It is not about just the environment that we would have to worry about.  Wastes not properly disposed can cause huge health risks to people or communities surrounding the area where the wastes were disposed.  The United Nations Development Programme estimates that there are five million fatalities every year because of not properly disposing wastes.

Improper waste disposal could increase dangers of increasing vermin and pests.  They could spread in the community, a common disease called dengue brought by mosquito bites is very dangerous disease often times associated with stagnant water and piles of garden wastes.  People could also be vulnerable to leptospirosis or infection that you could get from vermin urine and feces.  Litters like broken glasses or scrap of metals can also cause tetanus.

Another danger about improper waste management, would be hazardous materials and poison which could affect the environment and the community.  Medical or health care wastes can have radioactive isotopes which could get into water and result into polluted bodies of water where your kids swim.  Aside from health care wastes, human wastes can also be very dangerous when disposed improperly, especially if they come from people who are suffering from certain diseases.  This could also contaminate sources of water.

Unkempt yards and streets could also give an impression about the people who live in the area.  It could affect the economy of the community, it is unlikely that entrepreneurs would like to invest in a community that does not invite security and safety.

Most people think that waste management is all about spending sizeable amount.  Actually, it does not have to be like that.  Not managing and dumping wastes irresponsibly tends to be more costly.  Think about the loss of income from not trying to save on equipment and appliances.

Disposing hazardous wastes is another major problem.  Hazardous wastes are actually very much present in our household.  According to U.S. EPA, there are about 1.8 million tons of household hazardous waste being disposed every year.  And most homeowners are not even conscious that they are storing hazardous chemicals in their cupboards.

Waste management could actually be summed up in three simple words: reduce, reuse and recycle.  In United Kingdom, the country’s recycling efforts was able to help reduce 10-15 million tonnes of CO2 emission every year.   Homeowners and other institutions could start by segregating trash, monitoring quantities and kinds of wastes being disposed, and making sure that they are being transported out of your site properly.

Waste management training could be given to employees, workers and staff. Having a waste management plan and people committed in carrying it out, will make the plan successful.

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There are studies conducted showing that about 90 percent of wastes disposed every year mainly come from industrialized countries, which is about 325-375 million tons of toxic and hazardous waste.  Countries are expressing their concern about the rising number of wastes being disposed every year.  According to the United Nations, there are 60 percent of countries worldwide expressing their waste concern in the 1992 Earth Summit.

Improper waste disposal can cause big problems to human health.  The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) states that there are about five million fatalities every year because of diseases related to improper waste disposal.  For example, stagnant water and pile of wastes in the backyard could actually be a source of dengue, tetanus or vermin related disease like leptospirosis.

Not all management practices are the same, industrial waste management would of course be different from household waste disposal.  Urban and rural waste management are also different.  Which why there are people who are primarily employed as waste specialists officers and whose job is to ensure that wastes are properly disposed.

Every county would also have their own waste disposal method.  There are government agencies and local government units that provide waste collection services, they would often have partnerships with private waste management companies.  For example, in Australia, every curb would have three collection bins like one for the recyclables, general and garden wastes.  Households are encouraged to start composting to reduce wastes.  This is the same waste collection done in Canada.  In Taipei, households and industries are charged for the volume of their wsastes produced.

In waste management there is something known as the waste hierarchy or the 3 Rs:  reduce, reuse and recycle.  This 3 Rs remains to be the basis of waste management programs, technologies and strategies being developed.  Government programs implemented are based on these principles, for example in the United States there are states that would implement regulations of non-collection of yard wastes to encourage households to recycle.

Another program implemented by the government would be the extended product responsibility or the EPR.  This is a strategy that would ensure that manufacturers would be responsible for their products after they were disposed by the consumers.  The method used in Taiwan is also known as the Polluter Pays Principle.  The polluter would pay for the impact of their waste on the environment.

Some industries find waste management and environmental responsibility good business opportunity for their own businesses.  They report increased efficiency, energy reduction costs and even getting local and national government incentives since the government offers tax rebates for industries that would use “green” technology.

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