Environmental Pollution and Waste Management: Impacts, Disposal Methods, and Global Recycling

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Executive Summary

This report examines environmental pollution resulting from the large-scale accumulation or improper disposal of various waste materials. It focuses on the reasons for the issue’s relevance, namely, how waste accumulation affects humanity and the planet. Minimization of waste sent to landfills and neutralization are achieved in practice worldwide through the inclusion of waste-sorting operations in the management scheme and the allocation of resources for further use. To protect the environment and human health, and to reduce the amount of waste generated by individual entrepreneurs and legal entities operating in the waste management field, regulations in this area should include measures to reduce waste and promote recycling.

Introduction

The issue of waste collection, disposal, and recycling is highly relevant at present. The population is constantly growing, people’s needs are increasing, and the planet’s resources are approaching their limits. Each person causes significant damage to the planet through waste pollution. This problem poses an environmental threat and is increasingly a global issue; today, it affects every country.

Recycling and waste disposal can have varying environmental impacts. First of all, it depends on the amount of accumulated waste, especially unauthorized waste that is placed or buried. The size of waste disposal sites, their composition, and the rules for recycling at factories also have an impact.

Depending on the change in these factors, the effect of the waste management process and its impact on the environment and humans change. To date, the most common waste processing methods are still burial or incineration. Although both species have different environmental and human health effects, they are both negative.

This report aims to provide insight into the problem of waste and the associated threats. The report will present the main modern provisions on waste, its current state, and methods of its disposal. Additionally, the paper will explain why this poses a threat to both the environment and humanity, both in the present and in the future. This report will then present some of the initiatives taken to combat this issue and highlight companies working towards the environmental recycling of various types of waste. Finally, the analysis will be summarized, and some recommendations will be described.

Theory

Rapid economic development is increasing municipal solid waste (MSW) generation, requiring an efficient and reliable management strategy. It can be observed that the combination of waste sorting by individual residents and the required number of sanitation workers is one of the most feasible strategies for achieving sustainable waste management. Creating a win-win situation for all stakeholders is an effective way to improve an integrated waste management system (Hantoko et al., 2021). Excessive, irrational purchases of goods lead to negative financial, environmental, and social consequences. There is a considerable academic and public interest in finding interventions to reduce household waste, especially at the household level.

This interest is mainly focused on avoidable food waste, defined as food that was once edible as opposed to unavoidable food waste (such as vegetable skins and bones). Despite growing interest in waste management, there are knowledge gaps in our understanding of what drives waste behavior, how to develop effective policies and programs to reduce household food waste, and how to evaluate interventions effectively.

Municipal solid waste (MSW), although not included in the first three hazard classes, is a particular problem due to significant accumulation. Waste disposal is a critical issue due to the significant loss of valuable resources contained in solid waste. Recycling is an environmentally friendly alternative to this method.

Currently, in addition to improving public health through pollution prevention, the incentive to improve waste management systems is to ensure more sustainable use of material resources. Composting, incineration, and recycling are among the possible methods of disposal of solid waste, in addition to landfilling. All these methods share a common aspect: the sustainability of MSW management compared to landfill disposal.

Waste management, especially in municipal solid waste disposal, is a key issue affecting environmental quality and the sustainable development of cities. Some comparative studies show that the main problems in MSW disposal in some regions are the following aspects:

lack of successful and promising stations for the disposal of solid waste;
lack of efficient channels for the separation and recycling of waste;
lack of effective measures to oversee and manage the entire process.

The problem of household waste management, in addition to disposal issues, also includes an administrative factor. With a well-built state structure for waste management, the risk of a negligent attitude towards their duties is reduced, and each specialized department can attract financial flows and public interest in a specific aspect of solid waste management (Hantoko et al., 2021).

Disposal

To combat the negative impact of waste, it is essential to utilize or consume waste after proper treatment. It includes processing, decontamination, and various applications, including goaf backfilling. Currently, the first place among the various waste disposal methods is occupied by municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills (Smol, 2020). They receive approximately 90-95% of all waste, with 10% of this being incinerated (Smol, 2020).

At the same time, there was a strong opinion: if MSW is stored, then they are thereby neutralized, which is a delusion. According to the work of various authors who have studied all aspects of solid waste placement at landfills, not only is there a substantial surface contamination of soils over large areas, but also groundwater and soil contamination to depths of more than 20 m (Smol, 2020). Thus, for many decades, these wastes will cause serious harm to the environment and society.

