It is important to analyze the efficiency and effectiveness of the region of Waterloo’s methods for managing municipal waste, as over time waste will become an ever growing issue in our society. Through examining data provided by the region on their waste disposal methods and in comparison to other municipalities we will be able to conclude whether or not our waste is being efficiently managed here in Waterloo. Waste management is a common goal across all municipalities. It refers to control strategies targeted at the reduction in quantity and toxicity of wastes at different stages of disposal. It is a method for controlling wastes that cannot be completely eliminated from the environment.
All municipalities in Ontario must abide by the regulations and restrictions stated in the Environmental Protection Act of 1990, as outlined in the “How Waste is Regulated” section on the Recycling Council of Ontario’s website. Unfortunately, as outlined on the provincial government’s website under General Waste Management Laws, this act only offers broad and unspecific regulations. As a result, in order to reduce pollution output even further, most local municipalities decide to establish their own waste management strategies. Municipalities are becoming more cognisant about the importance of environmental sustainability. Implementing region-specific bylaws that pose limits to the amount of waste that can be output is a good way to further ensure the preservation of the environment.
Carleton Farms Landfill in Sumpter Township in southwest Wayne County, where the population is 11,856, receives one hundred percent of Toronto's garbage. Our laws that Michigan implies on our garbage do not imply on Toronto's garbage. Our laws prohibit us from discarding bottles and cans but allow Toronto and others from out of state to do it. Another problem with importing trash is the havoc it wreaks on our roads. Toronto does not pay so much as a nickel for repairing the roads that it destroys. The constant flow of trucks creates both noise and air pollution and also lowers property values. Although American lawmakers have decided to enforce the treaty from 1986, politicians in Lansing, Michigan and Washington still have not found a way to ban imported waste that doesn't violate the international treaty or does not unconstitutionally restrain trade.
Municipal solid wastes are leftovers made by the population such as food, plastic bottles, household wares and many more. These items referred by most as “the garage” or “trash”. (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2015) In the early 1900’s, incinerators were used to burn waste however by the Mid-20th century, lawmakers enacted the first government regulations in an attempt to address increasing concerns about the environmental impact of unregulated waste management practices. With the first waste management legislation being passed in 1965, brought along the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, thus bringing us into a new world of waste management.(Vault, n.d.)
As a result of this growth, Ontario has struggled to manage the volume of green bin waste to the point where it is sometimes not technically even recycled anymore. According to Welsh, in 2008 York region and Guelph shipped their kitchen waste to an incinerator New York State because their own facilities had to close (2009, para. 12). This is a shocking finding and is clearly a step backwards for recycling initiatives in Canada.
Solid wastes are any abandoned or discarded materials, thus solid wastes can be liquid, solid, semi-solid or containerized gaseous material. The solid waste contains municipal garbage, waste tires, industrial waste, agricultural refuse, toys and furniture, oil and so on. Normally, The Municipal Solid Waste contains four components, which are recycling, composting, disposal and waste to energy. The biggest issue facing Toronto in the near feature would be the solid waste issue because solid waste would cause pollution, land lacks and health problems. The way to address the waste problem would be collaborating with the government through specific method and program such as invented new technology, increase involvement of public engagement and use of geography information system and mathematic model. There are some evidences show that solid waste would be the serious problem. Toronto’s 2015 Vital Signs Report points that “After increases over three years in the amount of residential waste generated (from 799,812 tonnes in 2011 to 815,450 in 2012 and 823,743 in 2013), 2014 saw a small 2.3% decrease from 2013 (to 804,369 tonnes).”(Toronto Foundation, p158). At the meantime, it seems that Toronto issues are getting worse because it is hard to find landfill site, the rising disposal costs relate to landfill and the way that transport the waste to Michigan would cause high transportation cost.
While driving by Interstate Waste Services facility at 375 US Highway 1 and 9 in Jersey city, New Jersey, I immediately noticed the poverty surrounding the facility. From my observation I would say the yearly median income in that neighborhood is anywhere between eighteen and twenty-five thousand dollars. With such a low income, it is quickly identified that this was a lower class neighborhood. I also noticed many Hispanics or African Americans outside their homes. In my opinion, I believe the facility is located in a lower class neighborhood because with not much money coming from the people who live near the facility, they know that they wouldn’t be able to do much even if they did not want it there. It also allows them to rent/sell the houses for much lower prices so families who are limited with their spending to buy or rent a house will be able to do so on a budget.
