Solid Waste Management

Solid Waste Management
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Solid Waste Management
With the emergence of industrialization, management of municipal solid waste is becoming an increasingly challenging environmental issue not only for the public but for governments as well. This is due to the fact that the amount of municipal solid waste being generated in many parts of the world is steadily increasing making governments to focus on methods of solving the environmental problem. Municipal solid waste, commonly referred to as garbage or trash, consists of everyday items used and discarded such as product packages, food remains, pieces of glass, newspapers, paper cuttings, plastic materials and anything else that can be found in litterbins located in residential buildings, city parks and streets, restaurants, offices, hospitals.
Before the advent of industrial revolution, the major constituents of solid waste were mainly domestic garbage and agricultural remains. These were biodegradable in nature and could be easily disposed of in the country on either open land, burned or placed in pits covered with soil. Due to their biodegradable nature, they eventually decomposed and were assimilated in the soil. It is evident that management of solid waste was not a major challenge because of low population levels and availability of land. However, with industrialization, the composition of solid waste has changed to include toxic and hazardous materials and the population has also increased to a great extent. This has called for disposal of solid waste in a manner that meets public health and considers conservation of dwindling resources though recycling of recyclable solid waste.
One of the major disposal sites for municipal solid waste is an open dump. Cornell University Law School (n.d) defines an open dump as a facility in which all sorts of solid waste, biodegradable or non-biodegradable, safe or hazardous is disposed illegally and in a manner that does not protect the environment. An open dump site often releases toxic substances and heavy metals to the environment, increases the presence of disease vectors such as rodents and insects, and other hazards such hypodermic needles, poisonous gases and piercing objects(United States Environmental Protection Agency, 2013).
Of more significance, landfills can be used as an alternative for effective solid waste management process. Early landfills replaced open dumps as disposal sites for solid waste. Landfills differ from open dumps in that in an open dump, solid waste is discarded on the land surface while in early landfills, waste was buried in the soil though it was left uncovered. Early landfills however, faced a major challenge when it came to safe disposal of solid waste. They lacked safety measures, for instance, they had no cover and therefore attracted insects and rodents. In addition, incomplete decomposition of waste which occurred in early landfills led to production of greenhouse gases such as methane which were released to the environment (Environmental Literacy Council, 2008).
During construction of modern landfills, safety features are put into consideration. Modern landfills are constructed with plastic or clay lining meant for keeping leachate in place. Solid waste also is pressed into a compact mass which increases its stability and density in addition to being covered in order to keep off insects and rodents. Moreover, because landfill waste decomposes with production of gases such as methane, commonly known for its contribution to global warming, pipes are installed to vent the gas before it can sink into the ground causing a possible explosion. Tapped methane gas is used as a domestic fuel and also for generation of electricity.
Mariannhill Landfill in South Africa’s Durban is dubbed as the “dump with a difference” because the landfill is an asset in the surrounding areas. The complex, first of its kind in Africa landfills, boasts of a highly technological closed loop waste disposal system, a leachate treatment plant, a methane gas-to-electricity center and a renowned conservancy with over 20acres of indigenous vegetation. The landfill has hiking areas, picnic sites, wetlands and bird-watching areas too. The Mariannnhill Landfill has no litter lying around or unpleasant odours. The closed loop system of the landfill consists of several cells, whereby one is filled at a time and before any waste is poured into these cells, the earth is dug and a four-tier barrier system is constructed in order to protect the soil and water table from contamination. The leachate treatment plant treats up to 30cm3 of leachate daily reducing it to useful standards which reduces the load on municipal sewer (Rand Organization, 2013).
In conclusion, although municipal solid waste poses a major challenge in terms of safe disposal and especially in developing countries, there are better ways to manage. Developing countries can highly benefit from support by developed countries, which are willing to provide financial support for safe management of municipal solid waste. The Mariannhill Landfill Conservancy in South Africa provides a good example of how ambitious, high-tech landfills can be good neighbors, environmentally sustainable, and profitable.

References
Cornell University Law School. (n.d). 40 CFR 257.2 – Definitions.Retrieved from https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/40/257.2
Environmental Literacy Council. (2008). Landfills. Retrieved from http://enviroliteracy.org/article.php/63.html
Rand Corporation. (2013). In South Africa, Bold Investments Turn Trash into Treasure. Retrieved from http://www.rand.org/blog/2014/12/in-south-africa-bold-investments-turn-trash-into-treasure.html
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2013). Solid Waste Management on Tribal Lands. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/region9/waste/tribal/reg.html