Safe Disposal

Waste management is a crucial component in the overall process of creating waste-free production systems. It enables the incorporation of various types of waste into new technological cycles or their use for other beneficial purposes. Ecologization of production is impossible without incorporating production complexes equipped with specialized facilities to process all types of industrial and domestic waste. The degree of waste disposal for each production or activity should be considered a critical indicator of the environmental friendliness of the respective industries, the extent of their environmental impact, and the efficiency with which they use natural resources.

The most environmentally safe way to dispose of household waste under current conditions is through industrial recycling, with preliminary sorting and separation. Statistics show that Germany is currently the leader in the processing of solid waste, with subsequent return to household circulation among EU countries (Recycling, 2023). At the same time, South Korea holds the top position globally (Recycling, 2023). According to many experts, the disposal of municipal solid waste is among the most profitable commercial activities worldwide (Rajmohan et al., 2019). Only one plant capable of processing MSW can become a stable source of income for its owner, as the products obtained from waste processing are in high demand today.

Impact on a Person and Environment

Environmental changes harm humans, flora, and fauna on Earth. Pollution of nature is not immediately felt, so it has far-reaching consequences affecting different areas:

global impact;
living organisms;
climate changes;
barren lands;
ozone layer;
other problems (Kiran et al., 2022).

Negative processes can destroy the planet’s ecosystem, making it uninhabitable.

Global Environmental Impact

Increased emissions from industry and agriculture express the neglect of nature. Saturating the biosphere, they disturb the balance of carbon dioxide. Over the past 3 years, global pollution has increased by 20% (Naylor et al., 2021).

The oceans are losing marine resources from increased concentrations of lead, arsenic, and radioactive substances. Vast areas of the water’s surface are covered with an oil film that prevents oxygen from passing through (Naylor et al., 2021). Fractures of fertile land are occupied by landfills that poison water bodies, soil, and air.

Impact on Living Organisms

Environmental pollution has a profoundly detrimental effect on living organisms. Chemicals penetrate the respiratory tract and cause acute poisoning, lung disease, and vision loss. Approximately one in three people worldwide has experienced allergic reactions since childhood (Ali et al., 2020). Carcinogenic secretions cause irreversible processes. There are many mutations among humans and animals, indicating changes in DNA within cells (Ali et al., 2020). Animals that eat poisoned food die. Poisonous emissions force bee colonies to migrate in search of clean habitats. Noise pollutants contribute. The organs of hearing react to an increase in sound pressure, which can lead to hearing loss and fatigue the nervous system.

Climate Changes

Natural processes are interconnected. Violations of the planet’s ecological balance lead to abrupt climate change. The oversaturation of the biosphere with carbon dioxide, a consequence of pollution, causes a greenhouse effect; glaciers are melting, and oceans are becoming increasingly acidic (Gerlach et al., 2019).

Improper farming and excessive use of chemical fertilizers deplete the soil. The erosion process is intensifying, which leads to the formation of ravines and landslides (Gerlach et al., 2019). Garbage dumps, increasing volumes, occupy more and more areas; as a result, poisoned land loses its fertility. Deserts are advancing at an incredible speed, bringing hunger to the populations of affected areas, raising questions about the fertility of the land.

Ozone Layer Depletion

The depletion of the ozone layer is becoming a global problem. Ultraviolet radiation exceeding the norm penetrates the Earth’s surface (Bernhard et al., 2020). The smog cover over the planet is increasing. It causes skin diseases, premature aging, and viral and infectious diseases (Bernhard et al., 2020). Vegetation growth in water bodies is disrupted, leading to a decline in food sources for marine life. A large amount of ultraviolet light inhibits the growth of flora.

Initiatives

Waste refers to material objects that may pose a high potential hazard to the environment and human health. However, society did not immediately recognize or fully understand this long-term danger. In many countries, the regulations governing waste management are still lacking.

Many countries have made significant efforts to develop a reliable mechanism for protecting against the environmentally unsound use, disposal, and movement of hazardous wastes through international cooperation. To restore order in this area, the Basel Convention “On the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal” was adopted in 1989 (Basel Convention, n.d.). This highlights the need to strengthen the international control system for radioactive materials.

The next important initiative was the UN Conference in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. It highlights the need for all states to support the IAEA’s efforts in developing standards and guidelines for the safe management of radioactive waste (United Nations Conference on Environment, n.d.). Later, a Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and the Safety of Radioactive Waste Management was adopted (Vienna, September 5, 1997) (Joint Convention, n.d.). The goal of the Convention was to achieve and maintain a high level of safety and security in the management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and radioactive waste (RW) worldwide (Joint Convention, n.d.). Forces should be directed towards strengthening national measures and international cooperation, including, where appropriate, technical cooperation in the field of security.

