Waste Management
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Waste Management
Waste management encompasses the activities and actions that are intended to manage waste from the point of generation to their final point of disposal. There are generally 5 types of wastes, each of which differs in the manner of disposal. This includes liquid waste, solid waste (ceramic and glass, metals and tins, card/paper waste, and plastic waste), organic waste (such as rotten meat, manure, garden waste and all food waste), hazardous waste (like nuclear waste, they are reactive, corrosive, toxic and flammable) and recyclable rubbish (material that is recyclable such as metals, furniture, paper and some organic waste) (4 Waste Removal Pty Ltd). There are seven waste management categories for waste disposal today (Rinkesh, 2020). This essay will focus on solid waste management in Atlanta city, Georgia.
Atlanta is the capital city of that state of Georgia. It’s the most populated and industrialized city in the state with a population of over 500000 inhabitants (worldpopulationreview.com, 2020). As one of the most thriving metropolis in the US, the city produces a large amount of waste each day; several solid waste management companies have been registered in the city to help the state government handle the huge amount of waste generated each day (Solid Waste, 2020). These companies have each been allocated specific regions/county of the city and are charged with the responsibility of trash collection, recycling, disposal or transfer. The state has enacted various legislations to help regulate waste management in the cities and provide a clear framework for the management of different types of waste, including charges and fines.
Solid waste management is an issue in the state system due to the environmental impact associated with the improper disposal of waste materials. There are 23 landfill in the state of Georgia, most of which are located around the Atlanta metropolitan area (Rental, 2020). The city of Atlanta solid waste bill has been instrumental in streamlining waste management in the city, making it one of the cleanest in the United States. However, proper management of waste in the city is accompanied by several pros and con, some of which have alarmed environmentalist and conservationists (Reddy, 2020).
The cons identified in the city’s solid waste management framework include increase contamination of the environment from toxic waste particularly medical waste, increase labour costs, lack of uniformity in the solid waste management practices of different waste management companies, and landfill sites are often dangerous (Reddy, 2020). Besides these, the processes are not always effective and often lead to more problems.
The above disadvantages of solid waste management can be solved via the use of the 3R’, that is, recycle reuse and reduce. However, the latter strategy is regarded as the cornerstone of all methods or strategies for dealing with solid waste. Reduction in the amount of waste generated at the sources lowers the overall costs of dealing with waste, thus creating room for the little waste generated to be managed in an eco-friendly manner. Waste management done properly, lower the negative effects waste exert on the environment. Besides these, there is need to create awareness amongst American about their role in waste management. If need be, the laws should be strengthened to penalize those who fail to adhere to laid down guidelines on waste management (Reddy, 2020). This will make people responsible for their own action with regards to waste management.
References
4 waste removal pty ltd, (2020, October 5). There are 5 types of waste, do you know them all? https://4waste.com.au/rubbish-removal/5-types-waste-know/.
Reddy, C. (2020, May 15). Advantages and Disadvantages of Waste Management. WiseStep. https://content.wisestep.com/advantages-disadvantages-waste-management/.
Rental, D. (2020, July 21). Georgia Landfills. https://www.allthingswaste.com/georgia-landfills/.
Rinkesh, A. (2020, May 29). What is Waste Management and Various Methods of Waste Disposal? Conserve Energy Future. https://www.conserve-energy-future.com/waste-management-and-waste-disposal-methods.php.
Solid Waste. (n.d.). Retrieved September 17, 2020, from https://epd.georgia.gov/land-protection-branch/solid-waste
worldpopulationreview.com. (2020). Atlanta, Georgia Population 2020. Atlanta, Georgia Population 2020 (Demographics, Maps, Graphs). https://worldpopulationreview.com/us-cities/atlanta-ga-population.