Baltimore County Waste Management focuses on reducing the amount of garbage produced. It also includes promoting reuse and recycling, which reduces our dependence on raw materials and energy resources.
Tracking waste reduction programs helps you set goals and measure your progress over time. This information can help you negotiate better rates with trash and recycling companies.
The ideal waste management practice is to prevent the generation of waste in the first place. This is known as waste minimization or source reduction. In industrial settings, this can be achieved through a variety of strategies. These may include the use of less hazardous alternative materials, reusing substances or modifying components of design and fabrication processes.
In some cases, reducing the amount of waste generated can also save money. For example, if a company reduces food waste in the workplace, it will need to purchase less food. This in turn will result in cost savings that can be put toward other areas of the business.
Creating an effective waste prevention strategy begins by examining all of your facility’s waste streams, including both hazardous and nonhazardous wastes. The best way to identify waste sources is through a comprehensive audit. This will give you a complete picture of your facility’s waste stream and provide a framework for developing an action plan. You can then set facility goals to work toward – for example, reducing disposal volumes by 20% or having no compliance violations in six months.
The most desirable method of waste minimization is to reduce the impact of chemical wastes on the environment at the point of production. This is referred to as “source reduction.” This can be done through various methods, but the most effective are to design and build chemical-based processes that have minimal environmental impact, or to minimize the amounts of chemicals produced during process operations.
A common technique for achieving waste minimization is recycling, which involves converting materials that would otherwise be discarded into new products or material. This is often referred to as the “three Rs.” For instance, people can reuse paper and plastic bags at grocery stores, choose items with limited or no packaging, and recycle old aluminum cans and other metals instead of throwing them away. This can reduce the amount of waste generated in communities, and help conserve natural resources and energy.
Minimization
Minimization is the most environmentally responsible waste management practice. It is also the most cost-effective and practical way to reduce waste generation. In addition, minimization can help businesses meet local and national environmental requirements. Developing and implementing waste minimization strategies is an important part of any company’s environmental program. It can increase employee morale and improve the public image of a business. It also helps companies avoid the costs of non-compliance with waste minimization laws and regulations.
While minimization is often referred to as a waste disposal strategy, it can actually be used for any type of waste material. It can include chemical, biological and solid waste. Generally, minimization practices can be divided into three categories: refuse, reduce and recycle. The best method for reducing waste is to stop it from occurring in the first place. This is known as source reduction and can be achieved by reducing energy usage, purchasing equipment that will last longer and buying products with minimal packaging.
Another important method for reducing waste is to reduce the amount of materials used in a process. This is called reusing and can be achieved by using a dewatering machine to reduce the volume of liquid/solid waste by up to 80%. Reusing materials also cuts down on the need to purchase new materials, which can save a business money.
The final method of minimizing waste is to recycle it into a new product or material. This is often the least desirable option, but it can still be an effective waste minimization practice. It can also reduce the need to dispose of toxic chemicals.
Many small changes can add up to a big difference in the environment. For example, household waste can be reduced by using a worm bin for composting kitchen scraps, avoiding unnecessary electricity use and driving less to cut down on emissions. Individuals can also minimize their impact on the environment by buying products that will last longer and mending broken items rather than throwing them away.
Recycling
Whenever possible, recycling or remanufacturing waste products should be the preferred option to disposal. This helps conserve natural resources, reduces energy consumption and the emission of greenhouse gases. Recycling also saves money for businesses and local governments, which can then be used to improve public services or invest back into the community.
A wide variety of materials can be recycled, including paper, cardboard, plastic and glass bottles. These materials can be reprocessed into new products without losing their original quality. For example, paper can be turned into new office papers or pressed into hardboards. Metals can be reprocessed into new aluminium, copper or steel, and polystyrene foam into new foam insulation.
Recycling is also good for the environment because it eliminates the need to create waste sites. This means fewer trees are cut down, less land is damaged, and harmful chemicals are not leaching into groundwater. It also cuts down on the amount of trash that ends up in landfills, which can leak into soil and water systems, damaging ecosystems.
The first step in a solid waste management plan is to create an internal team with a focus on waste reduction and recycling. It is a good idea to include representatives from all areas of your organization to offer different perspectives and problem-solving techniques. This will help to identify more opportunities for waste reduction and increase the likelihood of success. The second step is to set short- and long-term waste reduction goals. These should be clear, specific and achievable, so that you can track your progress. Finally, it is important to make sure that your goals are communicated clearly throughout the organization. This will encourage employees to support your efforts and will help to promote a culture of waste reduction.
Incineration
Waste incineration is a way of turning garbage into energy and heat. This process produces carbon dioxide emissions, air pollutants and fly ash as byproducts. However, the ash residue can be useful in a number of ways, including as an aggregate for road paving and as a substitute for coal or other fossil fuels. In addition, incinerators produce electricity that can supplement or replace power plants powered by other fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The environmental impacts of waste incineration vary, depending on the type of garbage burned, the operating practices of the facility and other factors. The types of contaminants emitted can affect human health, and the intensity of any effects can be different for individuals who live or work close to the facility. These contaminants are found in the air, water and food supply and can cause cancers, birth defects, and other illnesses. They can also damage the environment, which can increase the costs of restoring and maintaining the environment.
Incinerators that burn solid waste can generate a variety of products, including electricity and heat for district heating. They can also provide waste-to-energy plants with biomass fuel. This reduces the use of coal, oil and gas, and helps to avoid landfill methane emissions.
Despite their potential benefits, incinerators can be expensive to build and operate. They require extensive site studies, construction materials and labor. They also can require modifying local infrastructure and providing waste disposal services. In addition, they often create health and safety risks for plant workers and the communities surrounding them. Moreover, they may contribute to the accumulation of chemicals such as dioxins, furans and mercury in the environment. Many people oppose waste incineration because of these concerns. However, public perceptions of the risks of waste incineration can differ dramatically from those of experts. This difference in perceptions is often due to underlying values and beliefs, and efforts to change public perceptions are unlikely to be successful.
Landfill
In landfills, non-recyclable waste is buried in layers and compacted to form mounds. These mounds are then covered with soil each day to prevent animals from digging up the trash or flies from breeding on it. This keeps the odors, chemicals and germs contained and protects planetary resources and aesthetics.
Landfills can also release greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming. As the waste decomposes, it releases methane gas that has a greater impact on climate change than carbon dioxide. This methane is also used to generate electricity and heat homes and businesses.
To minimize the impact of these gases on the environment, landfills have liners that keep chemicals and bacteria from leaking into groundwater sources. Typical liners are made of a layer of clay or plastic, placed on top of the waste. These liners need to be regularly tested for contamination.
Another concern of landfills is their impact on the communities living close to them. This includes the increased risk of certain congenital malformations in babies born to families within a mile of a hazardous waste landfill site. In addition, the toxic substances and contaminated soil from landfills can negatively impact crop growth and biodiversity in the surrounding area.
To reduce the impacts of landfills, people can practice recycling and waste minimization techniques. They can also make sure that they are transporting their trash to the right place. In cities, this can be done with curb-side collection services where specialized trucks collect and recycle trash at regular intervals from houses or business. In rural areas, this may require a waste transfer station. Waste may also be transported using a vacuum system where waste is pumped along small bore tubes.