Category: Waste Management

The essay is a book report about ‘The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters’ written by Rose George in 2008 a publication of Metropolitan Books. To accomplish this three major issues are addressed; the author’s points as well as my intention, things I have learned from the book as well as my thoughts, and lastly the benefits of the book. The author talks of how humans shun away from talking about human waste management. She clearly depicts and makes the reader understand that this is quite important. The whole issue is ignored by the majority in the world.

According to Rose 73 based on careful global research about 2.6 billion individuals do not have access to proper sanitation. The consequences she says are much more harmful than what AIDS and HIV, tuberculosis, armed conflicts as well as malaria cannot match. To her diarrhea is much worse and more threatening to human existence. For this reason, waste management is one of the most burning issues that are currently facing humanity as their number keeps on swelling resulting in overcrowding.

The author compares the state of sanitation in major cities such as London, New York to cities in developing countries as well as those in the Middle East, especially India. In the latter, fecal waste is just deposited openly in crowded residential places. Women are forced to clean these wastes by using bare hands making them prone to dysentery (Rose 212). Big and clean cities have managed to construct very good lavatories which use a lot of water. Additionally, governments also seem to pay little attention to the matter. In her view, for a human to improve on sanitation, there is a need to have a champion who will lead from the front. An example given is the efforts made by Matt Damon who came up with a campaign dubbed ‘bring clean water to Africa’

The author is of the view that with a population of close to three billion, it will not be rational to provide these individuals with clean water while the issue of proper sanitation is completely ignored. Close to 2 million children die annually from health problems associated with poor sanitation (Rose 153).

Additionally, she makes it explicit that as time moves; the sewerage system of the world will continue to get worse. According to U.S Environmental Protection Agency, by the year 2020 about half of the sewage pipes will be in a crumbling state which will pose a greater threat to human health. Through the author, there are a number of issues have learned and come to appreciate. Among them is that human beings are refraining to tackle the issue of waste management head-on. As proposed by the author I agree that we indeed need the icon in the society who will help others champion proper waste management in the world.

Additionally, the issue of poor sanitation with the health problem associated with it has negatively impacted those in the third world country more as compared to their counterparts in developed countries. For instance, young people fail to attend school due to sickness as a result of poor sanitation. This coupled with lack of equipment such as internet connection has made African children as well as those in other developing countries to be disadvantaged in terms of knowledge and skill acquisition.

On the same note, I have learned that sewage treatment plants do pose a health problem to local populations. Diseases associated with cancer as well as other auto-immune ailments. Governments also contribute to the problem facing mankind when it comes to waste management. For instance, through Environmental Protection Agency allowed firms to categorize sewage as fertilizers. Having in mind that without being fully treated the fertilizer, it will allow heavy metals such as mercury to enter agricultural products which are consumed by living organisms. Additionally, lack of proper lavatories especially in slums that are over populated for instance in east Africa has resorted to using flying toilets. This poses great danger to human health. Through the views of the Rose, fecal matter has been not only used as fertilizers but also in generating energy to light stoves. In France, buses were run on bio-methane. Additionally, in politics, controlling riot has been in part handled by using fecal stink bombs.

In my own view, the problems associated with inadequate waste management are of health concern to people in the world (Rose 231). There is thus need to get everyone on board in trying to bring a culture of managing human waste in the most proper manner. It is no doubt that the book has left me thinking on how waste management will look like if we do not take necessary corrective action at present. Before reading the book I held the belief that human waste management is an easy task that the current efforts can help address emerging problem. However, a close scrutiny of event through ready the book has painted another picture in my mind. Ion the near future I fore see a situation whereby if we do not join hands and have true champions of proper human waste then we will see more people dying and suffering from diseases that could be prevented.

Work Cited

Rose, George. The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters. New York: Metropolitan Books, 2008. Print.

The life of the modern man is associated with a lot of waste surrounding him everywhere. The problem is in the fact it seems that the contemporary industries work to provide people with more waste, and the principles of consumption contribute to the development of the situation. The issue of waste management is current for the campus community, but the situation is complicated with the fact that the surrounding community is also involved in realizing waste management because of the system’s specifics.

Today, the campus community has no necessary resources to realize waste disposal independently, and the issues of ignoring the principles of dividing and recycling the waste fixed by the campus and surrounding communities contribute to the development of the conflict situations. It is important to pay attention to the fact that the problem can be solved effectively if the accents are made on providing the students with the necessary knowledge of the question and the ways of its resolving.

Students should know that the effective waste management is the first step to resolving the global environmental issues, and the problem can be overcome with references to rethinking its aspects. The current agreement with the surrounding community on the problem of waste management is based on such principles as the reduction of the waste and its division according the recycling standards.

However, many students do not follow these principles, creating the conditions for conflicts with the local communities and rejecting the ideas of the environmental sustainability. The action of a student can reduce the positive effects of the campus community’s activities and influence the local surroundings. That is why, the environmental protection policy associated with waste management should be followed strictly.

The problem of waste management is always current because the number of waste can be reduced, but it does not disappear. That is why, students should be aware of the problem, and the administrators’ task is to develop the necessary strategies to cope with the problem of waste at the campus territories and its further recycling with the help of the surrounding community’s resources.

The accents should be made on the integrated and sustainable waste management (Wilson and Scheinberg 1055). Nevertheless, students should not only know about the principles of recycling and dividing the waste according to the material but also follow these rules to save the environment.

Each student’s efforts to contribute to the effective waste management matter when the ignorance of the principles leads to the environmental pollution. It can seem that the effects of ignoring the practice of waste disposal are minimal because it is rather difficult to observe the immediate results. Nevertheless, the ignorance of the waste management principles can lead to such long-term results as the soil and water pollution and to the negative effects on the public health (Monahan).

Thus, it is important to change the attitude to the problem and pay more attention to such simple actions as the regular division of the waste according to the material. It is easy to separate plastic boxes, organic waste, and paper to contribute to the effective recycling process.

Moreover, it is easy not to collect the waste in rooms. Such simple actions can be effective in reducing the threat of the environmental pollution from the large perspective and avoid the local conflicts between the campus and surrounding communities because it is more pleasant to live in the world free of waste.

Works Cited

Monahan, Matt 2004, Municipal Solid Waste Study. PDF file. Web.

Wilson, David and Anne Scheinberg. “What Is Good Practice in Solid Management?” Waste Management & Research 28.12 (2010): 1055-1056. Print.

Introduction

Environmental conservation is one of the main issues affecting the modern global society. Environmental scientists have warned against global warming and other serious consequences of environmental conservation.

According to Liu et al. (2018), one of the major areas of concern in environmental conservation is the massive generation of electronic wastes. The growing popularity of mobile phones, television sets, computers, and other electronic products means that a significant amount of these wastes is produced every year. One of the countries that produce a massive amount of electronic wastes in China. Unlike the biodegradable wastes, components of electronic wastes such as plastic wastes and metals may have lasting environmental consequences. As Namias (2013) observes, it is expected that China will continue producing more electronic wastes within the coming years. It is important to find ways of managing these wastes responsibly.

Aim and Objectives

The primary aim of this project is to investigate the current electronic waste management practices in China and propose effective approaches that the country can embrace to deal with the problem. The study will propose ways in which the country can deal with the issue of the ever-increasing generation of this form of waste. The following are the objectives that had to be achieved by the end of the study.

• To identify current electronic waste management practices in China;
• To determine weaknesses in the current waste management practices in China;
• To propose environmentally responsible ways that the country can embrace to deal with the problem of electronic waste generation.

Demographics

The amount of waste that a country generates, as Williams (2016) observes, directly relates to the size of its population. It is estimated that the current population of China is over 1.4 billion people, which accounts for one-fifth of the world’s total population (Williams 2016). The majority of the population (over 90%) are the Han ethnic group. The Zhuang forms a significant minority (7.13%). Other ethnic groups account for about 1% of the entire population of the country (Khan & Chang 2018). Figure 1 below summarises the ethnic composition of the Chinese population.

Problem Identification

Recent scientific studies show that the earth may not withstand the massive pollution that has been going on for the last several decades shortly. The impact of environmental degradation is already being experienced in various parts of the world. The frequent cyclones in Asia, disastrous wildfires in North America and Europe, and prolonged drought in African are indications that the pressure exerted on nature by various pollutants is too great to bear.

One of the countries which are worst affected by this problem is China. According to Washburn (2013), major industrial cities such as Shanghai have had to bear a high level of air pollutants that infants and the elderly people have to remain indoors at specific hours of the day to avoid respiratory diseases.

If the current trends continue, some of these Chinese cities will be inhabitable. The goal of economic growth and development is to make life easier and better for the citizens of a given country. Such a goal will be lost if people are forced to leave their homes because of the high levels of contamination of the air. The country’s economic progress will ultimately be meaningless.

Electronic waste is one of the most common sources of pollutants in China. According to Yamamoto and Hosoda (2016), almost every resident in China (over 1.4 billion people) use some form of electronic gadget. It may be an electronic toy that is very popular with children; phones, tablets, or personal computers popular among youths and adults; and television sets popular among the elderly. In the end, these products become wastes that have to be disposed of.

Every time a new model of a phone or computer emerges, people rush to dispose of the old models in favor of the new arrivals. It means that in some cases these electronic products are disposed of even before they complete their lifespan. With such a massive population, it is a major cause of concern that the country produces such a significant amount of waste. Components of these wastes such as plastic and specific metals pose a serious threat to the environment. Yamamoto and Hosoda (2016) warn that if these wastes are not managed properly, the country may face serious environmental consequences. The project seeks to find ways in which this country can deal with the problem before it becomes too overwhelming to overcome.

Methodology

When conducting research, it is necessary to develop a plan that defines how data will be collected and analyzed. The limited-time available for this project made it difficult to collect data from primary sources. As such, the researcher opted to conduct desk research. This approach involves using online libraries and platforms to collect secondary data needed for the study. Information about the management of electronic waste is readily available in books, articles, and other online platforms. The method was chosen because it is simple, cost-effective, and less time-consuming. The goal was to ensure that information collected from these sources was able to address the aim and objectives of the study.

Economy

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

When analyzing the number of electronic wastes that a country produces, one of the factors that cannot be ignored is the gross domestic product. China has the second-largest GDP in the world, second only to that of the United States. As shown in figure 2 below, the GDP of this country has been growing consistently over the past ten years, and Veit and Bernardes (2015) project that it will surpass that of the United States in a few years to come. The growth has been stimulated by the massive manufacturing industry and the export of these products to the international market. As Gardner (2018) observes, the larger the GDP, the greater the generation of electronic waste, especially in a country that has a huge population.

Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Growth Rate

It is important to look at the growth rate of the GDP because it also defines how much the country is projected to use electronic resources. According to Veit and Bernardes (2015), China has one of the highest GDP growth rates of all the developed economies.

As shown in figure 3 below, in 2010 when the United States, Europe, and other economies around the world were affected by the recession, Chinese GDP was growing at double digits (10.16%) (Veit & Bernardes 2015). Although the growth rate has slowed consistently since then, partly because of the huge size of the economy, it is still experiencing impressive growth compared with other developed nations. It is an indication that electronic waste generation is likely to become a major problem in this country in the coming future.

