Waste management methods
Waste disposal often entails burying waste in a landfill, situated most often in out of the way places, if not in old quarries or mines, they largely go unnoticed. A properly designed and managed landfill is actually a hygenic and inexpensive way to dispose of waste which cannot be recycled.
If a landfill is not properly designed and managed they can create quite and adverse impact on the environment. Waste blows away and causes litter, waste attracts vermin in unmanageable quantities and liquids leach into the soil. Gas in a common byproduct whereby methane and carbon dioxide are created when the waste starts to breakdown and tjis can create not just bad smells but it can also be responsible for killing vegetation but it is also responsible for the dreaded greenhouse gas effect.
A well managed landfill will compact and cover the waste in order to increase density and stability and discourage vermin. It will also install gas extraction systems which in turn can be pumped out and burnt in a gas engine to generate electricity.
Incineration
Incineration coverts waste materials into heat, steam, gas or ash. Incineration though is a matter for debate on a global level due to issues regarding the emission of pollutants which may contribute to greenhouse gases. .
The combustion within an incinerator are not always good and this has raised concerns regarding micro pollutants, in particular persistent organics such as dioxins that are created in the incinerator and which have a serious impact of the environment immediately around it. Yet incineration on the other hand produces heat which can be converted to energy
Incineration is mostly used in countries where land is scarce or where hazardous materials such as biological medical waste materials need to be disposed of.
This entry was posted on Thursday, June 4th, 2009 at 8:06 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed.
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