" 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 materials in a way that minimizes environmental harm and maximizes resource recovery.
Solid Waste Management: This involves the collection, transportation, and disposal of solid waste such as household garbage, industrial waste, and non-hazardous waste.
Hazardous waste management: This includes handling and disposing of toxic and harmful waste safely and effectively to minimize the risk of human and environmental pollution.
Waste reduction: This includes minimizing waste generation by adopting sustainable practices such as recycling, increasing efficiency, and reducing consumption.
Waste recycling: This involves the collection, separation, and processing of waste into useful products or resources, such as composting or producing energy through waste-to-energy plants.
Landfills: This involves the use of landfills to dispose of non-hazardous waste, the design and management of landfills to minimize environmental impact, and the monitoring of landfills for contamination.
Incineration: This involves the burning of waste to generate energy or dispose of waste, and the design and operation of incinerators to minimize pollutants and their impact on the environment.
E-waste management: This involves managing electronic waste, including its proper disposal, recycling, and reuse to minimize the damage caused by hazardous substances.
Biomedical waste management: This includes the correct management and disposal of medical waste, such as infectious and hazardous waste, to minimize the risks associated with human and environmental pollution.
Waste auditing: This involves evaluating the waste production and associated costs of an organization or community, and determining ways to reduce waste generation and improve waste management.
Environmental policy: This involves understanding the laws and regulations governing waste management and ensuring compliance with those regulations. Additionally, it involves the development of policy and advocacy to support sustainable waste management practices.
Solid waste management: Solids or non-liquid materials produced from households, businesses, and industries are managed under this type of waste management. It includes collection, transportation, disposal, and recycling of waste materials.
Hazardous waste management: Waste materials that possess hazardous properties such as flammability, corrosivity, and toxicity come under this type of waste management. It includes careful handling, disposal, and transport of these materials to prevent harm to the environment and human health.
Biomedical waste management: Waste materials generated from healthcare facilities such as hospitals and clinics come under this category. It includes managing and disposing of materials such as discarded surgical tools, sharps, and biological wastes.
E-waste management: Electronic waste materials generated from households and businesses come under this type of waste management. It includes recycling, refurbishing, and disposing of electronic waste materials such as cell phones, computers, and televisions.
Chemical waste management: Waste materials produced from chemical industries come under this category. It includes collecting, transporting, and disposing of chemicals in an environmentally responsible manner to prevent harm to the environment and human health.
Construction waste management: Waste materials generated from construction sites come under this category. It includes managing and disposing of materials such as concrete, wood, and metal scraps.
Industrial waste management: Waste materials produced from industries such as manufacturing and processing come under this category. It includes managing and disposing of waste materials such as sludge, ash, and wastewater.
Agricultural waste management: Waste materials generated from agricultural activities come under this type of waste management. It includes managing and disposing of waste materials such as crop residues, animal waste, and packaging materials.
Radioactive waste management: Waste materials that contain radioactive properties come under this category. It includes managing and disposing of waste materials such as spent nuclear fuel, radioisotopes, and radioactive waste from industrial activities.
Food waste management: Waste materials generated from households, restaurants, and food processing facilities come under this category. It includes managing and disposing of waste materials such as spoiled food, food scraps, and packaging materials.
Marine waste management: Waste materials generated from marine activities come under this type of waste management. It includes managing and disposing of waste materials such as plastics, fishing nets, and other debris.
Municipal waste management: Waste materials produced by communities come under this type of waste management. It includes managing and disposing of waste materials such as household trash, street sweepings, and sewerage.
"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."