Major Sources of Income

A critical analysis of major sources of income in a country can also help in determining the rate at which electronic wastes are generated. As Sternfeld (2017) explains, countries that rely on agricultural-based income sources tend to generate less electronic wastes than those that emphasize manufacturing. China is currently the leading manufacturer of various electronic products, outpacing the United States and Japan. The following are the main sources of income in China.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing is the primary source of income in China. After many years of the economic revolution, the Chinese government came up with ways of promoting its manufacturing sector. It lowered its energy cost, improved skills of the local human resource, and created a huge market both locally and internationally for these products. The ability of the country to produce cheap products for developing states has enabled it to dominate the African market (Veit & Bernardes 2015). The country also exports these manufactured products to North America, Europe, and other parts of Asia-Pacific.

Services

The service industry has also been growing rapidly over the years. The banking sector, entertainment, and education are some of the main service industries, which have registered impressive growth over the recent past (Sternfeld 2017). These sectors rely on various electronic products. Schools are currently using iPads and computers to make learning easier than it was in the past. Entertainment in modern society is purely based on different electronic gadgets.

Banks and microfinance institutions have to use computers to facilitate their operations. Al-Habaibeh, Meyerowitz, and Athresh (2015) explain that the emerging technology-based trends are likely to promote the use of electronic products. Figure 4 below shows how the education sector is becoming increasingly reliant on electronic gadgets to disseminate knowledge.

Agriculture

The Chinese economic revolution did not only focus on the industrial sector but also on agriculture. It was necessary to ensure that the country could feed its 1.4 billion people. According to Al-Habaibeh, Meyerowitz, and Athresh (2015), the Chinese agricultural sector employs more than 300 million people who use modern technology to improve yield. It is the world’s top producer of agricultural produce, with wheat, rice, soybeans, peanuts, tea, sorghum, cotton, and barley being some of the main crops. The agricultural sector is capable of meeting the local needs and export excess to the international market.

Poverty Rate

The rate of poverty is also relevant when investigating the problem of electronic waste production. According to Sternfeld (2017), the rate of poverty in China has been on a downward trend since the 1980s. Rural dwellers are relatively poorer than those living in major urban centers are. However, statistics in figure 5 below show that living standards for both rural and urban dwellers are improving. It means that more people can now afford to use multiple electronic gadgets such as phones, tablets, and personal computers. It is an indication that the amount of electronic waste generation is likely to increase in the coming future.

Human Development Index

According to Yamamoto and Hosoda (2016), the human development index is a composite of life expectancy, per capita income, and education. These three defining factors of HDI are affected by the level of wealth that a country has. Sternfeld (2017) notes that although Chinese HDI is relatively below that of most of the developed economies (ranked 65th in the world), it has been improving steadily over the past decades.

Its education system has improved significantly, as it embraces the emerging concepts and new technologies. The per capita income has also been increasing relative to the country’s GDP growth. Life expectancy has also increased as the government improves the health sector and people embrace healthy lifestyles. Figure 6 below shows the decreasing mortality rate in China from 1970 to 2015.

Resources

Managing wastes is one of the challenges that many countries around the world face in modern society. People must earn their living and in so doing, it is not possible to avoid the generation of waste. A critical analysis of resources available within a country can help in defining how they can be tapped in a way that generates the least possible pollution. One of the biggest resources that China has over any other nation in the world is human labor. According to Yamamoto and Hosoda (2016), the Chinese labor force (people who are involved in income-generating activities) was estimated to be over 776 million people. The number will increase. The following resources are important when focusing on waste management.

Water Sources

China has an adequate supply of water in most parts of its territories. Some of the main rivers that supply water for domestic, industrial, and agricultural use include the Pearl River, Yellow River, Yangtze River, Huai River, and Liaohe River (Amjad et al. 2015).

Some of these rivers have poor water quality because of pollution. The effluents from major industries in the country and irresponsible disposal of various forms of waste have led to the pollution of these major rivers. However, the effort put in place by the government and various environmental agencies has helped in reducing the number of pollutants getting into these water sources. Songhua River, which was classified as moderately polluted, has improved its status to slightly-pollute because of these efforts to control the number of wastes released into water sources.

Energy Sources

The massive population and rapidly expanding industrial sector has transformed China into one of the leading consumers of energy. It is currently the second leading importer of oil and gas to facilitate normal operations in the industrial sector (Anttila & Boffetta 2014). Although petroleum products are still important sources of energy, the country has taken bold steps to increase its production and consumption of renewable energy.

Wind and solar energy are becoming popular in the domestic and industrial sectors. The government has given tax incentives to companies specializing in the production of these renewable energy sources. Geothermal and hydroelectric power sources are also critical in providing the energy that the country needs. Yamamoto and Hosoda (2016) explain that China has also taken impressive steps in promoting the production and use of biomass for domestic use.

Electronic Waste

In the previous sections, the researcher has provided a detailed overview of the Chinese economy, its population, resources, and factors that may be linked directly to the problem of e-waste generation. In this section, the focus is on providing a detailed definition of e-waste, its generation, components, and the current approach that local stakeholders use to manage it, and appropriate methods that should be embraced based on the emerging trends.

Definition

Electronic waste, also known as e-waste, has been defined by different entities in different ways. Yamamoto and Hosoda (2016, p. 78) on the other hand defines it as “discarded appliances using electricity, which includes a wide range of e-products from large household devices such as refrigerators, air conditioners, cell phones, personal stereos and consumer electronics to computers which have been discarded by their users.”

Gardner (2018, p. 56) on the other hand defines electronic waste as “any refuse created by discarded electronic devices and components as well as substances involved in their manufacture or use.” Although scholars and environmental conservationists are yet to develop a standard definition for electronic waste, there is an agreement that the term refers to discarded electronic products. They may or may not be recyclable depending on several factors.

Table 2 below identifies how the term electronic waste has been defined by different entities over time. Electronic products have become critical in modern society. From school to home and in the industrial sector, different electronic products play different roles in society. At home, television sets, mobile phones, music systems, fridges, microwaves, and related gadgets are instrumental in normal daily life. At school, computers and iPads have become essential tools of learning. Large companies rely on computers to process, store, and share data when it is necessary. These instruments have to be discarded at the end of their lifespan. When they are disposed of, they become electronic waste.

Gardner (2018) explains that electronic waste goes beyond the specific electronic instrument that a person discards. It also includes packages and casing of these instruments. It means that when a person discards an old computer that is no longer operational or is ineffective because of the emergence of new more efficient models, the entire system is considered electronic waste. Steven (2014) argues that there has been a misleading argument that electronic waste only refers to the electric component of the equipment.

Classifying the entire system as electronic waste makes it easy to determine how to dispose of each component. It is important to note that plastic materials used in some parts of a computer system are significantly different from the plastics used to make chairs or bottles. The approach used in their disposal may be different. As such, understanding the proper definition of electronic waste is critical.

Electronic Waste Generation

Electronic waste, as shown in its definition, is generated when an electronic gadget is disposed of. Although most of these wastes come from old products that can no longer be in use, sometimes people discard functional products because of the emergence of new ones considered more fashionable (Anttila & Boffetta 2014). An individual can discard an iPhone 6s because iPhone X is considered more fashionable. Throwing away from less fashionable items is a common practice among the rich or in cases where one cannot sell or donate the old equipment. Whether it was functional or not at the time of disposal, the gadget becomes e-waste.

Sources. The electronic wastes come from various sources. One of the most common sources of electronic waste is discarded home electronic appliances. According to Gardner (2018), home appliances account for a significant portion of electronic waste generated in China and the rest of the world. It may be an old iron box, microwave, television set, a music system, or mobile phones. Once these items cease to be of meaning to the owners, they end up in dumping sites.

Another major source of electronic waste is the industrial sector. Companies are under pressure to embrace the use of technology as a way of improving their products in the market. In most cases, they have to replace computers they use periodically, especially when a new better generation emerges.

Traditionally, such old and less efficient computers would be donated to African and other less-developed nations at a small fee (Anttila & Boffetta 2014). However, these nations are no longer interested in the old electronic products. Their leaders are aware of this dumping strategy and restrict the types of electronic products that they allow into their country. It means that some of these computers have to be sent to the dumpsites once they are considered irrelevant to the companies.

Educational institutions and other government entities are also responsible for the production of electronic wastes. Each year, millions of tones of electronic wastes are generated and it is not yet clear to many countries around the world how it should be managed. The unique components of these wastes make it necessary to avoid some of the conventional methods of processing wastes.

Composition. The composition of an electronic waste varies depending on the type of the device, its model, date of manufacture, the company that manufactures it, and its age. Some of these components may be useful in the manufacture of various products while others are toxic and require proper management. A product such as a mobile phone has numerous elements. It has metals such as Copper (Cu), Lithium (Li), Tin (Sn), Cobolt (Co), Antimony (Sb), Indium (In), Palladium (Pd), Gold (Au), and Silver (Ag) (Anttila & Boffetta 2014).

It also has plastic and rubber materials. An obsolete freezer, refrigerator, and air conditioners have Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which is a dangerous substance to the ozone layer. It also has barium, copper, lead, cadmium, zinc, and other metals. Figure 7 below identifies the primary composition of electronic wastes. As shown in the figure, different types of metal form the main components of electronic wastes. Pollutants in liquid, gaseous and solid forms are also part of the electronic wastes. Other major components include printed circuit boards, CRT and LCD monitors, metal-plastic mixture, cables, plastics, and other components depending on the nature and model of the product.

These wastes are often heaped in piles in various dumpsites within the country as they wait for the proper approach of disposal. In the past, it was common to find electronic wastes heaped together with general wastes and dumped in landfills without any regard for the environmental consequences they may have. However, that trend is changing as people become more conscious of the dangers of different components of these wastes. Figure 8 below shows a wide variety of electronic wastes, which are yet to be sorted out for proper disposal.

According to Steven (2014), when managing electronic wastes, it is necessary to know the composition of different discarded gadgets. It helps in determining those that pose a serious environmental threat. A television board is primarily composed of silver, copper, gold, and palladium. The percentage weight of copper in this board is 20% (Anttila & Boffetta 2014). A personal computer board has a percentage of 20% copper. It has more silver, gold, and palladium than a television board. The percentage of copper on a mobile phone is 13%. It has the highest ppm of silver than any other board in table 2 below. Portable audio crap has 21% of copper while a DVD player crap has only 5% copper crap.

Understanding these components is critical because some of these metals are recyclable and very important. Gold, silver, and copper are highly precious and expensive metals. They can be recycled for use in making similar products or other items. Gold can be used to make ornaments or as a store of value. Copper is useful in making cables, bullets, and numerous other products. Silver is used in making coins and other items. Instead of dumping such materials in landfills, proper mechanisms can be developed to extract them from the waste so that they can be recycled. It will ease the burden of the waste while at the same time creating value for the individuals involved in waste management.

Seasonal changes

Electronic waste generation and composition from home appliances are not often affected by season. People discard home appliances whenever they feel these items are no longer needed. However, wastes from companies and mobile phones may vary with seasons. Every time a new model of a popular phone is introduced in the market (such as iPhone), people often rush to purchase them (Anttila & Boffetta 2014). In such seasons, there may be a sudden increase in the number of mobile phone wastes. Many companies also consider reviewing and renovating their systems by the end of the year.

Anttila and Boffetta (2014) note that it is common to find cases where the number of electronic wastes such as computers increases nearing the end of December or in early January. Economic booms may also cause an increase in electronic waste. When people can afford to purchase new electronic products, they find it necessary to discard the current one considered less fashionable or less efficient. Conversely, during the recession, electronic waste tends to reduce significantly (Iskyan 2016). People prefer staying with their gadgets for longer even if they are less efficient or out of fashion because they may not afford to purchase new ones. These standard practices have a direct impact on the amount and volume of electronic wastes within the country.

