" Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal."
The collection, transportation, processing, and disposal of waste, with the goal of minimizing the impact on the environment and human health.
Waste generation: The types and sources of waste materials, including municipal solid waste, hazardous waste, biomedical waste, e-waste, industrial waste, construction and demolition waste, and agricultural waste.
Waste reduction strategies: The measures taken to reduce the amount of waste produced, such as recycling, composting, reuse, and waste-to-energy facilities.
Waste segregation: The process of separating different types of waste materials into different categories for proper disposal.
Collection and transportation: The methods used to collect, transport, and dispose of waste materials, including residential and commercial waste collection, waste transfer stations, recycling centers, and landfill sites.
Landfills: The construction, operation, and maintenance of landfill sites, including their environmental impacts and regulations.
Incineration: The use of high-temperature burning to dispose of waste materials, including the environmental and health impacts of incineration.
Recycling: The collection, sorting, and processing of recyclable materials, including plastic, glass, paper, and metal.
Composting: The natural process of converting organic waste into nutrient-rich soil, including the methods and benefits of composting.
Hazardous waste management: The handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste materials, such as chemicals, pesticides, and radioactive waste.
Biomedical waste management: The management and disposal of waste materials generated by healthcare facilities, including infectious waste, sharps, and medical equipment.
E-waste management: The management and disposal of waste materials generated by electronic devices, including the environmental and health impacts of e-waste.
Industrial waste management: The management and disposal of waste materials generated by industries, including the environmental and health impacts of industrial waste.
Sustainable waste management: The development and implementation of sustainable waste management practices to minimize adverse environmental and health impacts.
Landfilling: The most common method used for waste disposal, where waste is buried underground and left to decompose over time.
Incineration: Waste is burned at high temperatures, converting it into ashes and gases.
Recycling: The process of collecting and reprocessing waste materials into new products or materials.
Composting: Decayed organic material is turned into a nutrient-rich soil amendment called compost.
Anaerobic digestion: The process of breaking down organic matter into biogas (mostly methane) and fertilizer through the use of microorganisms in the absence of oxygen.
Waste-to-Energy: Waste is incinerated to produce heat or electricity.
Plasma gasification: Waste is heated to extremely high temperatures in a sealed chamber, converting it into a gas that can be used to generate electricity.
Vermicomposting: Composting that involves the use of worms to break down organic waste.
Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs): Facilities that sort, clean, and process recyclable materials from mixed waste streams.
Hazardous waste management: A special kind of waste management process that involves handling and disposing of potentially dangerous or harmful materials.
Medical Waste Management: The proper handling and disposal of medical waste, including sharps, biological waste, and pharmaceutical waste.
Electronic waste management: The proper handling and disposal of electronic waste, including computers, phones, and other electronics.
"Waste can be solid, liquid, or gases and each type has different methods of disposal and management."
"Health issues are associated with the entire process of waste management...directly through the handling of solid waste, and indirectly through the consumption of water, soil, and food."
"The aim of waste management is to reduce the dangerous effects of such waste on the environment and human health."
"A report found that effective waste management is relatively expensive, usually comprising 20%–50% of municipal budgets."
"A large portion of waste management practices deal with municipal solid waste (MSW), which is the bulk of the waste created by household, industrial, and commercial activity."
"According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), municipal solid waste is expected to reach approximately 3.4 Gt by 2050..."
"Electronic waste (e-waste) includes discarded computer monitors, motherboards, mobile phones, and chargers...India generates ~ 2 million tonnes (Mte) of e-waste annually and ranks fifth among the e-waste producing countries."
"Effective 'Waste Management' involves the practice of '7R' - 'Refuse, 'Reduce', 'Reuse, 'Repair', 'Repurpose', 'Recycle', and 'Recover'."
"The first two ('Refuse' and 'Reduce') relates to the non-creation of waste - by refusing to buy non-essential products and by reducing consumption."
"'Reuse' refers to increasing the usage of the existing product, with or without the substitution of certain parts of the product."
"'Repurpose' and 'Recycle' involves maximum usage of the materials used in the product."
"'Recover' is the least preferred and least efficient waste management practice involving the recovery of embedded energy in the waste material."
"Certain non-biodegradable products are also dumped away as 'Disposal', and this is not a 'waste-management' practice."
"Proper management of waste is important for building sustainable and livable cities, but it remains a challenge for many developing countries and cities."
"Measures of waste management include measures for integrated techno-economic mechanisms of a circular economy, effective disposal facilities, export and import control, and optimal sustainable design of products."
"Authors concluded that about a fourth of all the municipal solid terrestrial waste is not collected and an additional fourth is mismanaged after collection...due to the absence of 'substantial research funding'."
"The first systematic review of the scientific evidence around global waste, its management, and its impact on human health and life..."
"Proper management of waste is important for building sustainable and livable cities..."
"A report found that effective waste management is relatively expensive, usually comprising 20%–50% of municipal budgets."