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influence of large amount of disposing waste. Hoornweg and BhadaTata state that 1.3 billion tonnes of solid waste per year have been
generated by cities around the world. And this figure is predicted to
reach to 2.2 billion tonnes by 2025. (2012, p. foreword). Most of
those are Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). The increase of huge
quantity of waste results in environmental impacts and also
economic effects; the depletion of natural resources, drained
energy, water consumption, GHG gas, to the economic costs.
Disposing waste has been variously classified according to their
types. However, this essay will focus on Municipal Solid Waste
(MSW) and will first define the term MSW and then outline some of
the impacts associated with disposing waste and include some of
the possible managements that have been suggested for this
problem.
Municipal solid waste covers household waste including waste
generated by small business (OECD, cited in Hoornweg and BhadaTata, 2012, p.4).
For example, Biodegradable waste: food waste, green waste.
Recyclable material: paper, glass, bottles, metals, certain plastics,
fabrics.
Electrical and electronic waste (WEEE): electrical appliances, TVs,
computers, screens.(Staff of the Renewable Information Team, 2007,
p.14). It could be said that MSW is everyday waste.
Disposing waste massively harms to environment. Waste
creation drains a huge number of natural resources. According to
Giljum et al., (2008); Chalmin and Gaillochet, (2009), cited in
Zaman, Lehmann (2013, p.124), a great deal of natural resources
are consumed daily.
120-130 billion tonnes of those raw materials are used for new
products and generate approximately 3.4 to 4 billion tonnes of
municipal solid waste every year.
Moreover, large amount of energy is also consumed. Zaman
and Lehmann (2013, p.129-130,) claim that energy is utilized to
create a new product more than when the product is used in its
lifespan. The guides network team observes that the producing of 1
tin consumes energy equivalent to power a television for 3 hours
and recycle paper spends less 70% of energy compare with creating
the new one from raw sources (2003-2014).
Furthermore, wastes that leaved in water can cause water
pollution. Buxton and Kolpin (2002) prove that wastes, which end up
in water significantly alter the chemical composition of the water.
Obviously, water is not the unlimited resource. Zaman, Lehmann
(2013, p.130) point out that an enormous amount of fresh water is
References
Buxton.T and Kolpin. D, 2002. Pharmaceuticals, Hormones, and
Other Organic Wastewater Contaminants in U.S. Streams. [Online]
2002:1-2. Available from: http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/FS-027-02/
[Accessed 7th June 2014].
Dhaka, 2009 Department of Environment Ministry of Environment
and Forests Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh.