On the surface, the words “waste” and “sustainable” don’t seem to go hand-in-hand. In fact, the typical thought that many people have is that waste is, in most ways, not sustainable at all.
Much of that notion, though, is based on old and outdated visions of what waste really is — and what can be done with it. There’s such a huge current focus on saving the environment, and curbing the toll that waste has on the environment is a huge part of that.
Waste management companies are playing a huge role in that today, making responsible and impactful decisions with waste, and helping their companies do the same.
What Does Waste Management Refer To?
Waste management is the process of how waste materials are handled. It involves three stages — collection, transportation and finally disposal.
In traditional terms, waste management was a fairly linear process. Once waste was collected, it was then sent to landfills or other incineration facilities.
The issue with this is that it didn’t address what is the root problem of waste — the fact a majority of it just gets thrown away. Over time, some of this waste breaks down, but it can emit hazardous fumes and chemicals. Waste that doesn’t break down, such as plastics, can end up in oceans, harming wildlife and the environment as a whole.
Over time, it’s become increasingly apparent that something has to be changed about the traditional waste management process, as it has the potential to do more harm.
How is Sustainable Waste Management Different?
The major difference between sustainable waste management and traditional waste management is that it’s a cyclical process, rather than a linear one.
Sustainable waste management has a two-part focus — starting with removing waste from facilities and/or landfills and figuring out how to achieve sustainable aims in the process.
That second part includes figuring out how to reduce how much waste is being generated, reusing whatever waste can be reused and recycling whatever can’t and selling the waste that can be sold. Only then will the leftover waste be disposed of in traditional terms.
Sustainable waste management seeks solutions that cause no harm to the environment as well as the health of humans, as well as those that reduce the consumption of natural resources.
What Kind of Waste is Suitable for Sustainable Management?
Ideally, all kinds of waste would be able to managed in a more sustainable way. And while that is possible, to an extent, there are some categories of waste that is not only better suited for this process, but also that necessitate sustainable practices.
This includes industrial, demolition, medical and hazardous waste, as well as e-waste. All of these categories of waste can cause particular hazards to the environment, wildlife and humans.
Some of these materials are highly flammable, susceptible to corroding and/or have the potential for dangerous reactions with other elements. Medical waste is also of particular concern, as it can create significant potential for harm as well.
What Strategies Can Be Implemented for Sustainable Waste Management?
There are many different strategies that can be implemented for sustainable waste management. These are overarching strategies that can help guide waste management companies and waste producers alike.
Zero Waste
The potentially most impactful strategy, and the one that’s getting a lot of attention today, is called “zero waste.” This is a truly ambitious goal that seeks to completely eliminate waste by following the three R’s principle — reduce, reuse and recycle.
This strategy begins with decreased consumption, followed by a keen focus on encourage people to reuse the products they do use whenever possible, including repairing them if they’re broken instead of just throwing them away.
More in-depth composting and recycling programs can be set up to help with the march to zero waste, when it’s not possible for the waste produce to be repaired or reused.
In addition, zero waste addresses how products and their packaging are designed in the first place so that the individual parts can be disassembled easily and then recycled.
Energy Conversion
Another exciting strategy in sustainable waste management is figuring out how to convert waste into usable energy. At times, some waste can be burned at very high temperatures in a process called combustion, which then converts that waste into fuel, electricity and/or heat.
This process helps to reduce the emission of carbon that other forms of fuel generation cause while also reducing how much waste ends up being sent to landfills.
Organic waste can be fermented through a process called anaerobic digestion. Through this process, methane is produced and captured as a great renewable source of energy to be used for electricity, heating and for cooking.
Prevention
While the two aforementioned strategies generate a lot of headlines and excitement, one of the most impactful sustainable waste management strategies is simple prevention. In other words, it’s important to minimize the amount of waste that’s generated in the first place.
The three pillars of this strategy are reducing overall consumption of products and materials, doing away with all single-use products such as plastics and then reducing the amount of packaging that’s used for products.
Of course, we won’t be able to avoid using products altogether. In this case, the best option according to sustainable waste management is to reuse the product rather than throwing it away. And, if that can’t be done, then recycling whatever parts of the product you can will help to create additional products without generating more waste.
How Can Sustainable Waste Management Be Achieved?
True sustainable waste management requires the input and action of consumers, businesses, waste management companies and governments alike. Without the buy-in and participation of all four of these “entities,” it will be hard to achieve ambitious goals such as zero waste.
That being said, even small steps taken today can help us get there.
But, where can you start if you run a commercial business? The simple answer is by wrapping your heads around your current waste situation.
At GPS Waste, we help all of our clients streamline their operations, save costs and help the environment. We provide free waste assessments to every client, helping them to identify ways that they can reduce the amount of waste they’re generating and service issues they may be experiencing, while also reducing costs and improving recycling efforts.For more information, or to get started on the path to sustainable waste management practices, contact us today.