It was noted that it is essential to ensure adequate protection against potential hazards is available at all stages of SNF and RW management. It is essential to protect individuals, society as a whole, and the environment from the harmful effects of ionizing radiation, both now and in the future. That is, in a way that meets the needs and aspirations of the present generation without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own needs.

Case Study

Thanks to technological progress, electronic devices have become morally obsolete much earlier than a few decades ago. As a result, broken products become unnecessary, while completely working devices remain intact. E-waste accounts for only 2% of total garbage but contains 70% of the harmful substances in landfills (Heffernan, 2022). In other words, electronic devices become waste without losing their consumer properties. Therefore, there is a critical question of our time about the processing of electronics.

The leader in this field is Intel, which has maintained its position for over 10 years. The company is committed to the waste-free disposal of the majority of resources used in its operations (Heffernan, 2022). They have several approaches to achieve their goal, ranging from recycling and printed products to educating consumers on how to recycle through a video game to building an environmentally friendly computer (How Intel supports a circular economy, 2022). Intel’s core sustainability strategy is to reduce waste and reuse it. In 2021, the company recycled, reused, or otherwise recovered 130,000 metric tons of its manufacturing waste (Heffernan, 2022). Despite the inspiring data, Intel does not plan to stop there and continues to work rather than send waste to landfills.

Over the past years, the company has been working on various pilot projects to recycle electronic scrap back into the production process. As a result, it has achieved significant environmental benefits. Intel hosted an event in Beijing, titled “Teaming with Green Partners,” to share new ideas and concepts for reducing carbon emissions (Liu, 2023). The idea of creating eco-friendly commercial computers was also on the agenda. As a result, Intel, along with its partners Acer and Tsinghua Tongfang, took the opportunity to showcase the first environmentally friendly mainstream PCs featuring 90% recyclable components (Liu, 2023). Thus, Intel makes a significant contribution to environmental preservation, emphasizing the recycling and reuse of waste.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The relevance of the designated topic stems from the fact that pollution of the environment with solid household waste is one of the most pressing problems of the 21st century, requiring immediate solutions from the entire global community. Today, there are various methods of waste disposal, including traditional, more widely known ones, and modern environmental approaches. Despite this, the amount of all kinds of waste continues to grow, worsening the situation.

Countries around the world, to varying degrees, are striving to find the most affordable and efficient ways to dispose of waste, with a focus on moving towards recycling. Currently, this is the most effective way to address environmental pollution caused by waste accumulation. It reduces the negative impact of both the waste itself and other disposal methods. However, this still does not solve the problem of the progressive accumulation of various debris.

Despite the global scale of the problem, recommendations for addressing it can be particularly concerning to each individual. At the local or regional levels, it is necessary to establish collection, disposal, and processing points for household and industrial waste, and to require a license for managing hazardous waste (Gálvez-Martos et al., 2018). It will allow residents to know that any, even household waste, has its own disposal rules. It is also essential to determine the procedure for the activities of organizations engaged in the disposal and processing of these wastes and possibly send them for recycling (Gálvez-Martos et al., 2018). Although recycling companies require significant investments and may not yield a return depending on the area, it is nevertheless possible to create a centralized system within the country to facilitate recycling.

The development program should be based on the integrated management of waste streams to achieve resource savings. According to this criterion, obtaining a feedstock with a high content of valuable components at the waste collection stage is required to ensure the maximum yield of finished products at the sorting stage. The organization of large-scale waste sorting and the release of recyclable materials will enable a qualitative leap in the phased solution to municipal waste. At the first stage (self-sustaining), a large-scale resource-saving program should be implemented by involving the non-residential sector of cities in waste sorting and collecting recyclable materials from the population (according to the best option). It will prevent at least 30% of waste from being buried, generate a profit from the sale of recyclable materials, and use it to develop a system for the sanitary cleaning of cities.

A crucial measure for proper waste disposal is comprehensive sorting. The primary purpose of complex sorting is to extract waste components from the entire mass of collected MSW, such as metal (ferrous and non-ferrous), paper, plastic, glass, food, and combustible waste, and textiles (Brouwer et al., 2019). After extraction, these components are intended to be used across various sectors of the economy as secondary raw materials (Brouwer et al., 2019). Thus, it not only helps separate recycling methods for different types of waste but also has the potential for recycling. In this regard, it is necessary to introduce mandatory waste sorting.

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