When we talk about waste management, some people think it is the responsibility of the government only. While truly, the government has a responsibility to drive proper waste management, it is also everyone’s responsibility. We all have a part to play in creating an environment that is clean and disease-free.
Waste management is not only about rubbish removal; there are many facets to managing the waste products that come as a result of daily living. Whether you are a household, individual or business, what we do every day affects the environment in the long run. That is why this article will explore the different facets of managing wastes, helping you to understand the basics and also share tips for proper rubbish removal.
Understanding Waste Management
Waste management is a systematic process of reusing, reducing, preventing and disposing of wastes generated through daily activities of individuals, households and businesses. Waste management is much more than rubbish disposal; it encompasses managing wastes from the very beginning till they are properly disposed.
There are different methods of disposing of waste, and they include recycling, repurposing, composting, burning (incineration), and bioremediation. Click here for full details on bioremediation. Additionally, waste minimization and waste-to-energy are more advanced techniques of effectively managing wastes.
Waste management can only be said to have been properly done only if it culminates in disposal in an eco-friendly manner. Whatever techniques or processes that are involved must be to the benefit of the environment and by extension residents of the locality.
Different Types of Wastes
Wastes are divided into different categories and a clear understanding of these categories is essential for proper management and disposal.
There are 5 basic categories of wastes and they are as follows:-
Organic Wastes
This is rubbish that is generated from natural things in the home such as food and garden refuse and rotten meat, fish or protein of different types. These refuse can be useful in the sense that they decompose with time and become manure thanks to the activity of microorganisms in them.
These refuse should be properly disposed of in other to harness their usefulness or else they become poisonous. This is because in the process of decomposition, they produce methane. Therefore always use the green bin provided for proper disposal. You can also learn how to use organic wastes to make compost at home for your garden.
Recyclable Wastes
These are items that can be recycled or repurposed and they include furniture, metals and some type of organic waste. Bear in mind that you can’t just determine which item is recyclable and which is not. You have to confirm from the manufacturer’s instruction whether an item is recyclable or not.
When you confirm that an item should be recycled, ensure that you put them in the right bin when disposing your rubbish. Also look into repurposing some items instead of disposing them.
Liquid Wastes
This includes all types of sludge, oil, grease, dirty water from laundry or wash and other human activities. These liquid wastes are poisonous and hazardous and can be found in households, businesses and industries. Also referred to as wastewater, liquid waste is any rubbish that is in liquid form.
Furthermore, this category of rubbish is divided into 2 and they are point and non-point source wastes. Point source is wastes that are man-made while non-point source happen naturally in the environment.
Solid Wastes
This category of refuse includes sludge, garbage or refuse that are mostly generated in commercial and industrial spaces. However, some of these wastes can also be generated in households, although not in the same volume as in industrial and commercial spaces.
There are different categories of this type of waste and they include:
- Plastic
- Glass and ceramic
- Paper
- Metal
- Tins
Bear in mind that the above list is not exhaustive. These items are just to give you an idea of the type of items that make up solid wastes. Due to the fact that you may not really know the full list of items in this category, it is important that solid waste removal be done with the help of professionals. Also ensure that the professionals you chose are those who will educate you on the different categories of your refuse and how to properly dispose them.
Hazardous Wastes
These are waste that detrimental to the health of the environment and they include toxic, corrosive, flammable and reactive substances. These materials must of necessity be disposed of by professionals.
Importance of Waste Management
While we all will agree that proper rubbish removal is important, it is often necessary that we bring its importance to the fore of people’s consciousness.
This will help us all appreciate the need for pro-activeness in the way we manage by-products from our day to day activities.
Find below some of the major importance of waste management:
- Resource Conservation- When you repurpose or recycle items, you conserve resources. For example, if you have old tires that you repurpose into furniture (seats or ottomans), you will need less items to make it because the tire forms the base of the furniture. By using your old tire, you wouldn’t need wood or metal; thereby saving the natural resources of the planet.
- Protection of the Environment – When you dispose waste arbitrarily, it can lead to pollution which harms the environment. Proper waste management therefore reduces the occurrence of water, air and land pollution.
- Preservation of Human Health and Safety- Proper rubbish removal reduces the risk of harmful or poisonous items getting into human and animal consumption. This in turn preserves the health of individuals in the locality and also ensures safety of all involved in the process.
Tips for Choosing the Best Rubbish Removal Company
Whether as individuals or corporations, it is very important that we commit to proper rubbish removal in order to contribute our quota to a cleaner and healthier environment.
The process of proper waste management cannot be carried out without engaging the services of professionals. However, there are proliferations of companies that claim to be the best in the business. This therefore brings us to the issue of how to choose the best company to work with.
To this end, we will share below some tips to help you choose the right company for your waste management:
Consider Convenience and Flexibility
Look out for a company that you can easily book to come pick up your garbage. You do not want piles of garbage lying around because the company cannot adjust their schedule to fit you in. A company that is flexible and provides convenient service will have the following features:-
- Online bookings
- Maximum of 24 hour wait period or even same day service.
- Flexible rubbish removal schedules
- Regular services and one-off garbage disposal
Look out for Competitive Pricing
Make sure you take out time to shop around so that you can get a company that offers competitive pricing. Bear in mind however, that the cost of rubbish removal depends on a number of variables. Find out what the variables are for the company of your choice and be sure that it matches your expectations.
In addition, the price must be reflective of the service they offer and must also be upfront and transparent. Ensure that the company you choose gives you an upfront and transparent bill and not one that will be vague at the beginning, only to slap you with an unexpected bill filled with ambiguous items.
Consider their Waste Management Methods
Ensure that their method of rubbish disposal is ethical and doesn’t violate GREEN policies. It is recommended that you look for companies that have recycling facilities and are also big on donating used items that can be repurposed.
Read Reviews
If you go to the website of any rubbish removal company, you will find customer reviews. Carefully go through those reviews and ensure that they are authentic. Look out for reviews that give details such as what they like about the company, how efficient they are and their customer service amongst other points. Be wary of one-liner reviews or review sections that are filled with only 5 stars or positive reviews.
It is not strange to have negative reviews from customers. However, what you should be looking for is the ratio of the negative reviews to the positive one. In addition, you should consider how the company responded to customer complaints.
Conclusion
Proper waste management is the responsibility of everyone in society. Ensure that you do your part by proper rubbish disposal. We have shared some important information in this article and we believe that these tips will help you in doing your bit for the environment through proper waste management.