Estimation of electronic waste generation

According to Khan and Chang (2018), some of the developed countries are keen on hiding the true statistics about the number of electronic wastes they generate each year. Some of these countries are using the unconventional approach of dumping such wastes in developing nations. As shown in figure 9 below, China generates the highest amount of electronic wastes in the world. In 2016, it generated over 7.2 million metric tons of electronic wastes, which is estimated to be 5.2 kilograms per capita (Anttila & Boffetta 2014).

The United States came second, generating 6.3 million metric tons of electronic wastes in the same year. Other countries ranked in the top ten in the emission of electronic wastes include Japan, India, Germany, Brazil, Russia, France, Indonesia, and Italy. The most common types of electronic wastes include television sets, mobile phones, computers, and other household electronic appliances.

Current Electronic Waste Collection and Disposal

The current approach that is used in the collection of electronic wastes does not conform to the standard practice that has been proposed to help reduce the impact of these products on the environment. According to Al-Habaibeh, Meyerowitz, and Athresh (2015), those who have an interest in electronic wastes are people who understand their value when recycled or reused. These businesspersons are interested in different parts of various electronic products that they know have value. As such, their interest is not to protect the environment but to earn a living from the wastes in what Henkel (2015) defines as waste mining.

It means that if they find electronic wastes that are of little value to their business, they will dispose of it as normal waste, which may be a threat to the environment. Efforts to promote effective management of waste are gaining ground in the country. The Chinese government, working closely with various environmental agencies, has realized that it is necessary to embrace the responsible disposal of electronic wastes. Scientific studies have proven that irresponsible waste disposal may have serious health and environmental consequences (Anttila & Boffetta 2014). The high rate of respiratory diseases in China is a clear indication that measures need to be taken to reduce pollutants in the environment.

Phases of collection

The traditional approach to waste disposal is still common in most parts of China. This approach has several phases. The first phase is the disposal by companies and households in various bins and bags provided by small firms responsible for the collection of waste. Once or twice a week, the companies will come and collect the wastes using trucks. It is important to note that at this initial stage, wastes are yet to be sorted. They are then transported to specific dumpsites where ‘waste miners’ will try to sort out electronic wastes from the rest of the garbage. General waste will be taken to the landfills.

The electronic wastes will be subjected to further sorting. The miners will select all the important parts that can be recycled, reused, or sold in its current form and transport it to their warehouses (Anttila & Boffetta 2014). The other components that are of limited value will be put together with the rest of the other solid wastes destined to the landfills. The stages are based on what is of interest to the individuals mining important materials from the wastes and not the desire to protect the environment. The approach needs to change. Khan and Chang (2018) argue that managing electronic wastes should not be left to the informal sector. The government should establish specific entities to deal with this problem.

Cost of collection

Determining the accurate cost of collection and management of electronic waste in China may not be easy. According to Al-Habaibeh, Meyerowitz, and Athresh (2015), the local authorities in major urban centers often contract specific garbage collection companies to collect and dispose of all wastes without differentiating them into specific classes. It is important to note that wastes in the sewerage system are fully managed by the local authorities and it is out of the scope of this study.

According to Gardner (2018), the local authorities in China signed a contract of over 100 billion yuan ($14.6 billion) with private waste management companies in the country. Individuals working in the garbage collection industry earn 200 RMB (about USD 28.99) in a day, which translates to 67,200 RMB (about USD 9,740.64) in a year.

Gardner (2018) argues that the initiative that has been taken by the government to invest in infrastructure to help recycle wastes is set to reduce the threat posed by electronic wastes. Figure 10 below shows how much the country has been investing in infrastructural development to help promote the recycling of wastes.

Transportation of electronic waste

When electronic wastes and other general wastes, have been collected from residential, commercial, and industrial estates, they have to be transported to various dumpsites for assortment before they can be taken to the landfills. Large trailers and specialized garbage trucks are used to transport these items to the relevant destination. The local municipal and urban authorities own some of these trucks. Private firms operating in the informal sector also own a significant number of trucks used to transport these wastes. Figure 11 below shows workers loading wastes into a trailer before they can be transported to specific destinations.

Disposal

The final stage is the disposal. After sorting out the electronic wastes, some components will be considered damaged beyond the stage that they can either be recycled or reused in their current form. Such components must be disposed of because they are no longer in use. China is currently investing in waste treatment. However, the treatment of electronic waste is still rare in the country (Anttila & Boffetta 2014). As such, most of these components end up in the landfills as their final destination. They are often disposed of alongside other wastes that belong to the same class.

Solving the Problem of Electronic Waste

Electronic waste is becoming a major problem not only in China but also to the rest of the world. According to Khan and Chang (2018), China’s problem when it comes to the management of electronic wastes is unique. The generation of electronic wastes is defined by two principal factors. One of these factors is the living standards and the other is the population size. The rich and the middle class are mainly responsible for the generation of electronic wastes. They have the financial capacity to purchase these gadgets and have the desire to do so as a sign of their social class. Currently, about 400 million Chinese belong to the middle class.

The number is expected to increase to about 700 million people by 2022 (Anttila & Boffetta 2014). It means that a huge population in China is becoming economically empowered. People can afford to replace their electronic gadgets regularly, which means that the amount of electric wastes generated is bound to increase. The current strategies used in the management of this type of waste may not be relevant in the coming years. The country may not be able to deal with the massive amounts of wastes, especially from the major urban centers. In this section, the focus will be to look at best practices that can be embraced by the country to help manage electronic wastes.

Collection

Managing electronic wastes starts from the collection stage. Gardner (2018) explains that when proper measures are taken when collecting wastes; it will be easy to deal with electronic wastes at later stages of management. The appropriate method of data collection involves segregating the wastes from the initial stage. Instead of placing all the wastes in one container, there should be containers for a specific group of wastes.

As shown in figure 12 below, there should be a container for plastic wastes, food remains, electronic products, general waste, and paper wastes. Each of these classes would require different approaches to management. In China, it is common to find cases where many people opt to sell their old electronic gadgets to informal businesses. They often have specific locations near residential areas where people can drop these items. It is the best approach for an individual to dispose of these products. If that is not an option because of various reasons, then the electronic waste should be placed in specific containers that meet specific criteria.

Availing relevant containers and equipment

According to Al-Habaibeh, Meyerowitz, and Athresh (2015), one of the first steps in responsible management of electronic wastes is the provision of the relevant containers and equipment. The local government authorities should ensure that these containers are made available in the residential, industrial, and commercial districts in major urban centers across the country. They should be conveniently located to avoid cases where people have to travel for several kilometers to dispose of their wastes. People are often motivated and become responsible if they have access to means of effective waste disposal. Each container should be marked appropriately, indicating the type of waste that it should hold. Using both words and pictures will help residents to understand where to place their wastes.

Planning

The local government authorities, working closely with the contracted private garbage collection firms, should develop a plan that defines how various activities will be undertaken. The plan should explain individuals who are responsible for specific activities. For instance, it should be stated in clear terms that the local government authorities would be responsible for the provision of containers used in sorting out waste.

The private contractors should inform the government when it is appropriate to either replace or upgrade these containers. During the planning stage, all stakeholders should be involved in determining appropriate ways of disposing of wastes. If some components can be recycled, then a standard practice should be developed that all stakeholders will need to follow when dealing with wastes. Developing such standard practices makes it easy to define innovative ways of dealing with the challenges faced in such processes.

Entities are responsible

The government of China, through the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and local authorities, is responsible for the elimination of all forms of wastes in the country. The principal entity must play a leading role in waste electronic management. Its primary responsibility would include planning, financing, and guiding various processes in e-waste management. Private waste collection firms are other entities responsible for the management of electronic wastes (Anttila & Boffetta 2014). They have the primary responsibility of implementing plans developed by the stakeholders on how to manage electronic waste.

They have to study and embrace best practices. Environmental conservation agencies and scientists are another group of stakeholders that must be involved in electronic waste management. They can provide appropriate advice on how electronic wastes should be managed based on research. Individuals staying in China also have a responsibility to dispose of electronic wastes based on the standard guidelines.

Disposal

When electronic wastes have been collected, the most important phase is its disposal. As explained above, some of these electronic products are often sold to private business entities, which later sell them to individuals or other businesses locally or internationally. Those that should be disposed of locally should follow a clearly defined approach. Recycling of different metals such as copper, gold, and silver components of these electronic products is highly encouraged. The unrecyclable components should be disposed of responsibly.

Location

It may be necessary to have a central location for collecting electronic wastes in readiness for disposal. Al-Habaibeh, Meyerowitz, and Athresh (2015) argue that China has made steps in identifying specific places where electronic materials can be recycled. The centrality of the location makes it easy for wastes from various locations to be processed in a given location. It will also enable the government to avail the necessary resources needed to process such wastes.

Criteria of selection

During the planning stage, a criterion should be defined on how to select various electronic wastes for various processes. Al-Habaibeh, Meyerowitz, and Athresh (2015) note that it is advisable to define the criterion that makes a given waste substance qualify as electronic waste. The waste management team should also have ways of further classifying the electronic wastes based on their models and materials used. Such steps make it easy to determine how to processes them.

Skills needed

The team involved in the management of electronic wastes should have appropriate skills that would enable them to perform their tasks effectively. According to Steven (2014), people managing wastes can sustain serious injuries if they fail to understand the proper ways in which they should undertake various tasks. Sharp objects pose physical danger while some gases can be poisonous. They need to go through proper training to know how to be protected at work.

Izatt (2016) recommends that a new policy should be introduced that defines the minimum standard of education that one should have to work in garbage collection sites. They should understand the value of these products and the danger they pose to the environment and people. The new policy should also promote social practices that make people more responsible when it comes to waste management. They also need to understand emerging trends and best practices in electronic waste management. Table 3 below identifies steps that would be needed in managing these wastes and potential environmental hazards that they may pose if they are disposed of irresponsibly.

Impact of the solution

The proposed new approach to managing wastes will have a significant impact on the environment. Eliminating the irresponsible disposal of wastes will protect the environment and Chinese people from health hazards. The process may be involved in terms of time and resources needed, but the benefits are immense. It will promote the sustainable use of electronic products. The impact of electronic wastes is not only felt in China but also in a global context. Izatt (2016) explains that some of the electronic wastes end up in the ocean, which affects the marine ecosystem. The environmental impact of pollution affects all countries around the world.

Best alternative

Table 4 below identifies various e-waste disposal approaches that can be embraced. The waste management team can use landfills, incineration, pyrolysis, or recycle and reuse. Each of these methods would be suitable for different contexts. However, Little (2014) advises that recycle and reuse should always be given priority. It helps in protecting the environment.

Measurement of success

The government, through the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and other environmental agencies, will need to have mechanisms of assessing the success of every new e-waste management plan. Iskyan (2016) suggests that the emissions rate is one of the measurement approaches that can be used. Electronic wastes, when irresponsibly disposed of, may emit specific gases that may pollute the air. The physical materials may also be harmful. Measuring the level of threat posed by these pollutants may help in determining the level of success achieved.

Conclusion

China is one of the largest economies in the world. It is also the leading nation in the consumption of electronic products because of the improved living standards and large population. Despite these achievements, the country faces a serious threat of a massive generation of electronic waste. Statistics show that China is the world’s leading producer of electronic waste. Unfortunately, the management of these dangerous waste substances is left in the hands of individuals within the informal sector who lack the appropriate skills of dealing with the challenges involved.

