Harsh Rawat
UG student, Dept. Of Law
PIMR, Indore
Waste management has now become a very important pillar of our advanced civilisation. Confronting the rising environmental concerns. Management of waste has now become a very critical aspect of sustainable development, and in turn, ensures sustainability for the future generations to come.
THE CONUNDRUM OF WASTE MANAGEMENT:
The population today is increasing at a faster rate, as well as urbanisation has been in pace resulting in greater production of waste. Daily household waste, industrial garbage and its byproducts, untreated waste, electronic waste, toxic chemicals waste etc have all contributed heavily to increasing the waste streaming phenomenon. The effect of untreated waste would be adverse and long-lasting, giving rise to increased population, land degradation, soil erosion, resource depletion and gradually affecting the overall biodiversity.
The significance of effective waste management is very crucial for the following reasons:
Conservation of resources: The recycling process as well as some practices like waste to waste-to-energy process further lead to the preservation of various important resources, which reduces the demand for Virgin materials.
Reducing Environmental degradation: Proper waste management practises comprising the use of effective waste disposal means include using clean energy; treating harmful discharges from factories; treating hot water before draining into water bodies would save marine ecosystems. Treatment of solid waste would also prevent land degradation. Planting more trees, i.e., afforestation would ensure sustainability in the environment and, and turn, reduce soil erosion. The use of air purifiers in the factories would prevent air pollution. Noise pollution can be regulated by using sound absorbing and similar materials.
Protection of Public Health: The use of appropriate waste management strategies would help prevent the spread of obnoxious diseases, including waterborne diseases like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A, etc, and airborne diseases like influenza and chickenpox. It also helps in minimising the health threats associated with the unhygienic conditions.
Controlling global warming: The navigation of waste will also help in reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly CO2(Carbon Dioxide) which causes the heating up of the atmosphere causing global warming.
TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS IN THE WASTE MANAGEMENT:
Converting Waste to Energy: Technological processes, which involve modern incineration and gasification practises, which convert waste material into energy help in better waste disposal and its treatment. It also minimises the burden of landfill and prevents land degradation. The energy can further be used for a variety of purposes, like providing electricity to households as well as industrial houses etc.
Introduction of Circular Economy: The above economy promotes the concept of recycling and reusing products to reduce waste generation. The circular economy involves sharing, reusing, leasing, repairing & refurbishing the existing products as long as possible.
Use of Smart Waste Bins: The development of Internet-based connected garbage bins equipped with sensors ensures better optimization of the waste collection routes, which leads to a reduction in fuel consumption and also prevents air pollution.
Use of Biodegradable Plastics: Biodegradable plastics have the name suggests eco-friendly and decompose in a very short duration of time thereby sustaining the natural ecosystem itself. It serves as a good matcher to curb the evil of plastic pollution. Plastic takes approximately 500 years to decompose depending upon the material structure and other environmental factors it is exposed to.
Recycling E-Waste: Nowadays, due to the increased circulation of electronic devices, it has become the need of the R to monitor the collection. And proper disposal of electronic waste. Recycling this E-waste has become very crucial. Such waste came into existence after the end of its product's useful life resulting in the accumulation of large amounts of electronic wastes. Common methods of disposing of electronic wastes in India include incineration, landfilling, recycling, reusing and acid baths. These practices have been discussed below –
Incineration: This process involves burning up electronic wastes in a very high-temperature incinerator. It serves a dual purpose by reducing the volume of the waste generation of energy which can have different applications.
Landfilling: It involves drilling the ground and creating a big hole into which the waste is dumped and is then covered with the soil. This method is not highly preferred owing to contamination of the soil.
Recycling: It involves dismantling and moulding the product to convert it into another product.
Reusing: It involves refurbishing and cleansing products and then reusing them.
Acid Bath: It includes soaking and dipping the electronic wastes into acids like hydrofluoric acid, sulphuric acid etc to separate the metals from electronic waste parts. It is a very typical procedure that needs to be performed very judiciously. This acid waste must be carefully treated and disposed of as it can be a serious threat to water bodies.
CHALLENGES AHEAD:
Regardless of various waste management strategies and innovations, many challenges need to be tackled. The first challenge is that of understanding the changing human behaviour and needs. Human needs are never going to be fully satisfied owing to their unlimited wants and scarcity of resources. Therefore, they encountered the problem of choice. It involves deploying the resources to serve a better purpose. This human behavioural outlook must be taken into consideration while dealing with the problem of waste management. It must be dealt with carefully. Some pathways to achieve the challenge include encouraging waste reduction and using the 3Rs i.e., Recycle, Reuse and Reduce. Environment awareness should also be promoted through campaigns and educational programs. Moreover, a proper waste management framework should be developed to control and monitor the rising waste.
NAVIGATING THE ROADMAP TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE:
Sustainability is not a one-step goal. It requires a holistic approach and an all-round endeavour. Practical solutions must be developed taking into account local conditions and cultures. Proper coordination among the state authorities, local communities and industries is essential for the progress. Impactful policies, initiatives for sustainable processes and strict rules can lead to positive change.
The pathway to a sustainable future depends on our capability to reconceive waste as an important resource and to rely on effective waste management and control measures. Together, we as a society can effectively embrace the challenge of waste management by minimizing the generation of waste and preserving the resources thereby creating a safe and healthier world for the posterity. Monitoring the waste is not only about its disposal, it’s also about ensuring a way to a more sustainable future.
[1] Sneha Patil, ‘Waste Management: Navigating The Path To Sustainable Future’, https://medium.com/@sneha.patil_89977/waste-management-navigating-the-path-to-a-sustainable-future-7b9900f8e975 (last visited Nov 18, 2023)
[2] ‘Waste Management, The Pathway For a Sustainable Future’, https://enkingint.org/waste-management-the-pathway-for-a-sustainable-planet/ (last visited 17 Nov, 2023)
[3] ‘The Future Of Wastes: Five Things To Look By 2025’, The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/2015/feb/23/future-of-waste-five-things-look-2025 (last visited 18 November 2023)
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