CHAPTER 2
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
This chapter highlights the literature review for current study namely the issues of
Disposal Recyclable Garbage, risk factor of proper disposal, effects of Human behavior of
disposal recyclable garbage, solution to the problem of Disposal Recyclable Garbage.
2.2 Issues of Disposal Recyclable Garbage
Awareness of recycling among the public and willingness to recycle is high but the lack
of Infrastructure and legislative support causes a high level of frustration mixed with Cynicism.
The over-reliance on (the same group of volunteers may leave community Recycling
programmed and activities vulnerable to exhaustion and failing momentum. However, household
composting efforts being promoted have gained strong acceptance among the people of Penang.
The ideas for a green state is the 100 Steps to Cleanliness programmed that will place
decorative 3R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) bins on the sides of major roads and at tourists spots.
These solar-powered decorative bins are fully private-sponsored, and the council collects
advertisement revenue from the operator. The main objective of such bins is to act as a constant
reminder for people to segregate their waste.
Most of them go straight to our landfill and a very small percentage of plastic bags are
actually recycled. A reduction in our use of plastic bags is essential in solving the environmental
problems stemming from them.
The most effective way of reducing the amount of plastic litter in the environment is
to reduce our consumption. As consumers, we should not wait for our governments to tackle the
problem of plastic bags. Change ultimately comes from everyone be it from to law restrictions of
our government or from our own volition. Moreover, the most important contribution to such a
campaign must come from the consumer.
2.3 Risk factor of Proper Disposal
Plastics are used because they are easy and cheap to make and they can last a long time.
Unfortunately these same useful qualities can make plastic a huge pollution problem. Because
the plastic is cheap it gets discarded easily and its persistence in the environment can do great
harm. Urbanization has added to the plastic pollution in concentrated form in cities. Plastic
thrown on land can enter into drainage lines and chokes them resulting into floods. In stomach of
one dead cow, as much as 35 kg of plastic was found. Because plastic does not decompose, and
requires high energy ultra-violet light to break down, the amount of plastic waste in our oceans is
steadily increasing. More than 90% of the articles found on the sea beaches contained plastic.
The plastic rubbish found on beaches near urban areas tends to originate from use on land, such
as packaging material used to wrap around other goods.
Based on observation and complaints received by CAP and SAM, we find that we are losing
our greenery in some places and environmental pollution is still prevalent despite the Penang
Government’s initiative for a Cleaner, Greener Penang.
Our rivers and sea are polluted by industrial effluents, sewage and rubbish. River water
quality monitoring as stated in the Penang State Department of Environment Annual Report for
2011 reveals that 10 out of 24 rivers in the seven river basins in the state of Penang is classified
as polluted, out of which six are in Class IV of the Water Quality Index. Nine rivers were
moderately polluted, whilst five were still considered clean.
2.4 Effects of Human Behavior of Disposal Recyclable Garbage
Garbage in a city can cause a variety of problems. These include Contamination of
ground water, surface water, and even the city’s water system, if leaching of chemicals occurs
from the disposal site. A lowering of pH by these chemicals can add to acidity problems in the
water and even the air. Landfills can also cause sealing of the ground surface, which will lead to
flooding.
Disposal areas attract wildlife, such as rats, dogs and birds. Besides causing a danger of
wildlife/ human interactions (birds flying into planes, or dogs in roaming in packs) these usually
bring diseases with them, such as plague, meningitis, pneumonitis, and toxoplama-gondii.
Another problem is the accumulation of infectious or toxic waste items. May people in
cities do no destroy dangerous items; they often just throw objects that should be incinerated.
This can create a heap of items as dangerous as medical waste or toxic and corrosive chemicals.
Often there are infectious diseases associated with medical waste that can cause or heighten an
epidemic.
In short, garbage pollution in a city causes a myriad of problems. These include but are
not limited to contamination of air & water, increased disease risk, attraction of undesirable
wildlife, soil sealing and flood problems.
2.5 Solution to the Problem of Disposal Recyclable Garbage
At the moment, many major political parties in the Penang are making policies on waste and
recycling. One of the main arguments airs whether or not rubbish bins should be collected
weekly or fortnightly. Their idea is that they should collect the rubbish bins every fortnight,
rather than every week, and also that recycling bins should be collected every week. This is a
good idea in many ways, because if people's bins are not emptied every week, but their recycling
bins are it will force more people to recycle. However many people believe that this is just a
money saving scheme as tipping the rubbish is extremely expensive. Also many people are
concerned about hygiene; if the bins are not emptied and people refuse to recycle then they may
dump their rubbish in the street.
Another political idea is to measure the weight of the rubbish and charge people accordingly.
The government proposes that the heavier the rubbish, the more you get charged. This is to
encourage people to do more recycling and to get rid of less waste.
The recycling workshop was started in June 1997 with the vision to encourage the disabled to
become self-confident and independent. This unit is also a source of income for the centre and
supports the global call to save the environment. The trainees are either physically or
intellectually challenged. We undertake to include the intellectually challenged in our
development programs especially in recycling as we realize that it is difficult for them to be
trained in our other programs. Through the recycling program, we are able to give them a chance
of feeling self worth. Recycling is a very suitable career for the intellectually challenged, under
supervision of the physically disabled.
2.4 Conclusion
Garbage pollution has a big effect on the environment. The garbage can harbor rats and fleas
that carry harmful diseases. These vermin can then cause many cases of a disease. After that, when
even more garbage piles up, there will be more cases and more deaths, soon there would be an
epidemic. Nobody would be able to survive in the harsh conditions, and, like in many movies such as
Wall-E, Earth would not be able sustain life and humanity would be wiped out. This can happen just
because you decided to throw away your soda can instead of recycling. So, it is very important that we
keep the environment safe.