The government, through the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, local authorities, and various environmental agencies have made steps to promote responsible management of this form of waste. However, more still need to be done in this field. This study has recommended a new strategy that should be embraced, based on emerging technologies and best practices around the world that the country should embrace.

Reference List

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Anttila, SL & Boffetta, P 2014, Occupational cancers, Springer, London.

Brinkmann, R 2016, Introduction to sustainability, John Wiley, Hoboken, NJ.

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Gardner, DK 2018, Environmental pollution in China: what everyone needs to know, Oxford University Press, New York, NY.

Henkel, M 2015, 21st Century homestead: sustainable agriculture I, Wiley &Sons Publishes, Hoboken, NJ.

Iskyan, K, 2016, ‘China’s middle class is exploding’, Business Insider. Web.

Izatt, RM 2016, Metal sustainability: global challenges, consequences, and prospects, Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ.

Khan, M & Chang, Y 2018, ‘Environmental challenges and current practices in China- a thorough analysis’ Sustainability, vol. 10, no. 7, p. 2547.

Little, PC 2014, Toxic town: IBM, pollution, and industrial risks, New York University Press, New York, NY.

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Waste legislation

Waste disposal requires standardized procedures in accordance with the Environmental Management Act (Victoria: fair trading amendment, 2010). It is the responsibility of Transpacific to monitor, handle, evaluate, characterise toxic and non-toxic materials. As a result, Transpacific act on legislation that enforces waste management procedures for organisations, industries, and corporations. The waste disposal hierarchy provides steps to efficient waste disposal. Thus, the hierarchy evaluates collection schedules based on priority. The steps include prevention, reuse, recycling, energy recovery, treatment, containment, and disposal. Guidelines for waste disposal in Victoria must follow the hierarchy. The diagram below summarises the procedures for waste disposal in Victoria.

The EPA established sub-legislations that monitor and control the primary action. Thus, the secondary legislation or subordinate legislation derives its power from the primary environmental policy. Some sub-legislation includes Prescribed Industrial Waste 2009, Industrial Management Policy 2000, and Waste Management Act 1998 (EPA VICTORIA: waste management policies 2012). Waste materials at Woolworth plaza are managed by Transpacific Company. Waste materials are transported after sorting and classification. Trading hours begin at 7am and closes at 2 pm on weekdays. The organisation has a functional website, which is www.transpacific.com.au. Contact numbers are available on the website.

Transpacific

Transpacific was consulted to provide an environmental management plan (EMP) for Woolworth Plaza in Weribee. The EMP guides the organisation to ensure proper waste management and safety. As a result, the cost, techniques, risk assessment, and implementation plan will be highlighted in the environmental assessment report. Consequently, a waste disposal mechanism will be provided for the organisation. As a result, waste materials are disposed of in specific facilities. The company formulates contract clauses that comply with prescribed regulations on toxic waste disposal. Waste disposal is the primary responsibility of Transpacific Company. However, the company provides other services associated with hazardous materials. The services department is classified into the general waste disposal, hazardous waste disposal unit, industrial waste disposal and other waste disposal unit. General waste disposal services include recycling, compactors, bin disposal, and waste services. Industrial waste disposal services include pressure cleaning, emergency spills and hydro evacuation. Hazardous waste services include drum collection, oil disposal, and clinical waste. Other waste services include water waste management, site remediation, and industrial waste solutions. The company has an efficient staff strength that provides quality service.

Trained staff supervises the conduct and implementation of waste disposal services. Thus, Transpacific Company provides the best consultancy services for waste disposal. In accordance with the Waste Management Act, the company has the certification and requirements for waste disposal. As a result, the company handles disaster waste, e-waste, hazardous waste healthcare waste, integrated solid waste, waste plastics, agricultural waste, landfills, policymaking, and industrial waste. Waste materials are graded in accordance with the best management practice. As a result, some waste materials can be recycled, reused, or disposed of. Transpacific has different waste storage facilities to ensure proper disposal. As a result, the organisation has a waiting section that evaluates waste materials. Only certified personnel are authorized to handle toxic and hazardous waste. Thus, quality service delivery and environmental safety are guaranteed. Consequently, our landfill expansion plan guarantees a long-term waste management plan.

Transpacific has efficient landfill equipment to evacuate, manage, and control waste materials. The storage facilities have multiple compartments for long-term EMP. As a result, site containers are used for liquid storage. Liquid waste materials are handled in accordance with the Environmental Management Act. Traffic control at the facility prevents over speeding and traffic jam. Dumbtrucks are available at each storage facility to convey liquid waste. Waste documentation and clearance are reported in all transactions. In accordance with regulatory laws, Transpacific Company documents waste services and timeline for future use. Service payments depend on the nature of the waste material. Transpacific provides free services for electronics and computer waste. The organisation has fair charges on all service payments. However, the contract agreement will not require payment charge. The charges for services will be summarised below.

Transpacific is a major enterprise for waste disposal in Australia. The organisation has the required certification, land permit, and clearance documents for waste disposal. As a result, the organisation can serve 5000 clients simultaneously. Thus, business transaction within the organisation aligns with the objective of the EMP. The organisation combines different waste management strategies to fulfil each task. Thus, turnover efficiency is guaranteed. Waste streams are evaluated based on the environmental condition. The organisation provides services that suit different environmental conditions. Implementation guidelines for waste streams include disposal options review storage procedures, evaluate process inefficiencies, identify alternatives, and develop a suitable recycle plan.

The organisational structure and implementation plan for waste management satisfy the customer. I will recommend the company for clients that require quality service. Our organisation will benefit from the services of Transpacific Company. The quality assurance mechanism of the organisation aligns with our objectives.

References

EPA VICTORIA: waste management policies 2012. Web.

Victoria: fair trading amendment 2010. Web.

Waste management agencies provide waste disposal services in accordance with the Environmental Protection Act. Geelong Resource Recovery Centre (GRRC) is a waste disposal agency in North Geelong. The centre transports and processes waste materials from residents, organizations, industries, hospitals, and terminals. However, the geographical location of the centre influenced small and medium scale enterprises. As a result, small businesses utilize the services of GRRC. The GRRC has a tour guide that assists clients and customers. As a result, clients process their service documents without complications. GRRC waste disposal services include recyclables, green organics, detox, salvage and transfer station. Services under recyclables include paper material, cardboard, soft plastic mingled oil, and cooking oil. The process mechanism is simple. The customer sorts items in the facility nearest to his or her location. Consequently, an operator conducts waste shedding at the appropriate time.

The operation is supervised under strict management. As a result, waste management safety is guaranteed. Services under green organics include grasses, shrubs, and leaves. Services under home detox include battery waste, glass, light tubes, paint, paint can, and BBQ bottles. The facility has different compartments for waste disposal. As a result, each class of waste material has a disposal unit. Trained personnel work simultaneously to reduce the workload. Salvage materials include metal sheets, metallic waste, copper shillings, and motor machines. GRRC waste management plan combines various techniques to reduce environmental impact. As a result, reusable goods are sold at the facility.

Recycle materials are sold to clients as recycled waste products. Transfer Service department conducts waste transportation from the source to the facility. The transport option depends on the nature of the waste material. Liquid and hazardous materials are transported to ensure safety. Protective equipment regulation is enforced in the facility. Consequently, safety training and first aid drills facilitate the waste management plan. The waste management supervisor evaluates the concentration of the waste material before documentation. As a result, waste transportation from one location to another requires modern equipment. The risk assessment plan of the facility supports the waste disposal mechanism.

The Organogram of the facility supports the waste disposal system. Consequently, disposal centres surround the facility. The disposal units include recyclable, green organics, home detox, recycling shop, and transfer station. Waste disposal trucks are placed at a strategic point on the facility. Thus, recyclable materials are sorted from the gate to reduce landfill space. As a result, reusable materials are sold to the public. The control plan influences the quality of waste material that enters the landfill facility. Recycle materials are boldly written on masking boards to avoid misunderstanding. Waste disposal personnel must wear protective equipment to avoid accident. Security measures are enforced to maintain order.

Clients fill the contract form to ensure compliance. As a result, the facility bears the risk after the parties sign the contract agreement form. The contract form stipulates waste management procedures in the facility. The Environmental Protection Regulation 2009 categorizes waste materials by their concentration. As a result, charges depend on the waste material. However, the company provides free services for recyclable materials. Consequently, some waste materials are not transported to the landfill facility. As a result, the facility does not accept poultry waste, clinical waste, radioactive materials, and chemicals. GRRC complies with waste management regulation to mitigate environmental impact. Thus, the organization determines the impact assessment of the facility to ensure compliance. The facility operates between 7 am and 4 pm.

Recycle materials include plastic, batteries, aluminium, copper shillings metal plates, cylinders, paperboard, and juice cans. Detox home materials include electronics, toolbox, dryers, microwaves, and light tubes. Recycled materials are not charged in the facility. However, charges may apply to contaminated waste materials. The company has a quality assurance team that monitors environmental safety in each facility. As a result, workers without their protective wears are penalized for avoiding accidents. The traffic control system at the facility is powered by solar panels to avoid power failure. Drainage channels are sanitized to avoid water contamination. First aid equipment is provided at a strategic location in the facility. The security personnel are trained to handle emergencies. The facility has a power backup to avoid systemic collapse during transportation. The GRRC combines innovation, auditing, and quality control to process customer feedback. Watch guards conduct a visual check to mitigate noise, intruders and dust on neighbours. Drainage systems are cleansed to avoid water clogs.

Introduction

The rapid economic development of Australia has underlined the necessity to minimize the impact of human activities on the environment. Scientists and public administrators pay close attention to waste management. One can say that the increasing dependence on landfills is one of the problems that should be addressed by policy-makers.

This paper is aimed at showing that people recover energy from waste, rather than deposit it in landfills. This is the main thesis that should be elaborated. Overall, this strategy has several important advantages that can be of great value to Australian community.

In particular, it can reduce water, air and soil pollution caused by disposing of refuse in landfills. Secondly, this approach can decrease the cost of energy, and this opportunity is important for the economic sustainability of the country. Finally, in the future, this approach can improve the use of land in various urban areas. These are the main aspects that can be singled out.

The challenges associated with landfills

In order to examine this topic, one should first illustrate the problems that are associated with landfills in Australia. It should be mentioned that during the period between 2001 and 2007, the amount of waste, which was deposited in landfills, grew by approximately 12 percent (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013). In 2001, there were 19 million tons, while in 2007 there were 21.3 million tons (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013).

Overall, one can speak about commercial, industrial, and municipal waste that is not recycled in any away (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013). This trend is likely to continue in the future. It should be noted that the dependence on landfills can increase in the future due to the rapid demographic growth of the Australian society.

This argument is particularly relevant, if one speaks about large urban areas such as Sydney or Melbourne that attract people from different parts of the world. There are several challenges that are associated with the growth of landfills, for example, leachates or emissions to water, visual disamenities, or the release of greenhouse gases (BDA Group 2009, p. 4).

Moreover, one should bear in mind that approximately 30 percent of Australian landfills do not have the technologies that can enable them to capture methane and other chemicals that can produce an adverse on the environment (Lancaster 2012, p. 133). Thus, the increasing reliance on landfills can contribute to greenhouse effect (BDA Group 2009).

Furthermore, one should not forget that the decomposition of waste is a very time-consuming process (Lancaster 2012, p. 133). In some cases, the decomposition can take from 50 to 450 years (Lancaster 2012, p. 133).

This is why this trend should not be overlooked by policy-makers who must ensure the environmental sustainability of the country. In particular, they need to find some viable alternatives to landfills that cannot remain the only approach to waste management.

