Core: Patterns in resource consumption (Chapter 4)
Waste management refers to collecting, distributing, transporting
and monitoring of waste materials. It usually refers to byproducts of
human activity, and is instigated in order improve aesthetics, the
environment, and overall human health.
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Recycling
Landfill
Waste
Management
Reuse
Substitution
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Recycling is the term given to processing waste products into useful
materials. Examples of recycable materials include glass, paper,
metal and plastic. Recycling is a sustainable way in which to preserve
materials, reduce air and water pollution levels, and lower the levels
of greenhouse gases found within the atmosphere.
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Reusing items implies using them after they have already been used,
either for the same or different functions. When compared to
recycling, reusing items saves money, time, energy and resources.
Examples of reusable items include plastic bags, envelopes, jars and
pots, packaging and old clothes.
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Substitution of a resource by another
often means to replace non-renewable
resources with renewable resources. For
instance, fossil fuels which damage the
atmosphere could be substituted with
other forms of available energy, such as
solar, tidal or wind. Processes such as
substitution reduce the amount of waste
in landfills and provide benefits for both
the environment and the economy,
through the possibilities of investment.
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Landfill sites involve burying waste into the ground and then covering
it with soil. Landfill sites are often associated negatively, because of
the aesthetic blight, as well as the noise produced by the machinery.
Most materials do not decompose efficiently and damage the local
environment as well as the people living nearby.
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240 kg of
fossil fuels
1,500 kg of
water.
Computer
Production
22 kg of
chemicals
Disposal
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http://environmentvictoria.org.au/content/problem-landfill
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/index.htm
http://www.wotwaste.com/waste-articles/commercial-waste/someof-the-world-s-largest-landfills
http://www.recycling-guide.org.uk/reuse.html
http://www.planetgreenrecycling.net.au/recycling-facts.php
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/
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