We’re constantly bombarded with news of increased pollution, global warming and resource depletion, therefore, we all understand the importance of eco-friendliness and proper waste management practices. For many businesses, waste management and disposal is an issue that requires a lot of attention and gets constant funding.
Today, waste management and disposal is a question that concerns not only big polluters of the industrial kind, but also smaller businesses and communities in general. All regions and all communities struggle with waste management, so it’s a global issue that needs our collective attention. So how can corporations, businesses and communities improve their waste management? Here are a few trends on the issue to keep in mind:
More careful sorting of garbage
In the past, waste disposal included dumping the trash in the landfill and calling it a day. However, these traditional practices of waste disposal without sporting and waste treatment have partially caused the pollution situation we are in today. The damage to the environment is extensive, and some communities even suffer from health issues caused by garbage dumping. Luckily, waste sorting has become an important step in disposal—separation of organic from non-organic, biodegradable from non-biodegradable, solid from liquid, and non-toxic from toxic waste. Through smart sorting, it’s much easier to conduct other steps in waste disposal like recycling, composting, etc.
Recycling non-biodegradable waste
Some materials that are not biodegradable or take too long to degrade need to be reused or recycled. Certain forms of waste can be reused in their existing shape (used for either the same application or application in a different process or even industry) or modified to fit various other applications. On the other hand, waste that can’t be reused should be recycled. In preparation for recycling, waste needs to be sorted and then treated with industrial compactors that will compress the waste. Waste compacting is a crucial step of waste treatment before recycling, and it’s easy and fast with proper machinery. Through recycling, it’s possible to create raw materials ready to be used in new item production.
Composting of organic waste
Every day, households, communities and businesses produce a lot of organic waste. While this waste can be burned or dumped, a much better solution is to turn it into a valuable resource through composting. All biowaste produced by households, farms, restaurants, stores, etc. can be turned into fertilizer and bio-fuel. In recent years, many cities and farming areas are investing in compost infrastructure that not only puts biowaste to good use, but also reduces pollution caused by dumping the waste. The waste to Energy (WTE) concept is also becoming a more and more popular word with communities and businesses, so we might see this as a trend in the upcoming years.
Digital waste management
Better waste management in modern times is a result of new technology applications. Digital helpers can be used to track products, monitor their use and prevent improper disposal. Today, there are mobile apps that help people request waste pickups from homes, residential buildings and factories. And the emergence of the Internet of Things technology allows waste pickup services to get an alert when bins are full. There are also robots that can help in the process of sorting and preparing garbage for recycling or composting.
Better regulations
One of the best things for proper waste disposal in today’s society focuses on the strengthening of regulations for waste production, handling, sorting and disposal. There are stiff guidelines that businesses and communities need to follow in order to reduce and reuse waste or face fines. As the awareness among citizens is growing, the demand for pollution control is higher than ever.
Waste management and disposal practices still have a lot of improvement to go through, but we’re certainly on the right track with these trends. If we continue moving in the right direction, we might have a much greener future to look forward to.
