Sources of Solid Waste Generation

Please select and research a Canadian solid waste management material or industry.

The generation and emission of harmful waste as a residue in the environment has affected the life of many. The processes undertaken by the sources has resulted to the generation of the solid wastes and their dumping in the open environment. It largely affects the eco-system of the region. The solid wastes include toxic and hazardous substances that might cause cancer and other neurological problems that might cause death (Daniel).

The purpose of the report is to understand the harmful nature of the solid wastes and the manner in which the solid wastes can be disposed effectively. The other aspects that are being included as a part of the report are based on the rules and regulations that are applied to the treatment of the solid waste generation and control. It will help in the understanding of the measures that are being taken by the government for controlling the solid waste generation.

The most common sources of the solid waste generation are based on the activities that are being undertaken by the people based on their work. The sources and the functions that are performed by the sources through which the waste is generated is being illustrated in this part of the report.Solid waste generating sources

	Wastes created Save Time On Research and Writing Hire a Pro to Write You a 100% Plagiarism-Free Paper. Get My Paper
Industrial	Housekeeping wastes, food wastes, special wastes which might be hazardous, toxic materials and the like
Municipal	General wastes from street cleaning and parks
Residential	Bulky wastes ranging from food materials to glass and steel scraps, hazardous wastes
Commercial	Food wastes, special wastes and hazardous wastes
Construction and demolition	Wood, steel, bricks, cement and the like
Agriculture	Spoiled agricultural wastes and food wastes

The generation of the solid wastes is based on the human activities and is a result of which is regarded as unwanted and useless. The garbage that is being generated from the households- the leftover foods, the broken utensils and the like can be termed as solid waste (Assamoi, Bernadette, and Yuri Lawryshyn 1019). On the other hand, the wastes that are created from the industrial and the agricultural sources like the discharge of the harmful and toxic scraps in the open environment can bring in a lot of issues in human and animal life. The major characteristics of the wastes are based on the nature of the wastes that are generated.

The World Bank group, in their Urban Development Series, stated that the current global generation of the solid wastes is around 1.3 billion tons per year which might get accelerated to 2.2 billion tons by the year 2025 (Marshall, Rachael and Khosrow Farahbakhsh 992).The increase in the solid waste generation has already started affecting the eco-system of the regions. The industrial and the residential sectors where the generation of the solid wastes is the maximum has started experiencing health related issues through the exposure to the harmful toxins and the hazardous wastes.

Characteristics of Solid Waste

According to certain reports, the effects of solid waste on the environment and the human life are vast. The excreta and the other toxic liquids that are released from the household and the industries affect the health of the people. The improper disposal of the wastes pollutes the air, soil and water of the eco-system and spreads contagious diseases across. The open dumping of the wastes can bring in issues in sanitation and hygiene (Guerrero 227). On the other hand, the dumping of the non-biodegradable wastes in the open places and the burning the same like plastic might cause cancer. On the other hand, the emission of various toxic and hazardous elements in the atmosphere affects the total eco-system of the region. The other aspects of the impacts are based on the increase in the mortality rates of the people. However, the World Bank report on mortality rate states that the proper disposal strategies, which are being implemented with the rising awareness has helped in lowering the mortality rate from 15.022 (1961) to 7.645 (2015) (Yeheyis 87).

The hazardous wastes are being generated through the incomplete utilization of the resources affects the ecosystems. The generation of the wastes is based on the activities that are being undertaken by the individuals. The wastes from the residents like the kitchen wastes and the scraps of metals and glass. On the other hand, excreta are also another element that is being disposed by the households, which can be counted among the solid wastes. The toxic wastes from the industries and the constructional activities pollute the soil, air and water thereby polluting the very eco-system (Chandrappa, Ramesha, and Diganta). Proper management of the solid wastes is an important phenomenon that is being undertaken for preventing the wastes from affecting the lives and the health of the people.  Methods like incineration, composting and grinding the wastes for discharging the same in the sewers helps in the proper management of the wastes. Incineration helps in burning down the wastes, which helps in reducing the waste to its dust. Composting on the other hand is used for biodegradable wastes (Hoornweg). The measures help in undertaking steps for ensuring the proper treatment of the solid wastes. The disposal of the wastes helps in maintaining the balance of the eco-systems and also helps in reducing the mortality rate which is affected by the  open disposal of the solid wastes.

