" Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal."
Waste reduction practices aim to decrease the amount of waste that is generated. By reducing waste, less material goes into landfills, which conserves resources and benefits the environment.
Zero Waste Lifestyle: A philosophy and approach to waste reduction by aiming to produce little to no waste.
Recycling: The process of converting waste materials into new, reusable materials.
Composting: The natural process of decomposing organic waste into nutrient-rich soil that can be used to enhance plant growth.
Upcycling: The transformation of waste materials into new and desirable products with higher value.
Waste Reduction Hierarchy: A framework for planning and prioritizing waste reduction activities according to their environmental impact, from most to least preferred: reduce, reuse, recycle, compost, dispose.
Sustainable Packaging: The use of eco-friendly packaging materials or techniques that reduce waste, energy consumption, and environmental impact.
Circular Economy: A system that seeks to keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them, and then recover and regenerate them.
E-Waste: Electronic waste, which refers to discarded electronic devices that contain hazardous materials and can pose serious harm to the environment and human health.
Hazardous Waste: Waste materials that are harmful or dangerous to human health, environment, and/or property and require special treatment and disposal methods.
Food Waste: Unsold or uneaten food that goes to waste, often contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and resource depletion.
Climate Change and Waste Reduction: How waste reduction can mitigate climate change and the impacts of climate change on waste management.
Public Awareness and Outreach: Educating and engaging the public about the importance of waste reduction and the benefits of sustainable waste management practices.
Source reduction: Source reduction involves reducing the quantity of waste produced at the source itself. This is achieved through material substitution, waste minimization, and process redesign.
Reuse: Reuse refers to using a product or packaging again after it has fulfilled its original purpose. This way, waste can be avoided, and the lifecycle of a product can be extended.
Recycling: Recycling involves the processing of waste materials and converting them into new products. This saves energy, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and conserves natural resources.
Composting: Composting refers to the decomposition of organic waste into nutrient-rich soil amendments that can be reused in gardening and landscaping. This reduces the amount of waste going to landfills and lowers methane emissions.
Incineration: Incineration involves burning waste materials to generate energy or dispose of hazardous waste. However, it is expensive and can result in air pollution.
Landfills: Landfills involve burying waste in the ground. This is often the last resort when the other methods of waste reduction are not feasible. However, this can contaminate groundwater and cause environmental damage.
Bioremediation: Bioremediation involves using microorganisms to break down hazardous waste, making them less toxic or even harmless.
Industrial symbiosis: Industrial symbiosis involves one company’s waste becoming another company’s raw material. This can reduce waste and save resources while promoting economic growth.
Design for the Environment (DfE): DfE is a holistic approach to waste reduction that involves minimizing the negative impacts of products on the environment throughout their entire lifecycle.
Waste-to-energy: Waste-to-energy is the process of generating energy from waste, such as incineration and gasification. This reduces the amount of waste going to landfills and provides energy.
Extended producer responsibility (EPR): EPR is a policy that holds manufacturers responsible for the disposal of their products after their useful life has ended. This incentivizes manufacturers to design products that are easier to recycle or reuse.
Upcycling: Upcycling involves transforming waste materials into new products of higher value or quality. This can help reduce waste and the use of new resources.
Circular economy: The circular economy involves designing products and systems so that waste is minimized, and resources are kept in use for as long as possible. This involves recycling, reuse, repair, and remanufacturing.
Lean manufacturing: Lean manufacturing is an approach that seeks to minimize waste in production processes by identifying and eliminating unnecessary steps or materials. This can reduce costs and environmental impacts.
Zero waste: Zero waste is the ultimate goal of waste reduction where nothing is sent to landfills or incinerated. This involves designing products and systems that minimize waste and promote circularity.
"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."