subject: Integrated Solid Waste Management Services [print this page] Solid waste has always been a perennial problem since the dawn of human civilization. It remains a big predicament up to this day since the amount of solid waste increases as populations rise and economies develop. The issue of solid waste and its proper management stems from the number of consequences that arise from improper handling of the solid waste. Apart from increasing quantities of garbage thats taking up so much space, there is also the problem of health-related risks and environmental pollution that are associated with solid waste. Solid waste holds such a widespread impact that proper planning and implementation of a comprehensive solid waste management system is needed for solid waste collection, handling, transport and disposal.
An Integrated solid waste management system can be represented as a triumvirate of three different components, which when taken together form one of the best solutions to the garbage problem. The three structural components include (1) Waste Prevention, (2) Recycling and Composting, and (3) Disposal.
Waste Prevention includes management solutions that deal with waste reduction. That is, reduce the amount of waste produced by households and companies. Also dubbed as source reduction, waste prevention services include reusing and minimized packaging of products, and designing longer-lasting products.
Recycling involves salvaging waste materials such as glass and metal and using them to make improvised products. Organic materials, on the other hand undergo composting since they are rich in nutrients and they make valuable natural soil fertilizers.
Solid waste management disposal on the other hand is a third aspect of integrated solid waste management that aims to deal with solid wastes that cannot be addressed with recycling or composting. It is the most widely used and preferred way to deal with solid waste. Convenient and effective ways of implementing solid waste disposal management is to employ a variety of disposal techniques. These methods involve either the use of a landfill or a combustion process. Waste disposal may be done by placing the waste into a well-designed landfill. The landfill should be able to cater to the solid waste and must be able to contain these wastes. The best technology used in some of these landfills is the employment of disposal systems that are able to harvest energy via the recovery of methane that is released from the solid waste upon containment. A combustion process on the other hand is preferred to reduce the amount and volume of the solid waste via controlled burning. New technologies allow combustion facilities to generate steam in the process and use it to generate energy with water produced as a byproduct.
An important aspect when it comes to solid waste disposal is to make sure that the solid waste is properly handled and transported from households to the proper processing centers. This will not be possible without a fool-proof waste transportation system that ensures safe containment and delivery of the solid waste. Proper protocols and equipment, like those being used with the Stranco solid waste transportation system ensure that there are no solid waste mishaps on the way to the waste disposal center.