Environmental and Health Impacts of Solid Waste

Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) is being set up by the Canadian government for undertaking steps for the safe disposition of the solid wastes that might be toxic and hazardous in nature. It helps in undertaking steps and procedures for regulating the actions relating to the management of the solid wastes. On the other hand, the Atomic Energy Control Act has helped in taking steps for regulating the disposal of the nuclear wastes that might be hazardous in nature (Arena 636). It will help in determining the different aspect of the control of the hazardous substance in the environment. The Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act and Regulations has helped in undertaking safe control over the transportation of the hazardous goods and the services so that they might not leave an impact on the lives of the people in the eco-system.

The current disposal strategies that are being undertaken are facilitated by the determination of the ecological value. The strategies that are formed have helped in the undertaking of the steps for the proper management of the solid wastes and the reduction of the same from the eco-systems (White, Dranke, and Peter). Strategies include the implementation of the steps relating to the recycling of the wastes. Wastes that are recycled are based on the principles of reducing the toxicity and the hazard of the wastes through the processes. The three R’s have helped in undertaking steps for making good use of the resources and utilizing every single bit of the entity without compromising the safety of the hazardous material

Figure 1: Flowchart of the processes

(Source: Ghiani 27)

The processes that are involved in the management of the wastes are being discussed in this section of the report. It helps in the lucid understanding of the steps and the processes that are being undertaken in order to ensure the safe disposal of the wastes. The flowchart that is being enumerated as part of the section clearly states the movement of the wastes from its generation to its disposal (Ludwig et al.). The steps that are mentioned helps in the understanding of the effectiveness of the measures that are being undertaken for the safe disposal of the wastes. The processes help in the systematic undertaking of the waste generation. The waste is collected at first and stored and then they are collected by different cleaning agencies and distributed to their respective sections for further treatment. The assessment of the kind of waste is again an important step that is being undertaken in order to justify the efficiency of the treatment that is given to them. The processing and refining functions helps in reducing the toxicity of the wastes and thereby make use of the recycling procedures for redeeming the value of the wastes. On the other hand, the transfer and the transport functions helps in determining the transportation of the wastes to the varied terminals from where the waste can be disposed. The measures has helped in undertaking the activities more efficiently and therefore enforce the proper functioning of the management of the solid wastes (Laner 503). 

References

Arena, Umberto. “Process and technological aspects of municipal solid waste gasification. A review.” Waste management 32.4 (2012): 625-639.

Assamoi, Bernadette, and Yuri Lawryshyn. “The environmental comparison of landfilling vs. incineration of MSW accounting for waste diversion.” Waste Management32.5 (2012): 1019-1030.

Chandrappa, Ramesha, and Diganta Bhusan Das. Solid waste management: Principles and practice. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.

Daniel, David Edwin, ed. Geotechnical practice for waste disposal. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.

Ghiani, Gianpaolo, et al. “Operations research in solid waste management: A survey of strategic and tactical issues.” Computers & Operations Research 44 (2014): 22-32.

Guerrero, Lilliana Abarca, Ger Maas, and William Hogland. “Solid waste management challenges for cities in developing countries.” Waste management 33.1 (2013): 220-232.

Hoornweg, Daniel, and Perinaz Bhada-Tata. “What a waste: a global review of solid waste management.” (2012).

Laner, David, et al. “A review of approaches for the long-term management of municipal solid waste landfills.” Waste management 32.3 (2012): 498-512.

Ludwig, Christian, Stefanie Hellweg, and Samuel Stucki, eds. Municipal solid waste management: strategies and technologies for sustainable solutions. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.

Marshall, Rachael E., and Khosrow Farahbakhsh. “Systems approaches to integrated solid waste management in developing countries.” Waste Management 33.4 (2013): 988-1003.

White, Peter, M. Dranke, and Peter Hindle. Integrated solid waste management: a lifecycle inventory. Springer Science & Business Media, 2012.

Yeheyis, Muluken, et al. “An overview of construction and demolition waste management in Canada: a lifecycle analysis approach to sustainability.” Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy 15.1 (2013): 81-91.