Solid Waste Disposal

• Rising population numbers, increasing urbanisation and industrialisation result in people generating more solid waste
• Solid waste is solid or semi-solid insoluble material such as municipal garbage, sewage sludge, building rubble, industrial waste, agricultural waste and mind debris.
• Our lifestyle as human beings has changed so much over the past century, that almost everything we currently buy is packaged and many items we buy soon become unfashionable or obsolete.
• Waste is classified in two main categories, namely general and hazardous waste
• General waste refers to waste that does not pose an immediate danger or threat to health or the environment
• General waste includes:

  • household waste
  • waste from construction sites (rubble)
  • waste from businesses
  • inert waste (chemically inactive)
• Hazardous waste is waste that contains harmful, toxic or explosive substances that have a negative effect on health and the environment.
• Hazardous waste includes

  • nuclear waste
  • waste from factories
  • waste from mines and hospitals
• Local authorities (municipalities) are responsible for the disposal of general waste
• Solid waste is usually taken to a site where it is dumped into a giant hole in the ground and later covered with soil. This is known as a landfill site
• In some areas where municipalities do not have effective waste management, waste is dumped on top of the ground and not covered. This is known as an open landfill or garbage dump
• Landfills and garbage dumps near residential areas pose hazards and risks to people
• Landfills attract pests (rats, mice, flies) that spread disease
• Landfills create dust and unpleasant odours
• Decomposing solid waste generates a slightly acidic liquid, which leaches and can pollute groundwater and freshwater sources
• Greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide and methane are released during decomposition of organic waste