Waste Management

This session was given as an individual work based on some resources.

When solid waste is not treated properly, it poses several health hazards for local inhabitants, and pollutes natural resources like water, soil or air. Waste management aims at minimizing the health, environmental and aesthetic impacts of solid wastes.

Only a small part of the overall waste is treated properly in developing countries. Most of this waste treatment effort is done by the informal sector in developing countries. Sophisticated waste processing units handle large amounts of solid waste in industrialized countries.

When we look at the waste generation in high income countries we see that the amount is very large compared to the low income countries. An interesting issue is the e-waste, which is is any refuse created by discarded electronic devices and components as well as substances involved in their manufacture or use. One of the reference documents mentions a campaign to provide unused computers to low income countries; we see that this initiative turned into a way of getting rid of waste product. This again shows how good intentions can have negative outcomes for those who are supposed to benefit the good initiative.

One reference mentions a change in consumer and human lifestyles can reduce the amount of waste produced. I agree on this view; even though dealing with treating the waste is important part of the phenomena, it is mainly a symptom of excessive consumption and more importantly unnecessary consumption. I believe that most of the waste generated in underdeveloped societies as well as the modern ones is avoidable and waste treatment and waste production should be treated together to achieve concrete solutions.

In conclusion as we saw in many other sustainable technologies, the problems are far from being completely technical and social, legal, economic, and environmental aspects affects the phenomena as much as the technology.