The benefits of waste-to-energy technologies

There are several solutions to this problem, and one of them is the recovery of energy from waste. The most widespread method of achieving this goal is the incineration of refuse. In the past, policy-makers did not favor this approach because the incineration of waste could result in the emissions of various toxic materials such as dioxins and fly ash that can pose a threat to the health of a person (Afgan & Carvalho 2002).

However, in the course of the last two decades, waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies have considerably evolved and their negative impacts have been minimized (Worrell & Vesilind 2011). For example, modern incineration facilities emit a smaller amount of CO₂ in comparison with landfills (Letcher 2008, p. 151).

This is one of issues that should be considered by public administrators. Additionally, there are other methods of deriving energy from waste. For example, one can mention pyrolysis, thermal depolymerization, or plasma arc classification (Letcher 2008, p. 151).

These processes can produce fuel-cell hydrogen, biodiesel, bioethanal, or crude oil that are necessary for the generation of energy (Letcher 2008, p. 151). These techniques can be useful for processing different types of waste. Furthermore, such processes can minimize the emission of toxic substances into air.

Thus, one should not suppose that incineration is the only technique that can be used. To a great extent, these examples suggest that technological developments can help people generate from waste. This is one of the points that can be made.

There are several examples that can illustrate the usefulness of WtE technologies. For instance, this approach minimizes the release of various greenhouse gases as carbon dioxide, methane, or nitrogen oxides (Afgan & Carvalho 2002, p. 445). These substances can be used for the generation of energy.

More importantly, this approach can be a valuable tool for decreasing the greenhouse effect which is caused by methane or carbon dioxide (Worrell & Vesilind 2011). This is the main environmental benefits of transforming refuse into a source of energy. Furthermore, these technologies can decrease the overall quantity of waste by more than 80 percent (Worrell & Vesilind 2011).

This benefit should not be overlooked by public administrators because in the future, the increasing amount of refuse can prevent the community from making an effective use of land in various urban areas of Australia which become much more populated (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013). Furthermore, the growth of landfills can be attributed to intensifying economic activities.

Thus, one should find ways of addressing this problem in the following years. To a great extent, the adoption of WtE technologies can be important for improving the environmental sustainability of the country and overall quality of life. These are some of the main examples that can be distinguished.

Additionally, this strategy can help the national economy overcome its dependence on natural resources such as oil, natural gas, or coal that may eventually become depleted (Afgan & Carvalho 2002, p. 445). It should be kept in mind, waste can be used to generate approximately 20 percent of electric power that urban areas need (Worrell & Vesilind 2011, p. 23).

Overall, the investment in these technologies can enable the country to save the cost of generating energy and use it for other purposes such as healthcare or education. Yet, this opportunity is often lost nowadays. For example, a signification fraction of municipal waste combustible; furthermore, it can be used for the generation of energy (Worrell & Vesilind 2011, p. 23).

However, in many cases, it is not processed at all because there are not many facilities that can recover energy from this type of waste. The need to find alternative sources of energy can become even more urgent at the time when the price of fossil fuels increases.

This is why the community should consider the benefits of WtE technologies because they can make Australia more self-sufficient. This is one of the issues that should be singled out because it is important for understanding the economic aspects of waste management.

Admittedly, the recovery of energy from waste is not the only approach that policy-makers can consider. In particular, one should not forget about such a strategy as recycling which can also be viewed as a good alternative to landfills. In many cases, it can be a valid solution to environmental and economic problems.

Nevertheless, this method is not always sufficient for reducing the volume of refuse. The problem is that some materials such as polymers cannot be effectively recycled. However, they can be used for the generation of energy. Therefore, one should not disregard the use of WtE technologies since these tools can decrease the amount of waste produced by various human activities.

Conclusion

Overall, this discussion shows that by recovering energy from waste, one can derive considerable environmental and economic benefits. At present, the Australian community should find some alternative to landfills because the volume of refuse increases significantly due to demographic growth and intensifying economic activities.

The use of various WtE technologies is helpful for reducing the volume of waste that can originate from households or commercial enterprises. Secondly, this type of processing minimizes the emissions of substances that contribute to greenhouse effects. Apart from that, this approach is critical for reducing the dependence on fossil fuels that can eventually become depleted. These are the main issues that can be identified.

References

Afgan, N & Carvalho, M 2002, New and Renewable Technologies for Sustainable Development, Springer, New York.

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2013, Waste Disposed to Landfills. Web.

BDA Group 2009, The full cost of landfill disposal in Australia. Web.

Lancaster, S 2012, Green Australia, Wakefield Press, Melbourne.

Letcher, T 2008, Future Energy: Improved, Sustainable and Clean Options for our Planet, Elsevier, Boston.

Worrell, W, & Vesilind, P 2011, Solid Waste Engineering, SI Edition, Cengage Learning, New York.

Introduction

Dubai is one the Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Being located in an emerging economy, Dubai has experienced a significantly high economic growth within the past two decades. The growth has partly been facilitated by Dubai’s emergence as the business hub of the Middle East. Government policies have also converted Dubai into a diversified economy with numerous industries and a large urban population. The expansion of the city has not been without challenges, one of the most pronounced being industrial solid waste management. Industrial solid waste is usually the byproduct of economic activities. In cities where these activities occur on a large-scale basis, industrial waste poses a real menace.

Dubai is a fast growing city with a robust industrial sector. As a result, many industrial wastes are churned out, mostly in solid form. Solid waste is also produced in small scale from households and institutions such as health facilities. Collectively, the industrial and household solid wastes are referred to as Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). In addition, plans are underway to install a major recycling plant to convert waste materials into energy (Waste-to-Energy). The aim of this paper is to examine the extent of managing the effects of solid waste within the Dubai Municipality. Further, the paper will examine the tools and approaches that have been incorporated to address the menace of MSW. After analyzing the available tools and management approaches, the research will propose recommendations, which policymakers and city planners may adopt to increase the efficiency in managing solid waste in Dubai.

Significance

I have chosen to delve into the subject of solid waste management within Dubai due to a number of factors. First, Dubai is a fast expanding city located in an emerging economy. The number of industries has increased rapidly in the last decade. Besides, the city’s population is also rising. This situation has resulted in a huge amount of solid waste being released every day. As a result, modern mechanisms for managing the waste must be adopted. Solid waste disposal poses a serious hazard, which is costly for all cities in the world.

As a rapidly industrializing city, the amount of solid waste being produced in Dubai has continued to rise, nearly overwhelming the available management approaches. According to Saifaie (2013), Dubai’s MSW component rose from 550,350 tons in 1997 to stand at 2,689,808 tons in 2010. The volume of solid waste churned out continues to increase every year. Clearly, this upward trend of solid waste production calls for the municipality to increase its waste management capacity. Improving waste management approaches is significant since it will ensure Dubai Municipality avoids becoming overwhelmed by the high volume of waste being churned out.

Literature Review

Various researchers have explored the issue of MSW within Dubai. Even though the investigation is not exhaustive, the available body of research offers an important insight regarding the direction of Dubai’s policies in terms of its solid waste management (Al-Qaydi 2006). Jamil, Ahmad, and Jeon (2016) observe that Dubai plans to install the largest Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plant in the Gulf Region at a cost USD21 billion. This plant is aimed at converting Dubai’s solid waste to energy, which will also double up as an effort to reduce landfill waste by up to 75 percent. Dubai and the UAE at large rank among the highest per-capita producers of MSW in the world. Currently, most of this waste is eliminated through landfills, a method that diminishes the usefulness of valuable land. According to Alderman (2010), landfills pose a major economic impact when compared to WTE and recycling of waste.

Al-Hajj and Hamani (2011) observe that Dubai is one of the most prolific generators of solid waste in the world. About 7,000 tons of solid wastes are produced each day, despite mechanisms being put in place to ensure that the target of ‘Zero Waste by 2030’ is achieved (Acharya 2012). Part of this mission calls for specific measures to be put in place to eliminate the need to over-rely on landfills as the primary way of disposing of solid waste in the city. Rakhshan, Friess, and Tajerzadeh (2013) reveal how solid waste disposed in landfills affects the environment, especially where it is of hazardous nature. Hazardous solid waste may further pose health risks to the public (Rakhshan, Friess & Tajerzadeh 2013). Industries release chemicals that are generally harmful to human life and the environment. The number of industries within the Dubai Municipality continues to increase. More industries and a growing population mean that the waste produced within the municipality will continue to increase (Acharya 2012).

A sustainable waste management system will ensure that the high volume of waste churned out is contained and disposed effectively. Khatib (2011) argues that to achieve sustainable waste management, people must be actively involved in ensuring that they dispose waste properly. For instance, people can facilitate proper disposal by separating wastes in terms of their nature and level of harm. In addition, top professionals should be engaged by waste management companies to ensure proper MSW disposal. Acharya (2012) suggests recycling of solid waste as part of sustainable waste management in Dubai because it ensures minimum impact on the environment.

This method is useful in Dubai as a city without vast land resources to support numerous landfills. In addition, a growing city population has resulted in resource straining, hence the decline of natural resources (Anand 2010). Therefore, recycling waste is important in ensuring that the limited resources are managed properly. Another advantage of recycling is that it has less impact on the environment compared to producing new products from raw materials (Acharya 2012). Al Marashi and Bhinder (2008) propose the three Rs approach (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) for managing Dubai’s solid waste.

Incineration is a common method used for handling solid waste in Dubai. It involves the conversion of organic waste into residue and gasses through combustion. According to Acharya (2012), incineration is a more effective MSW management approach compared to landfills. Landfills form the highest producer of methane gas in Dubai. The gas contributes greatly to global warming. Conversely, modern incineration techniques result in minimal emission of carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Khatib (2011) observes that due to land scarcity, landfills are becoming less popular as Dubai Municipality moves toward incineration.

Hazardous wastes from industries and healthcare facilities necessitate safer waste disposal mechanisms relative to landfills (Al-Qaydi 2006). Further, the heat generated during incineration can be used to warm domestic water, thus promoting sustainable waste management. However, incineration produces organic materials such as dioxins, PAHS, and furans, which result in dire environmental consequences (Al-Dahiri, Maraqa & Kanbour 2008). The high installation cost of incineration plants also serves as a limiting factor against adopting incineration as a method of waste management. Acharya (2012) observes that high operational costs have resulted in incineration plants being shut down in cities such as Bueno Aires and Mexico City. There is also the need to ensure that incinerators are not located where the wind could transport emissions to human settlements.

Description

Dubai Municipality adopts the regulatory and economic approaches to managing MSW within the city. The regulatory approach is mainly concerned with ensuring that the least waste is produced in the first place. The municipality understands that the best way to minimize waste in the city is through reducing its production (Acharya 2012). Various laws have been put in place to dictate the production of waste with the aim of achieving the ‘Zero Waste by 2030.’ For instance, the federal Law 24 1999 emphasizes the need to take care of the environment, including water, land, and natural habitats among others.

Waste producers are required to adhere to these legislations, failure to which hefty fines can be charged. Recent legislation proposals that target waste reduction seek to operate by increasing the cost of dumping waste by companies. By increasing the fees for dumping waste, companies will be forced to adopt practices that reduce waste production with their production chain. Companies can reduce waste production by using fewer materials in their operations. Alternatively, they can opt for materials that do not result in unnecessarily high amounts of waste. Current efforts within Dubai Municipality target to reduce dumping in landfills.

