How Municipal Waste is Mismanaged?
Urbanization and economic growth are important drivers of municipal waste’s continuous increase. The buy, use, and trash trend of life generates tremendous waste by individuals and companies in urban areas.
In 2016, 2.5 Bn tons of waste were produced in Europe (1).
Not only does waste harm the environment, but its management is also expensive for countries—€17 billion in France in 2014 (2).
No wonder, in low-income countries, 90% of waste is mismanaged (3).
While some waste can be reused or recycled and, therefore, turned into resources, it is important to consider that the best waste is not produced or consumed at all.
Let’s understand the categories of waste, their management, and their environmental impact.
What are the main waste categories?
Waste type and amount vary considerably depending on regional economic activities and consumption. The main categories are:
- Municipal solid waste
- Liquid waste
- Hazardous waste
- Industrial non-hazardous waste
- Radioactive waste
- Construction and demolition waste
- Mining waste…
What are municipal wastes?
Municipal waste is waste collected and treated by or for a municipality.
It covers waste from households, businesses, gardens, street sweepings, and litter containers. It excludes waste from municipal sewage treatment and construction/demolition activities.
Municipal waste exceeds 550 kg per capita per year in Western countries, including food waste, packaged goods, disposable goods, and used electronics (5).
How solid municipal wastes are managed?
When waste is not exported for treatment abroad—despite the Basel Convention, which regulates the international trade of hazardous waste to prevent dumping in less developed countries—it is managed domestically, with methods that vary by country. These include:
- Landfill
- Incineration
- Waste-to-energy
- Storage
- Treatment
- Reuse
- Recycling
- Composting
What are the effects of solid municipal wastes on the environment?
The effect of waste on the environment depends on its treatment. For example:
- Treating via landfills is the most harmful option (6). As waste decomposes in landfills, it releases methane, one of several non-CO2 gases contributing to global climate change. For example, municipal solid waste landfills are the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the U.S., accounting for 15.5% of these emissions in 2021 (7).
- Treating via incineration or any waste-to-energy process is also used for municipal waste management. Less expensive than recycling and composting, incineration and waste-to-energy cause massive CO2 emissions and other outputs such as slags and dangerous gas residues (8).
Reduce your waste to make a positive impact on the environment!
Waste mismanagement causes pollution. Waste treatment utilizes resources, energy and financial investment from municipalities. By reducing individual waste, you participate in a fundamental societal change.
There are no small individual actions.
Read the zero waste tool section for tips on reducing your waste.
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