Waste management services denote efforts to collect, move, recycle or dispose waste. Waste disposal services focus on dumping different types of waste in specified locations. In most cases, waste disposal services are often provided by local governments. However, individuals or companies can also hire private contractors. Some waste management efforts focus on recycling, reusing and remanufacturing used materials. Federal laws also have provisions for effective waste management. Such provisions provide a clear guidance on appropriate waste handling and disposal practices. The approaches to waste management are determined by the type of waste product in question.
Different Types of Wastes
Waste products fall into different categories, the most common ones being solid, liquid, hazardous and electronic wastes. Liquid waste is basically in non-solid form. Notable examples include waste water, waste detergents and industrial cleaning liquid. Solid wastes include refuse and garbage common around homes and industrial premises. Electronic waste is also primarily solid; old batteries, electronics and thermostats are all examples in this category. Finally, hazardous wastes pose significant environmental and public health threats, especially when improperly disposed. Examples of the same include solvents, pesticides and cleaners among other chemicals. The choice of a waste management approach should be considerate of the type of waste. For instance, waste disposal services meant for dirty water cannot be applicable in managing hazardous wastes.
Before initiating disposal protocols or other waste management practices, be sure to conduct waste audits. A waste audit depicts a comprehensive analysis of your waste production trends. The audit facilitates the identification of recyclable materials and those destined for disposal. In this case, you can keep track of the amount of waste your facility produces and devise effective management practices.
Waste Management Methods
Recycling
This is a common environmentally friendly waste management practice. However, it is imperative to take great caution when recycling waste. The process requires an efficient and effective program, especially when dealing with large waste quantities. For recycling procedures to be effective, you should first focus on reducing waste to a manageable quantity.
Reduce and Reuse
The reduction of the quantity of waste products constitutes a feasible way of cutting down your waste production. For instance, you can achieve effective waste reduction by reducing the amount of disposable materials used in your premises or cutting down on unnecessary paper use. You can also reuse materials such as plastic bags and containers.
Composting
We can think of composting as a nature-mediated process of reutilizing decomposed organic waste products. Composting mitigates the negative environmental effects attributable to waste disposal. The initiation of composting programs will also assist you in reducing waste production.