Dubai Municipality is also moving toward economic management of MSW. The city hopes to make important use of the waste such as the production of the much-needed energy. Dubai’s energy consumption has more than doubled in the last decade, a situation that has made it difficult for the city to sustain its energy needs (Acharya 2012). Conversion of waste produced within the municipality to energy is hoped to increase energy production for Dubai. A Waste-To-Energy plant is to be installed in the city by 2020 with the capacity of producing 60 megawatts for every 2000 tons of waste.

Dubai Municipality has adopted various tools and mechanisms to manage MSW. Different efficiency levels are achieved depending on the type of mechanism used. For instance, incinerators are believed to be more efficient in managing solid waste compared to landfills. Particularly, where hazardous waste is involved, landfills are not efficient disposal tools because of their high impact on the environment. Nevertheless, incinerators also pose a challenge in the form of gaseous emissions and organics, which are produced during the process. Dubai Municipality is planning to adopt a waste management approach that embraces efficiency and sustainability. This goal will be achieved by installing the WTE plant to convert solid waste into useful energy. This section offers a detailed description of each mechanism adopted by Dubai Municipality in handling solid waste.

Landfills

The landfill is the oldest form of waste management. It is still used in many developing economies. In Dubai, landfills are used to dispose wastes that are not considered hazardous because it poses an insignificant impact on the environment and human life. Landfills are designated holes where waste is dumped and buried. Sometimes, cement may be used to bind the waste materials, hence preventing relocation to another place (Maulood & Aziz 2016). In Dubai, concerted efforts have been made to move away from the landfill method because it is believed to be a less effective way of disposing waste. Importantly, Dubai is a small emirate with limited land to construct more landfills. Already, one of Dubai’s landfills is full. Another one is expected to reach its full capacity within eight years (Acharya 2012). The result is that landfill is becoming a less effective means of waste disposal. Policymakers in the municipality understand that the city can no longer rely on landfills to accommodate the ever-burgeoning amount of solid waste. As a result, recent efforts have been made to replace landfill with recycling.

Recycling of Solid Waste

Recycling has numerous advantages over other methods of waste management. The obvious advantage is that it enables otherwise unwanted materials to be converted into useful substances. This approach reduces the need to create new products from scratch. As Khatib (2011) observes, less energy is used when recycling waste materials, as opposed to creating products from raw materials. The method promotes the proper use of resources, thus encouraging sustainability. Dubai has recently launched efforts to establish a WTE plant by 2020. This plant is expected to generate 60 megawatts of power from every 2000 tons of MSW (Anand 2010). This move is in line with the emirate’s ‘Zero Waste by 2030’ campaign aimed at ensuring all waste produced is totally disposed. Importantly, the WTE plant will eliminate the need for using landfills, which are seen to be affecting the usefulness of Dubai’s land. Commonly recycled substances include paper, plastic, metallic cans, and glass.

Currently, recycling in Dubai is carried out on a case-to-case basis. This lack of coordination is caused by the absence of a uniform legislation regarding recycling. Clearly, there is a need to enact laws that promote the recycling of solid waste. Saifaie (2013) suggests a compulsory framework that will require the major producers of solid waste, namely, industries, to engage in waste recycling. In April 2016, the waste management department of Dubai Municipality proposed charges to be imposed on companies that dump waste in landfills. If approved, this legislation is expected to discourage companies from dumping and instead adopt recycling. A separate initiative dubbed ‘Dubai Environmental Culture’ was launched in 2015 to encourage residents to adopt recycling at the individual level.

Incineration

Incineration is an old method of MSW management. The high-temperature process converts solid organic waste into inorganic substances through combustion. In Dubai, incineration is used to treat colossal amounts of solid waste (Alderman 2010). Currently, the city operates one of the best incinerators in the world. As a result, the Dubai Municipality treats nearly 20 tons of solid waste (mostly healthcare waste) through incineration every day. Incineration is suitable for waste that cannot be recycled or conveniently dumped in a landfill.

Analysis

SWOT Analysis

Dubai has become the business hub of the Middle East region with numerous industries and burgeoning population. Despite its huge population and numerous industries, Dubai’s size is a mere 3885km². The small size may serve to compound the effect that solid waste has on the city’s growth. Dubai Municipality is struggling with the issue of MSW. This trend is common in most developing economies where a mismatch is witnessed between the rate at which industries are expanding and waste management efforts. For instance, in Dubai, the old method of landfills is still the most used in managing solid waste. Currently, Dubai municipality operates landfills in five different locations, namely, Al- Ghusais, Al-Warqqa, Al-Awir, Hatta, and, Jebel landfills. These landfills are expected to reach capacity within the next decade. This situation will pose a major challenge concerning how to dispose solid waste in the future.

The various tools and mechanisms for managing MSW may be further analyzed based on the SWOT approach. To begin with, several strengths can be identified with respect to each approach. The WTE plant will provide renewable energy for Dubai city, hence reducing the consumption other energy forms that result in air pollution. In addition, the WTE plant is expected to have minimal emissions as a departure from the current waste management tools that have often caused a lot of emission or pollution of the land around them (in the case of landfills). The recently installed medical waste incinerator also provides key benefits for the city. With a capacity of 20 tons per day, this incinerator has minimized the medical waste that often accumulated in the municipality’s landfills.

Various weaknesses can be identified regarding the methods discussed above. With respect to the WTE and the medical waste incinerator, the issue of huge costs poses a major drawback. High costs of managing these plants may result in financial challenges. The WTE plant will require $44 million to install alone, not to mention the cost of operating it on a day-to-day basis (Jamil et al. 2016). The incinerator is also costly to manage. According to Jamil et al. (2016), many modern incinerators have been closed due to the inability to meet their operational costs. Landfills pose the key threat of contaminating the surrounding land. Additionally, Dubai is small, meaning that the landfills already occupy too much land that could be directed to more important uses such as modern farming. Another weakness with respect to the WTE recycling plant is that its usefulness is limited to recyclable materials (glass, paper, metal, and plastic). Hence, unrecyclable materials such as residue from construction will continue being dumped in the landfills.

Opportunities for the management approaches include the ability to increase the amount of waste disposed. For instance, the recently installed incinerator treats about 20 tons of solid medical waste per day. The increasing the capacity of waste treated daily will significantly reduce the need to rely primarily on landfills. The proposed WTE plant will reduce the usefulness of landfills in Dubai by up to 75 percent. Finally, threats against the current waste management tools and approaches include the culture of producing excessive waste. As Hajj and Hamani (2011) observe, Dubai’s inhabitants have a culture of producing excessive waste. Despite the concerted efforts to reduce the amount of waste produced per person each day, the amount remains high (2.4 kg per person). Companies also produce large amounts of waste. If this culture of excessive waste production is not curbed, it may overwhelm the current waste management processes in the city.

Results and Conclusion

Dubai employs three major approaches to solid waste management. The approaches include landfills, recycling, and incineration. The landfill method is the oldest form of waste management in Dubai. Currently, Dubai Municipality operates five landfills. However, Al-Ghusa is nearly full. Issues such as the eminent filling up of the landfills coupled with the risks that dumping poses to the environment are prompting policymakers in the municipality to move toward recycling. Recycling as an MSW management approach is favored because it brings about several advantages. Recycling prevents the landfills from becoming filled up too soon. In addition, recycling renders useful products that would have otherwise been unwanted. Importantly, the cost of recycling waste into new products is much lower compared to converting these substances from raw materials. Therefore, recycling waste promotes sustainable use of natural resources.

Incineration is used to dispose MSW that cannot be recycled. The method is an efficient mechanism for disposing of hazardous waste that would otherwise be harmful to the environment if dumped in a landfill. Modern incinerators are highly efficient but costly to install. For this reason, it is important for the municipality to perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine the type of incinerators to install. The advantage of modern incinerators is that they result in minimal emissions. In addition, modern incinerators allow the heat produced during incineration to be used in the production of thermal power. Therefore, recycling and modern incineration are critical in ensuring the ‘Zero Waste by 2030’ campaign comes to fruition. Dubai’s current WTE plan is geared toward converting all waste into useful energy.

Recommendations

This section offers a discussion on ways of improving solid waste management within the Dubai Municipality. Special emphasis is placed on sustainability. Currently, plans are underway to ensure efficient conversion of Dubai’s waste into energy (WTE). To achieve this goal, the municipality will need to involve stakeholders from the private sector, as well as members of the public. Currently, in Dubai, it is estimated that every person produces about 2.4 kilograms of solid waste (Khatib 2011). Therefore, achieving meaningful progress in waste management will require the involvement of the public through sensitization. For instance, educating the public on the need to separate waste at the household can boost recycling efforts. This plan will prevent recyclable materials from ending up in the landfills.

The municipality should enact stringent laws that will deter companies from dumping solid waste in landfills. The laws may establish high charges per every ton of solid waste that a company dumps in the landfills. This move will ensure that companies adopt recycling efforts to avoid being fined. Additionally, a legislation framework that requires compulsory recycling by companies should be put in place. This strategy will serve to increase the volume of waste that is recycled, hence reducing the need to dump in landfills. Under this legislation, heavy fines should be imposed on companies that deliberately prefer dumping to recycling. Partial emptying of the landfills can be achieved through converting the existing landfills into recycling plants. This way, recyclable materials that have been dumped in the landfill can be sorted and recycled. In addition to emptying the landfills, this exercise will lead to the production of useful materials, as well as thermal power.

Finally, further research should be carried out regarding the best approaches to managing MSW within the available financial framework. Importantly, a thorough cost-benefit analysis should be carried out to ensure that the methods adopted are not only effective but also affordable. In addition, the effectiveness of the already-implemented measures should be investigated to identify gaps and hence the possible areas of improvement.

Reference List

Acharya, P 2012, Domestic solid waste recycling: Programs and policies for Dubai. Web.

Al Marashi, H & Bhinder, J 2008, From the tallest to the greenest-paradigm shift in Dubai. Web.

Al-Dahiri, M, Maraqa, M & Kanbour, F 2008, Medical waste management in the UAE, Kuwait Waste Management Conference, Kuwait City.

Alderman, L 2010, ‘Dubai faces environmental problems after growth’, The New York Times, p. 4.

Al-Hajj, A & Hamani, K 2011, ‘Material waste in the UAE construction industry: Main causes and minimization practices’, Architectural Engineering and Design Management, vol. 7, no. 4, pp.221-235.

Al-Qaydi, S 2006, Industrial solid waste disposal in Dubai, UAE: A study in Economic geography, Elsevier, Amsterdam.

Anand, S 2010, Solid waste management, Mittal Publications, New Delhi.

Jamil, M, Ahmad, F & Jeon, Y 2016, ‘Renewable energy technologies adopted by the UAE: Prospects and challenges–A comprehensive overview’, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol. 55, no. 1, pp.1181-1194.

Khatib, I 2011, Municipal solid waste management in developing countries: Future challenges and possible opportunities, INTECH Open Access Publisher, Rijeka.

Maulood, Y & Aziz, S 2016, ‘Soil and municipal solid waste leachate characterization at Erbil anaerobic landfill site’, ZANCO Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences, vol. 28, no. 3, pp.104-133.

Rakhshan, K, Friess, W & Tajerzadeh, S 2013, ‘Evaluating the sustainability impact of improved building insulation: A case study in the Dubai residential built environment’, Building and Environment, vol. 67, no. 1, pp.105-110.

Saifaie, A 2013, ‘Waste Management in Dubai’, Envirocitiese Magazine, vol. 4, no. 1, pp.4-7.

