The solid waste problems of today began with the post-World War II economic boom in which consumers were encouraged to buy and toss away products. Four decades of throwaway living has led to increased amounts of solid waste for which there are no methods of healthful disposal.
Integrated waste management includes landfill, incineration, source reduction, and recycling.
Modern landfills require very specific sites, massive construction, complex technology, constant monitoring, and a large investment of capital.
Concerns associated with incineration include foul odors, noxious gases, gritty smoke, and ash disposal.
Examples of source reduction include reduced amount of packaging, reduced packaging weight, product concentration, and municipal composting.
Every recycling or reduction effort from each of us could have the cumulative result of a significant reduction in municipal solid waste.
Recycling could be encouraged by legislating container laws, tax incentives, and the development of products manufactured from recycled materials.
There are three common methods of large scale composting:
-Windrow systems involve placing compostable materials in long rows and periodically mechanically mixing the material.
-Aerated piles are large piles of compostable materials that have air pumped into them.
-Enclosed vessels involve controlled environments and mechanical methods of mixing the materials.
Composting is an important ingredient in solid waste management because it converts a waste into a useable product and prevents these wastes from taking up space in landfills.
