface water and ground water quality in good condition.
In addition, gas emissions can also affect the environment. For instance, the gas caused by garbage incineration contains a mass of toxic substances which will harm human health and damage the atmosphere. Also, Rhyner et al (1995:308) conclude that methane emission is one of the potential effects of global warming. Consequently, a decrease in gas emissions can purify the air. Whether individual or organization, people have a responsibility to protect the environment.
Individuals
Individuals need a comfortable environment. For this reason, they have responsibilities to improve the environment through waste management. Firstly, individuals should sort the waste that can be easily recycled, so that it will not be casually discarded. This approach can reduce the waste of land resources and protect the structure of the soil. Secondly, repeat use the paper material, such as paper bags, and paper boxes. Because paper is composed of wood fiber, Rhyner et al (1995) accept that “As demand for paper and paperboard grew, techniques were developed for utilizing wood fiber in papermaking (American Paper Institute, 1990).” Furthermore, Barkham (2011) considers that manufacturing a paper bag costs four times as much as a plastic bag and it uses 20 times the amount of energy to be recycled. Therefore, circulating the use of paper material can reduce the felling of the trees. Similarly, reducing the use of disposable chopsticks can have the same impact.
Thirdly, Acton (2011) indicates that the role of individuals and households is to manage carbon emissions, such as transport and energy use. The individuals and households can control the usage amount of vehicles and stoves to reduce the emissions.
Fourthly, the individuals can put the waste generated in the life through secondary operation to make it into a variety of adornments. For example, individuals can use plastic bottles to make brush pots, and make the abandoned cloth into fabric flowers. Finally, put the leaves and stalks of plants which rot in the soil, then it will become natural fertilizer.
Corporation
The opinion of Rhyner et al (1995) is that, “Local estimates of commercial waste quantities tend to be more difficult to develop than those for residential waste quantities.” The waste generated by corporations or factories are more destructive to the environment. In particular, the heavy industry factories need to discharge industrial wastewater every day. Therefore, the industrial wastewater should be reasonably discharged into the urban wastewater treatment plants. This approach can protect the water resource from pollution.
Corporations can develop new technology to recycle and manage waste. For instance, Smithers (2013) reveals that “the British company has developed the world 's first technology to recycle disposable coffee cups into high quality paper products.” This is an excellent technology that can change the waste into a great value. Nevertheless, it will cause trouble because of increased cost if the companies want to develop this kind of technology. Because of this, the supports from government are important.
Corporations should have social responsibility to participate in the waste management, and can, through investment and donation, support the environmental safeguard. The benefits will be obvious – on one hand, the corporations will be a good example to protect the environment; and one the other hand, this corporate social responsibility will make a contribution to companies’ reputation and brand, which is beneficial for companies’ long-term development.

Government
The government plays an important and positive role in waste management owing to the government policy can lead and impact the individuals to how to protect the environment. For example, the government can refer to other countries about environmental policy, and then establish the wholesome and perfect environmental laws. Mandatory carry out the waste classification and recycling. Moreover, supporting the development of the recycling industry, to change the waste into the recycling resource. At the same time, it can also to development of economy. The emission of wastewater from heavy industry factories is restricted through the legislation. The waste gas will also be dealt with in the same way. For instance, the government can encourage the local inhabitant o walk or ride on bicycle. On one hand, the government can make great use of advertisement to sparkplug the significance of waste management, as well as to arouse the positivity of the individuals and corporations. On the other hand, the government also can subsidize to the companies who intent to develop new technology to devote into recycling.

People cannot enjoy their daily life without a good environment. The government and individuals play an important role in the process of protecting the environment. As a result, it is a momentous mission for people to protect the environment. This essay has discussed how to protect from four aspects. Firstly, this part is explaining the waste significant impact on environment. It can damage the soil structure, the underground water system and the aerosphere. But in the same way, the waste management can also make the environment become better. Secondly, it talked about a variety of measures for the individuals to waste management, such as waste classification and the secondary utilization of waste. Thirdly, for the corporations, they have responsibility to mange the waste. Because the waste from corporate is more than individuals. In addition, the wastewater and waster gas they have produced are not easy to fully deal with. For this reason, the corporations have to invest more capitals to waste management. Finally, for the government, it the legislation about the environment exert a big influence on a people or an organization. Because the government can encourage and support them. Consequently, it can be suggested that people have responsibility to protect the environment, whether individuals or not. It can reduce the waste of the resource, and promote the development of the economy. In the future, the waste management and recycling will still have a positive effect on the people’s lives.

References

Acton, A. (2011) Environment, Treading Lightly upon the Earth, the Open University Press, Milton Keynes [20th Aug 2013]
Barkham, P. (2011) Paper bags or plastic bags: which are best? Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2011/dec/20/paper-plastic-bags-which-best Retrieved 10 June 2013 [14th Aug 2013]
Huang, Q., Wang, Q., Dong, L., Xi, B & Zhou, B. (2006) The current situation of solid waste management in China, 8, 63-69
Rhyner, C.R., Schwartz, L.J., Wenger, R.B. & Kohrell, M.G. (1995) Waste Management and Resource Recovery, CRC Press, Inc.
Smithers, R. (2013) British company develops technology to recycle disposable coffee cups, Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jul/17/recyle-disposable-coffee-cups-james-cropper Retrieved 1 Sep 2013 [2ed Sep 2013]

References: Acton, A. (2011) Environment, Treading Lightly upon the Earth, the Open University Press, Milton Keynes [20th Aug 2013] Barkham, P. (2011) Paper bags or plastic bags: which are best? Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/shortcuts/2011/dec/20/paper-plastic-bags-which-best Retrieved 10 June 2013 [14th Aug 2013] Huang, Q., Wang, Q., Dong, L., Xi, B & Zhou, B. (2006) The current situation of solid waste management in China, 8, 63-69 Rhyner, C.R., Schwartz, L.J., Wenger, R.B. & Kohrell, M.G. (1995) Waste Management and Resource Recovery, CRC Press, Inc. Smithers, R. (2013) British company develops technology to recycle disposable coffee cups, Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jul/17/recyle-disposable-coffee-cups-james-cropper Retrieved 1 Sep 2013 [2ed Sep 2013]