Jump to content

Waste

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Nakon (talk | contribs) at 01:49, 20 April 2008 (Reverted edits by 65.51.58.1 (talk) to last version by Metodicar). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

For other uses, see Waste (disambiguation).
Waste inside a wheelie bin
Waste in a bin bag
Waste bags in Amsterdam

Waste, rubbish, trash, garbage, or junk is unwanted or undesired material. "Waste" is the general term; though the other terms are used loosely as synonyms, they have more specific meanings: rubbish or trash are mixed household waste and including paper and packaging; food waste or garbage (England) is kitchen and table waste; and junk or scrap is metallic or industrial material. There are other categories of waste as well: sewage, ash, manure, and plant materials from garden operations, including grass cuttings, fallen leaves, and pruned branches.

Though the cleanliness of public streets has long been a public responsibility, it was only towards the end of the 19th century that waste collection and disposal began to be considered part of the public health and sanitation function of municipalities.[citation needed]

Some components of waste can be recycled once recovered from the waste stream, e.g. plastic bottles, metals, glass or paper. The biodegradable component of wastes (e.g. paper & food waste) can be composted or anaerobically digested to produce soil improvers and renewable fuels. If it is not dealt with in a sustainable manner, biodegradable waste can thus contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and by implication climate change.[1]

There are two main definitions of waste. One view comes from the individual or organisation producing the material, the second is the view of government, and is set out in different acts of waste legislation. The two have to combine to ensure the safe and legal disposal of the waste.[2]

Waste definitions

European definition of waste

The European Union defines waste as an object the holder discards, intends to discard or is required to discard is waste under the Waste Framework Directive (European Directive 75/442/EC as amended).

Once a substance or object has become waste, it will remain waste until it has been fully recovered and no longer poses a potential threat to the environment or to human health."[3]

United Kingdom's definition of waste

The UK's Environmental Protection Act 1990 indicated waste includes any substance which constitutes a scrap material, an effluent or other unwanted surplus arising from the application of any process or any substance or article which requires to be disposed of which has been broken, worn out, contaminated or otherwise spoiled; this is supplemented with anything which is discarded otherwise dealt with as if it were waste shall be presumed to be waste unless the contrary is proved. This definition was amended by the Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994 defining waste as:

"any substance or object which the producer or the person in possession of it, discards or intends or is required to discard but with exception of anything excluded from the scope of the Waste Directive".[4]

South Africa's definition of waste

South Africa defines five categories of "General" waste [5]:

  • Domestic waste
  • Garden refuse
  • Commercial waste
  • Dry industrial waste
  • Construction & demolition waste

Other types of waste include Hazardous waste, Medical waste, and Abattoir waste.

Cultural dynamics of waste

Mixed municipal waste at Hiriya transfer station, Israel

In addition to these points above, there is also an important cultural dimension to waste. "Wasting time," "wasting money," "wasting good food" or "being wasteful" in innumerable ways involves moral judgements that carry a great deal of weight in human interaction and that differ in the societies of the world and even within those societies.

For example: chefs from different culinary traditions prize cuts of meat that other countries' chefs will "waste"; parents may view a child's career in a rock band as a "waste" of their education (an opinion not shared by the child, who may feel they have found their calling); and so on. The expenditure of money on matters which attract disapproval may be described as "wasting money" independently of the economic underpinning of the transactions concerned. An example of this in popular culture is the T-shirt and poster slogan "I spent most of my money on beer, women and cigarettes - the rest of it I just wasted."

These varying conceptions of waste frequently impact environmental decision-making in societies different from, those of Europe, North America, Australia, etc., which have a rough consensus on environmentalist values.[6][7][8][9]

Solid waste disposal and pollution

Waste illegally dumped at a subdivision construction site

Solid waste pollution is considered a serious threat by many environmentalists and can broadly be defined as any pollution associated with waste and waste management practices[10]. In a more specific sense however, solid waste can be considered any item which would typically find its way to either a landfill or recycling center, this would include albeit very loosely, various gases and liquids found within solid waste such as CFC propellants from aerosol cans and liquids such as heavy oils and acids which may seep from small motors, batteries and other items. However it should be noted that gases and liquids are only to be associated with solid waste when referring to their point of origin, they themselves are not to be considered solid waste.[citation needed]

Main article: Litter

Littering can be considered the most common form of solid waste pollution[11]. The act of littering for the most part constitutes disposing of waste inappropriately. Littering itself may or may not be an intentional action, often items which are improperly secured to waste transfer vehicles among others may blow off and this results in un-intended littering.

Other forms of solid waste pollution include illegal dumping and leeching[12]. Illegal dumping often involves hard to dispose of waste which requires special treatment and often occurs on lands which are in the process of development. Road access coupled with limited surveillance often provides the perfect opportunity for this form of dumping which often goes unpunished and leaves others (such as the community or developer) to properly dispose of the waste. Leeching is a process by which contaminants from solid waste enter soil and often ground water systems contaminating them.

Further information: [[:Municipal solid waste]]

See also

References

  1. ^ The Landfill Directive Defra
  2. ^ Torbay Council (2006) Municipal Waste Management Strategy for Torbay, Consultation Draft
  3. ^ The Definition of Waste Waste Definition, Agrarian
  4. ^ Waste explained CIWM
  5. ^ Chapter 3. "GUIDELINES ON WASTE COLLECTION IN HIGH DENSITY & UNSERVICED AREAS" (PDF). South African Government Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism. Retrieved 2008-01-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Scanlan, John (2005). On Garbage. London: Reaktion Books
  7. ^ Casper, Monica J. (ed) (2003). Synthetic Planet: Chemical Politics and the Hazards of Modern Life. London and New York: Routledge
  8. ^ Carrier, James G. (ed) (2004). Confronting Environments: Local Understanding in a Globalizing World. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira
  9. ^ Douglas, Mary (1966). Purity and Danger: An Analysis of the Concepts of Pollution and Taboo. London and New York: Routledge.
  10. ^ Green Ontario: Solid Waste
  11. ^ http://www.environ.ie/en/Publications/Environment/Waste/LitterPollution/FileDownLoad,1497,en.pdf
  12. ^ Solid Waste
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Waste.
Wikiquote has quotations related to Waste.
Look up waste or wastefulness in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Template:Link FA

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Waste&oldid=206805073"