Environmental Waste Solutions for an Ever Changing World

In all nations he public and their servants areVCRs, stereos, copiers, and fax machines are
continually seeking out new environmental wastecommon electronic products. Most of these are
solutions. As time goes on these are becomingladen with toxic heavy metals such as lead,
more and more sophisticated in order to protectmercury and cadmium that can leach into water,
our environment.soils and the atmosphere, posing significant
The problem is that once an environmental wasteenvironmental and human health risks. However,
solution has been found for one problem sciencemany of these products can be reused,
and industry tends to create a new chemical orrefurbished, or recycled so the obvious waste
product which in some way is hazardous andsolution is to return these goods to the original
needs a new environmental waste solution tomanufacturer who can best reprocess and re-use
avoid damage to the environment.the materials and by so doing also save on use of
Waste is generated in all sorts of ways. Itsthe earth’s resources.
composition and volume largely depend onPlastic is an increasing burden on our landfills and
consumption patterns and the industrial andrecycling efforts. Wouldn\'t it be great if we could
economic structures in place. Waste is consideredjust zap the plastic and make it go away?
to be the by-product of both natural and artificialThat’s is not going to happen of course, but
processes: manufacturing, chemical reactions, andthe all pervasive nature of plastic bags for
even events in biochemical pathways.example in the sea and daily injury being to
But how do we distinguish the main products ofthousands of all types of creatures through
an activity from its by-products? Waste is directlyingestion and stomach obstruction, even
linked to the human development, bothsometimes suffocation, is alarming. If we knew
technologically and socially. The composition ofyears ago the damage and the extreme difficulty
different wastes has varied over time andin finding an environmental solution to the plastic
location, with industrial development and innovationlitter problem we would maybe not have allowed
being directly linked to waste materials.these bags to be sued as much as they have
Waste is not just waste - it can also become abeen.
resource and a material supply for anotherMunicipal waste, when properly managed, does
person. The underlying philosophy for thenot pose an immediate threat to human health or
European environmental policy is now to regardthe environment. This one of our society’s
waste as a resource, and if this is pursued to itsenvironmental waste solutions is carried out at
logical conclusion it can in theory provide anhigh cost but is being done quite satisfactorily in
environmental waste solution by effectivelymost developed nations. Many municipalities are
eliminating waste.said to now spend 40% of their operational
However, one waste for which most of us wouldbudget on waste-related activities according to
say there is no satisfactory environmental wasteone internet report, and the worry is that these
solution is nuclear waste. Nuclear waste is not justare services which often in some poorer nations
the material left after it has been used andbenefit commercial, high and middle income areas
becomes ‘spent’. Nuclear power stationsonly. Other internet sites suggest that estimates
and reprocessing plants release small quantities ofshow that 10 million chronically poor people rely on
radioactive gases (e.g, krypton-85 and xenon-133)waste picking for their day to day survival - and
and trace amounts of iodine-131 to thethat definitely needs an environmental waste
atmosphere. However, they have short half-lives,solution and fast!
and the radioactivity in the emissions is diminishedSo once we have created the waste, there is no
by delaying their release.easy environmental waste solution to its disposal.
Nuclear power then also leaves us with thoseThe only answer is not to create waste in the
spent reactor core materials to dispose of. If youfirst place. Zero waste is a great concept as an
carry out controlled fission in a nuclear powerenvironmental waste solution which also produces
station, you get long-lived radioactive waste, andmore jobs for less investment than any other
that poses a long-term hazard to thewaste management strategy. It also reduces
environment unless it is dealt with properly.toxic pollution as it incorporates clean production.
E-waste is another form of waste material forZero Waste is a way of thinking, and a path to
which society is seeking satisfactorytravel, rather than an absolute. Subscribing to
environmental solutions. E-waste is a popular,Zero Waste does not mean instantly eliminating
informal name for electronic products nearing theevery last piece of waste whatever the cost.
end of their "useful life". Computers, televisions,