Executive Summary

The project focuses on the investigation of zero waste management as a viable option of saving the planet from pollution and increasing environmental sustainability efforts. The introduction gets the audience acquainted with the general idea of the paper and the key concept investigated. A relevant model supporting the rationale is the 3R approach. The methodology section briefly presents the methods utilized in research and the questions to be answered. In the research ethics part, the main principles of ethical research are outlined, with the specification on the current project’s goals and requirements. The review of literature is the most extensive part since it analyses scholars’ investigations of the research problem. Several sections are singled out in the review, united by general topics on which previous studies have focused. Findings from the literature point out the main points singled out in research articles. The SWOT analysis includes an overview of the major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of zero waste management. In the recommendation section, suggestions on promoting zero waste are given. The conclusion reiterates the main points made in the project.

Introduction

Sustainability has been the main common goal for all humanity in the past decades, and it still remains a highly crucial issue. Whereas all aspects of sustainable development are highly important, finding solutions to environmental problems is more crucial than economic or social ones. One of the most viable approaches to overcome the problems of unfriendly treatment of the biosphere is zero waste management. This concept was introduced in the 1970s with the meaning of “recovering resources” (Song, Li and Zeng, 2015, p. 200). The major purpose of the zero-waste approach is the arrangement of a circular flow of materials, thereby reducing waste to the minimum.

A Relevant Model to Underpin the Rationale

The most relevant model of zero waste management is the so-called 3R model: reduce, reuse, recycle. The model comprises such aspects as development, production, construction, use, and disposal (Singh, Ramakrishna and Gupta, 2017). Zero waste, which incorporates two main aspects, is the major goal of the 3R model. The factors most closely related to zero waste are the recycling of waste and sustainable manufacturing (Singh, Ramakrishna and Gupta, 2017). Recycling may include e-waste (electric and electronic), ceramics, machine scrap, and other types of waste. Meanwhile, sustainable manufacturing involves the most recent trends in the machine industry, foundry, and operating.

Methodology and Research Questions

The methods to be utilised in research are ethnography and a review of literature. These qualitative approaches allow collecting a sufficient amount of data on the selected topic, sorting it out, and making viable conclusions about the subject of investigation. Ethnographic material will be taken from scholarly articles and reviews. The current study aims at answering the following research questions:

1. What is the potential of the zero-waste policy in reducing waste?
2. What benefits and limitations are there for the implementation of zero waste?

Research Ethics

Although the study does not involve any experiments on living beings or data collection from specific participants, it is crucial to adhere to the rules of research ethics. In case of the present study, the ethical principles to be followed include the authenticity of materials used and paying tribute to the authors whose scholarly works are being consulted. To pursue the first aim, only peer-reviewed articles will be utilised as sources. To follow the second goal, each thought or idea borrowed from the literature will be properly cited.

Literature Review

Many recent research studies are dedicated to the problem of zero waste management and the ways of its implementation. The articles by Pietzsch, Ribeiro, and de Medeiros (2017), Song, Li, and Zeng (2015), and Zaman (2015) focus on zero waste management, its benefits, challenges, and strategies. Pietzsch, Ribeiro, and de Medeiros (2017) note that a consensus on the concept of zero waste has not been gained yet. Still, the scholars have singled out four dimensions of benefits brought by zero waste to society: community, financial-economic, environmental, and industrial. The main challenges have been found in the micro (stakeholders), meso (municipalities and industries), and macro environment (politics and culture) (Pietzsch, Ribeiro and de Medeiros, 2017). Song, Li, and Zeng (2015) also acknowledge the presence of barriers on the way to zero waste, such as the lack of efforts taken in the spheres of e-waste, packaging, and food waste. Researchers also note the inequality in waste management opportunities in developed and developing countries. Therefore, it is crucial to consider the variability of challenges related to zero waste implementation in each particular state.

Zaman (2015) emphasises the significance of zero waste in the confrontation of waste problems prevailing in the world. The scholar notes that the main reason why zero waste has gained popularity with policymakers is that this concept helps to promote a variety of beneficial processes. Among them, there are the sustainability of production and consumption, considerate recycling, and recovery of resources. Still, while Zaman (2015) mentions that zero waste is a positive idea, the scholar also argues that the design and evaluation of this important concept have not received sufficient attention yet.

Another direction prevailing in scholarly articles is represented by specific ways of reducing waste in different industries. Arevalo-Gallegos et al.’s (2017) study analyses the opportunity of creating value-added products with the help of lignocellulose, an innovative sustainable material. Baghbanzadeh et al. (2017) research zero waste as a solution for the freshwater shortage. Principato, Pratesi, and Secondi (2018) explore the advantages of zero waste introduction in the restaurant sphere, whereas Sharma et al. (2017) discuss the feasibility of zero waste for paper and plastic wastes. Scholars note that zero waste management will become possible due to the increased use of sustainable materials, which are characterised by renewability, natural abundance, and easiness of accessibility and recyclability (Arevalo-Gallegos et al., 2017). Baghbanzadeh et al. (2017) have found that the process of water distillation is more energy-efficient if performed with the use of the zero-waste approach. Meanwhile, Sharma et al. (2017) remark that zero waste goals cannot be gained without total recycling of plastic and paper waste. Hence, scholars acknowledge the significance of the zero-waste policy but note that it is impossible to achieve without altering the current ways of managing waste and using resources.

Finally, several scholarly studies are concentrated on various functions of materials that can be utilised in order to increase zero-waste efforts. Burlakovs et al. (2018) emphasise the need to reduce waste disposal and recover materials and metals as a necessary prerequisite of the successful movement to zero waste. De Bhowmick, Sarmah, and Sen (2019) analyse the opportunities in the biodiesel sphere presented by oleaginous microalgae biodiesel. Researchers note that the current level of biodiesel’s development and usage is not sufficient to replace unsustainable petroleum and diesel materials. Hottle et al. (2015) also discuss the need to make the zero-waste movement more progressive. Scholars remark that recycling and composting may be considered as viable options for the organisation of sustainable venue-based events. According to Hottle et al. (2015), due to the tradition of consuming food and drinks during sports venues, people contribute to waste generation. Such a tradition, as researchers argue, can be turned to a positive direction via promoting composting and recycling. Finally, Singh, Ramakrishna, and Gupta (2017) emphasise the potential of zero waste to serve as a “roadmap” for the future of manufacturing (p. 1230).

Findings

Based on the review of literature, it is possible to single out several major findings. First of all, the zero-waste management model is a highly valid approach to reducing the amount of waste produced by people all over the world. The benefits of zero waste are numerous, including the reduction of dangerous pollution, the decrease in waste and material disposal, and the increase in reusability of things.

At the same time, it has been found that the movement toward zero waste is not void of some barriers. For instance, there is currently no holistic strategy for zero-waste programs (Zaman, 2015). Additionally, there is a striking difference in opportunities to implement zero-waste strategies between developed and developing countries (Song, Li and Zeng, 2015). Statistics indicate that more than 90% of waste in low-income countries is dumped or burned, there being no possibility of recycling it (Solid waste management, 2019). At the same time, the status of a developed nation does not guarantee that the citizens are conscious of their environmental footprint. For instance, every U.S. citizen generates approximately 808 kilograms of waste annually (Global waste index 2019, n.d.). Still, the main problem is not the amount of waste but the solutions that states utilise to manage it.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

• the elimination of the amount of waste generated by humanity
• the creation of new jobs
• the reduction of the environmental footprint
• the valorisation of household and industrial waste
• the increased quality of life due to a smaller degree of pollution
• close collaboration among people in communities
• the availability of high-quality materials that are obtained via recycling and reusing

Weaknesses

• unequal possibilities of waste collection and recycling in developed and developing countries
• many people do not know how to sort waste with the purpose of its further reusing and recycling
• in low-income countries, there is poor or no financial support of zero-waste projects
• additional expenses are needed for the arrangement of waste collection and recycling activities
• recycling plants have to be built in many places due to a current lack of them
• not all citizens are ready to pay additional effort to sort their waste and utilise it properly

Opportunities

• a major contribution to people’s lives at all levels: local, regional, and national
• a decreased need for purchasing and transporting materials for local industries since they will now be available on the site
• communities will enhance their environmental profile and attract visitors or even new residents
• people in the community will become friendlier and more environmentally-concerned
• children will grow in waste-free environments and will realise the significance of the 3R model since a very early age
• communities will earn money from selling materials; the money will be spent on the improvement of recreational places or donated to developing countries so that they could activate their zero-waste efforts

Threats

• a negative reaction from the citizens who consider it ‘not their business’
• individuals employed in the waste management system can oppose innovation as a threat to their jobs
• at the initial stages of the project, financial losses will be unavoidable (informing the population, purchasing containers for sorting waste, buying materials for people participating in collecting and sorting waste from dumping places)

Recommendations

To promote the implementation of zero waste management, it is necessary to manage the limitations existing currently. Firstly, developing countries require help both with education and introduction of waste collecting, sorting, and recycling activities. Next, developed countries should be taught about the significance of smart consumption. Further, much effort should be paid to the encouragement of communities’ participation in waste elimination activities. It is crucial to utilise the identified opportunities and reduce threats and weaknesses associated with zero waste management. The potential of the zero-waste policy in reducing waste is rather high. Therefore, it is essential to make every person living in the world realise his or her responsibility for the planet’s future.

Conclusion

Zero waste management is a highly viable approach to minimising the amount of waste generated by people. By encouraging citizens to participate in zero-waste initiatives, governments will promote the elimination of waste, which will lead to lower pollution levels. Sustainability of production and consumption, which can be gained through zero waste, is likely to promote a healthier future of the world. Despite current inequalities in access to zero-waste activities, all countries should strive for participation in this important process.

Reference List

1. Arevalo-Gallegos, A. et al. (2017) ‘Lignocellulose: a sustainable material to produce value-added products with a zero waste approach—a review’, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 99, pp. 308–318.
2. Baghbanzadeh, M. et al. (2017) ‘Zero thermal input membrane distillation, a zero-waste and sustainable solution for freshwater shortage’, Applied Energy, 187, pp. 910–928.
3. Burlakovs, J. et al. (2018) ‘On the way to “zero waste” management: recovery potential of elements, including rare earth elements, from fine fraction of waste’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 186, pp. 81–90.
4. De Bhowmick, G., Sarmah, A. K. and Sen, R. (2019) ‘Zero-waste algal biorefinery for bioenergy and biochar: a green leap towards achieving energy and environmental sustainability’, Science of the Total Environment, 650, pp. 2467–2482.
5. Global waste index 2019 (n.d.) Web.
6. Hottle, T. A. et al. (2015) ‘Toward zero waste: composting and recycling for sustainable venue based events’, Waste Management, 38, pp. 86–94.
7. Pietzsch, N., Ribeiro, J. L. D. and de Medeiros, J. F. (2017) ‘Benefits, challenges and critical factors of success for zero waste: a systematic literature review’, Waste Management, 67, pp. 324–353.
8. Principato, L., Pratesi, C. A. and Secondi, L. (2018) ‘Towards zero waste: an exploratory study on restaurant managers’, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 74, pp. 130–137.
9. Sharma, D. K. et al. (2017) ‘Technical feasibility of zero waste for paper and plastic wastes’, Waste and Biomass Valorization.
10. Singh, S., Ramakrishna, S. and Gupta, M. K. (2017) ‘Towards zero waste manufacturing: a multidisciplinary review’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 168, pp. 1230–1243.
11. Solid waste management(2019) Web.
12. Song, Q., Li, J. and Zeng, X. (2015) ‘Minimizing the increasing solid waste through zero waste strategy’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 104, pp. 199–210.
13. Zaman, A. U. (2015) ‘A comprehensive review of the development of zero waste management: lessons learned and guidelines’, Journal of Cleaner Production, 91, pp. 12–25.