The average resident produces seven and a half pounds of garbage every day that is buried down in landfills and litters lands costing a great amount of money. Nowadays, people face no more critical trouble than the need to save the weakening environment, mainly in urban areas, where solid wastes are uselessly dumped. It has been observed that cities have no controlled structure for garbage disposal. Each year, millions of dollars are spent picking up litter and more is thrown away in valuable materials that could be recycled. As humanity develops new technology and equipment, the level of waste increases every day. Due to the fact that there is a huge problem with garbage disposal, government representatives must contribute to resolving
We, humans, are producing waste every day, polluting and destroying our planet. To save the world, many people believe recycling is the obvious solution. It is the process of converting certain waste into a reusable material. Therefore, the recycle motto is “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle”. However, have you ever wondered why the word recycle is placed at the end? Well, it’s because it is not the only way to reduce waste and save the world from global warming. Recycling may have many advantages, but its disadvantages’ list is not a short one either. Recycling may look very simple and easy method, but when there is a need for a new unit of waste recycling, it takes up a lot of space. Not to mention the amount of money the building costs along with paying the staffs, buying new utility vehicles, upgrading the recycling unit and different types of chemical disposals. It is not only expensive but also, unhygienic, unsafe and unsightly with piles of waste materials on every location. These wastes spread infectious diseases putting human health at risk. Aside from recycling
The article, “Multi-criteria analysis as a tool for sustainability assessment of a waste management model” relates to the importance of how the waste management system can be improved in an environmentally friendly and efficient manner. It is nevertheless important to understand the depth of this waste management process in order to conceptualize the possible sustainability jeopardies. To meet the difficulties of maintainability, natural administration guidelines, for example, ISO 14001 encouraged organizations to concentrate on ecological execution enhancements, particularly with respect to material waste (Zackrisson et al., 2000). Major chemical companies have redesigned processes and improved methods of waste handling, including incineration and microbiological treatment of dilute waste streams to reduce toxicity and amount. (Abelson, 1983)
Several initiatives have also been taken by the European governments to ensure the safe disposal of solid waste to promote sustainability. Improvement in the effectiveness of waste treatment and disposal facilities, change of bio waste from landfills to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)
However, it will focus on the first, second, third and fourth objectives mentioned above. The first objective will be reviewed by first defining waste and municipal solid waste in the UK. It will then look at waste management practices, using the hierarchy of waste, the various waste legislations, the need for energy form waste and as a renewable resource. The second objective will be achieved by reviewing the energy from waste process; incineration, Pyrolysis, gasification and anaerobic digestion. It will take an in-depth analysis into the process of incineration of energy recovery as well the effect of the process on the environment. The third objective will be achieved by looking at the current state of the UK energy market, comparing and contrasting it with Germany, whether it’s potential is realised, and if not, what can be done. Finally, the fourth objective will be attained by identifying the public perception towards waste management, the challenges affecting their participation towards waste management process. To conclude this literature, a temporary finding has been developed which is used to ascertain the direction of this study.
The United Nations Environment Programme, UNEP, estimates that the total amount of municipal solid waste in 2006 reached about 2.02 billion tons which represents an annual increase of 7% since the year 2003(United Nations Environmental Programme, 2009). This data is similar to that which is in a report titled the Global Waste Management Market Report of
In this article, Azam and Mansoor review public and private waste management sectors, and the possibilities for partnership. By conducting a literature review, they conclude that the current isolated arrangement in the industry should be replaced with a vertical integration between small-scale agencies and the public sector. The main limitation of the article is that it focuses developing countries as a whole, thus the suggestion may not be applied in particular city due to the complexity of social and political structure. This article is relevant to PLAN 440/674 because it discusses waste management in developing countries.
Reduction, reuse and recycle (the three Rs) are a set of management alternatives in integrated waste management that reduce the amount of municipal solid waste that ends up incinerated or disposed of in landfills. Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be thrown away as trash and turning them into new products (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2016). Historically, municipal solid waste disposal has seen its challenges from health risks to lack of disposal space. Challenges resulting from urban population growth and rising consumption of products since the Industrial Revolution began in Western Europe to the present. Municipal solid waste disposal has evolved from the dilute and disperse, to the concentrate
For urban barangays of San Antonio, Sto. Niño, San Pedro, and San Vicente, the disposal of garbage is a serious constraint to sustainable development. The limited land area and resources for safe disposal, growing population, changing consumption pattern, and increasing waste from commercial establishments particularly in the market area are combined to make pollution prevention and the management of waste a critical issue. Though each phases of work for this Ecological Solid Waste Management Plan presents its individual peculiarities, the municipality is aware of how challenges can be countered if opportunities in our environment are effectively dealt and strategically used. Community residents, business establishments, and institutions in the area lack the knowledge in ecological solid waste management and were not organized to respond to the solid waste problem of the municipality. Furthermore, as the usual concerns in relation to the funding of projects and programs, the municipality
Municipal solid waste management (MSWM) being a crucial element towards sustainable metropolitan development, comprises segregation, storage, collection, relocation, carry-age, processing, and disposal of solid waste to minimize its adverse impact on environment.