The deep borehole method of the non-retrievable burial of nuclear waste has been discussed for more than half a century, but it remains in the form of projects, and up until now it has not been implemented by any country (World Nuclear Association par. 23). This approach presupposes drilling an on- or offshore borehole and filling 2000 meters with nuclear or vitrified radioactive waste (World Nuclear Association par. 21). The borehole is then sealed with about 3000 meters of bentonite or similar materials. The method is supposed to be feasible for relatively small amounts of waste that are not suitable for re-use; when compared to mined repositories it appears more expensive as it is situated at a greater depth (“Team selected for US deep borehole field test” par. 2)

The United States plans to carry out a study devoted to the feasibility of deep boreholes as a means of nuclear waste disposal. To experiment with this method, a grand field test will be run in North Dakota that will involve drilling a 16,000 feet (4880 meters) borehole into crystalline basement rock. The projects’ team consists of the US Department of Energy, “the University of Dakota Energy and Environmental Research Center, Schlumberger of Houston, Texas, and Swiss company Solexperts” (“Team” par. 2). The test is meant to investigate the possible difficulties, indicate the issues, and provide the opportunity for the development of specific techniques of drilling, stability, and safety ensuring, sealing, and other that will be required in the process. According to the US Energy Secretary, this is only a first step that will advance the understanding of the use of crystalline rock formations, and long-term nuclear waste repositories are only one of their possible applications. As a result, the test can provide the information that may be employed in the future when considering the use and working with other similar regions that have been found across the US and undoubtedly can be discovered in other countries.

The US Department of Energy considers deep boreholes a promising or “robust” means of waste isolation that can offer faster disposals than mined repositories (World Nuclear Association par. 23). However, the US is not the only country to investigate the method. As it was mentioned it is still in development, but the projects have been considered in countries “including Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland” (World Nuclear Association par. 22It is noteworthy that the issue of the feasibility of these projects is still questionable, and the US is unique in actually preparing to test it.

For example, in Sweden, there is a “large-scale geological structure of the crystalline rock” at Forsmark (Follin et al. 313). In other words, this area is technically suitable for the deep borehole method, and it has been considered in this respect, but it was given up eventually. Currently, Forsmark is in operation as a mined final repository for high-level waste (Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB par. 1-2; “The Forsmark NPP” par. 1-5). The issue of the safe disposal of nuclear waste in Sweden is, therefore, solved with the help of another method of geological storage for the time being (Andersson et al. 1054). Still, the results provided by the US field test may provide the necessary impact for other countries to consider testing or otherwise implementing the method (World Nuclear Association par. 23).

Works Cited

Andersson, Johan, Kristina Skagius, Anders Winberg, Tobias Lindborg, and Anders Strom. “Site-Descriptive Modelling for a Final Repository for Spent Nuclear Fuel in Sweden.” Environmental Earth Sciences 69.3 (2013): 1045-60. ProQuest. Web.

Follin, Sven, Lee Hartley, Ingvar Rhén, Peter Jackson, Steven Joyce, David Roberts, and Ben Swift. “A Methodology to Constrain the Parameters of a Hydrogeological Discrete Fracture Network Model for Sparsely Fractured Crystalline Rock, Exemplified by Data from the Proposed High-Level Nuclear Waste Repository Site at Forsmark, Sweden.” Hydrogeology Journal 22.2 (2014): 313-31.ProQuest. Web.

Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB. “The Final Repository SFR.” Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB Website. 2015. Web.

“Team selected for US deep borehole field test.” World Nuclear News. 2016. Web.

“The Forsmark NPP, in Sweden, will be first to house a deep geological repository for its high-level radioactive waste.” ENS News. 2009. Web.

World Nuclear Association. “Radioactive Waste Management Appendix 2: Storage and Disposal Options.” World Nuclear Association Website. 2016. Web.

Introduction

Electronic waste refers to carelessly discarded, excess, or out of order electronic devices. This definition is vague and there is still debate as to whether items such as broken fridges and other household appliances should be included under e-wastes.

However, the widely accepted definition includes wastes arising from computers, old electronic devices such as phones (both fixed and mobile) and entertainment gadgets, television sets, computer monitors, refrigerators, and other electronic communication devices. Poor disposal of e-wastes poses several risks to human health and environmental quality as they contain noxious metallic elements known to cause serious health complications such as lead, cadmium, mercury, and beryllium.

When the wastes are buried in landfills, toxic constituents can infiltrate into water systems and the soil, and finally reach our bodies. Should we sacrifice ourselves for the sake of technology? There has been a growing call for industry players to effect proper disposal of e-wastes, or to find alternative uses of the wastes, such as recycling and separating the components of the electronic devices for use in various industrial processes.

Why I chose this Topic

Because I wanted to inform readers of remedies to poor disposal of e-wastes such as recycling, consumer awareness efforts and adopting safe manufacturing techniques. Recycling is the best approach to tackling threats arising from e-wastes owing to several advantages.

Because I wanted to emphasize on the benefits that we can get by recycling electronic devices rather than discarding them haphazardly. This method entails using the old items for other purposes instead of discarding them.

Because I wanted to highlight the severe health complications that arise from poor disposal of e-wastes, the complications include chronic damage to the nervous system, renal dysfunction, lung cancer, kidney and liver damage and even brain damage.

E-waste

Why are we not aware of the dangers of disposing electronic wastes and keep insisting that these wastes have no use at all? Of late, the issue of electronic waste (e-waste) disposal has become a controversial issue all over the world owing to the widespread use and electronic technologies such as computers, television and CRTs (Morgan, para. 1).

The rate at which people use and discard electronic devices is alarming, shockingly, few people have knowledge of how the devices we use regularly can be harmful once they become obsolete. When shall we all wake up to the reality of poor disposal of e-wastes? Should we wait until all of our water systems and soil are contaminated with heavy metals so that we can take action? Sadly, it will be too late and time for action is now.

Today, every home uses at least one electronic device and the television, computer and mobile phones are the most common. With increasing ease of access or ownership of these items, partly attributed to decrease in cost and the increasingly digitized world, the volume of e-waste is set to increase rapidly and if appropriate measures are not taken urgently, these wastes may reach unmanageable levels.

On a positive note, various organizations and environmental protection agencies have recognized the dangers of e-wastes and have started increasing public awareness on this issue, besides pushing public and private institutions to participate actively in recycling and properly dispose of electronic wastes.

There are several strategies that can be used to manage electronic wastes, these include recycling, consumer awareness efforts and adopting safe manufacturing techniques. However, recycling offers the best option and ensures that the toxic material does not end up in the environment.

According to the blog “The Benefits of Your Electronic Recycling” on Avalanche Technology’s website, one blogger discusses how recycling electronic technology is the best way to prevent environmental pollution and health complications arising from these wastes.

Regardless of how various electronic technologies make a huge difference in the efficiency and speed of our lives as users, lack of awareness on how to dispose of these items can make the risk from electronic technology grow bigger and bigger.

One strategy that has been identified as an effective to this rising problem is recycling. This involves reuse, shredding, and donation of obsolete electronic equipment. Recycling undergoes in several stages, beginning with collection, brokering, disassembling, fixing or recycling parts of the equipment. The process is sometimes known as e-cycling (recycling of e-wastes).

Pros of Recycling

While the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not forbid households from dumping their electronic equipment, recycling them can reduce contamination of the environment. The EPA further states there are more than 40 million excess computers in the US alone, these will be discarded in the next few years and unless proper recycling plans are put underway, we may be staring at a very bleak future.

Already, several legislation have been enacted around the world that requires companies to recycle their products, this, it is argued, will motivate the companies to use fewer components in the production process, produce durable products, and use safer, more efficient recycling methods (Yuan et al, pp. 660).

E-wastes can provide an important source of raw materials in the manufacture of other equipment if they are recycled properly. For example, a sewing machine contains mercury which can be retrieved and used in other industrial processes, for example, manufacture of thermometers.

Since recycling also includes donation of used equipment, the process helps in availing second hand electronic devices at lower costs. Today, many western countries donate computers to developing countries, or sell them at lower costs and this has the effects of putting these developing countries at a higher level on the application of technology.

Electronic wastes contain precious elements such as gold, lead and copper. These valuable elements can be retrieved from disassembled e-wastes and reused in other equipment. However, the wastes also contain toxic elements such as lead, cadmium, chromium, and radioactive elements (Mayfield, para. 7).

When e-wastes are buried in landfills, the toxic elements can leach into underground water and later reach surface water systems such as rivers and lakes from which they can enter our body if the water is not adequately purified. The toxic elements may also leach into the soil and enter our body through agricultural products.

These elements are associated with serious health complications such as chronic damage to the nervous system, renal dysfunction, lung cancer, kidney and liver damage and even brain damage. Therefore, mechanisms must be put in place to ensure that these e-wastes are handled in the right manner. Recycling ensures that toxic elements from electronic wastes do not reach the soil and water systems.

Cons of Recycling

While recycling is a cheap alternative for preventing environmental contamination, it has come under heavy criticism from various stakeholders. Part of the criticism arises from the fact that recycling will raise a firm’s waste management expenses and obstructs creativity from high-tech firms.

Critics also say that recycling could unintentionally cause damage to the environment as it leads to accumulation of electronic materials that will eventually have to be discarded. They also say that e-wastes do not constitute a significant portion of total wastes, for instance, a study revealed that barely 4% of waste arises from electronic equipment in Europe. Hence, diversion of more funds to implement undertakes management activities will only serve to benefit the companies and not the public (Hicks et al, 2005).

While writing on the Science section of Wired Magazine, Kendra Mayfield (para. 8) mentions that “e-waste collected in the United States for recycling is exported … workers … are handling toxic chemicals that can pose serious health problems”. This statement stems from the fact that recycling of e-wastes, particularly the disassembly process, is very risky to the workers as they are exposed to the heavy metals present in most of the equipment.

This problem can worsen if workers do not wear protective gear. It is costly too since the percentage of the initial cost recovered after recycling can be as low as 1-5%. A final objection is that in the process of donating used computers to developing countries, companies are, in essence, dumping their wastes into these countries. Studies show that close to 200,000 tons of e-wastes are exported into developing countries.

Conclusion

Obsolete electronic equipment have rapidly increased in volume around the world due to technological advancements and low initial costs. The rapid growth of e-wastes has had serious negative impacts on our environment since the wastes contain carcinogenic and toxic elements.

Although several measures have been identified, recycling has been noted as the most effective method of managing electronic wastes. Recycling can motivate the companies to use fewer components in the production process, produce durable products, and use safer, more efficient recycling methods. Recycling can also provide raw materials cheaply, avail second hand electronic devices at lower costs to developing countries, and they contain valuable elements.

Works Cited

Hicks, Chrlotte, Dietmara, Rolf, and Eugsterb, Martin. The recycling and disposal of electrical and electronic waste in China—legislative and market responses. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 25 (5), 2005, 459–471.

Mayfield, Kendra. E-Waste: Dark Side of Digital Age. Wired Magazine, 2003. Web.

Morgan, Russell. Tips and Tricks for Recycling Old Computers. 2006. Web.

Yuan, Chris, Zhang, Hong C., McKenna, Gregory, Korzeniewski, Carol, and Li, Jianzhi.

Experimental Studies on Cryogenic Recycling of Printed Circuit Board. International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Vol. 34, 2007, pp. 657-666.