But why compost? Landfills and incarceration could be a way to get rid of yard waste, but why bother with composting?  Even though there are government agencies and private companies that collect wastes from homes and industries, landfills and incinerators are not always the best options.

Putting decomposing materials in landfills would be a waste of space and unnecessary.  Yard wastes in landfill produce methane gas, a greenhouse gas that has the potential to explode.  For example in Asia, Latin America and Africa, 40 % of methane emissions or about 37 million metric tons come from landfills.

Incineration or burning is also not a great option. It could result to air pollution, burning yard leaves are even said to have an effect on people’s breathing and even increase the risk of asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and allergies.  In the United States, there are some states that have implemented a ban on burning leaves and other yard wastes. Environmental problems in Asia or any part of globe could really affect other parts of the globe.

To reduce wastes being produced, government agencies are encouraging home owners to do composting at home.  For example, in the United States, Illinois are not collecting any yard wastes.  This regulation is to encourage homeowners to recycle and start composting.

Organic materials can be used as fertilizers to enrich the soil, this is used as composting.  With composting organic materials are sued like yard trimmings, food wastes and animal wastes or manure.  Some would even add bulking agents like wood chips that would hasten the breakdown of organic materials.

What is so good about composting?  Here are some composting benefits:

• The use compost is proved to be better is preventing plant diseases and pests. Using organic materials to enrich the soil is definitely better than using chemical fertilizers.  Using chemical fertilizers could have some effects on crops which could have an effect on the consumer’s health.

• The use of organic fertilizers could also promote higher crop yield and effectively resolve soil problems after being dumped by hazardous wastes.  They can effectively remove oil, grease and heavy metals caused by stormwater runoff.

• They are also proven to be more cost efficient compared with other pollution resolution technologies.

Farmers find compost to be very important with their crops and their yield.  Landscapers also use compost for areas that they are landscaping like golf courses and athletic fields.  They are also great for parks, median strips and other recreational areas.  Homeowners also find compost great for their backyards and vegetable patches at home.

Compost as waste management is a great way to help the environment and reduce wastes.  They also offer economic benefits since they are low-cost alternatives compared to other soil amendments.  They are also a more cost-efficient method of revamping or remediating contaminated soil by different pollutants.

The practice was carried on to war periods until it became a significant part in the modern approach to waste management. But unlike before, recycling efforts today are not pushed by the scarcity of resources; rather, they are a decent response to environmental issues. Waste management and recycling, specifically, are attempts to preserve the environment and protect all living things. And as the environment is continuously being threatened by massive waste production, recycling is hoped to be a global endeavor.

Why recycle?

Landfills and incinerators are the most common destinations of collected waste. Although proven helpful in waste disposal, these two have been widely criticized for their environmental effects. Burying waste in landfills particularly allows for the release of methane gas, a type of greenhouse gas that is even more dangerous than carbon dioxide. Aside from that, landfills can leach other hazardous materials and may cause water pollution. And because waste materials are known to take many years to decompose, with some requiring hundreds to thousands of years, more landfill space are needed, which are becoming expensive and scarce. Incinerators, meanwhile, similarly emit greenhouse gas and other toxic chemicals that endanger human health and trigger global climate changes. Recycling responds to these problems by decreasing the volume of waste sent to landfills and incinerators. Rather than disposed of, waste materials are turned into something more useful.

By making new products out of used products, recycling contributes to the conservation of energy. Generally, it takes less energy to process an already processed material. For instance, the production of paper using recycled materials uses 40% less of the time needed to make the same product from virgin materials. This energy conservation also provides small openings for water and air pollution. In the same way, recycling significantly reduces the consumption of raw materials, which naturally contributes to the conservation of resources. Recycling a ton of newspaper, for instance, saves 12 trees.

But aside from the environmental benefits, the economical benefits of recycling are also one reason it has been practiced in many countries. On a national scale, recycling can create a lot of jobs that offer decent wages. And with the recycling industry becoming even more successful, more businesses are expected to grow and provide more job opportunities. Individuals, on the other hand, can make small business through recycling projects. They can create new products, such as bags and cards, from scraps and sell them for a small price. Selling scrap materials to certain organizations and individuals, who in turn will make recycled items for reselling, is as well a good way to earn money.

Buying recyclable and recycled products is also encouraged to support the recycling industry and as a whole to protect the environment. The symbol of three moving arrows on a product signifies it is recyclable. Such arrows represent the process of recycling: from becoming a waste to reprocessing to reselling. And this symbol coined the term “close the loop,” an accurate representation of waste management and recycling.

Waste management is important since it has a major impact of human and community health.  There could be chemical spills which could pose danger to water supplies.  Poor landfills and incinerators could release cancerous carcinogen in the air and other pollutants.  They could also be causes of pests, vermin, flies and other similar carriers of communicable diseases.

People would often associate that implementing waste management plans and policies is about protecting human health and the environment.  Other than that, waste disposal could also have an impact on different environmental aspects such as climate change. Waste disposal can also be attributed in producing more greenhouse gases that makes the Earth’s climate warmer.  Landfills in Asia, Latin America and Africa are to blame for about 40 % of methane emissions every year.  That 40 % is equal to about 37 million metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Experts approximate that developed and industrialized nations produce more waste compared to developing countries.  In the United States, each American will produce an average of .75 tons of trash every year.  Those in Europe are estimated to accumulate almost half a ton of trash annually. In Asia, an average person would produce .2 tons of trash annually.

Although, Asia has the lowest waste average, it does not mean that they have better waste management system.  There are studies and surveys conducted in Asia about waste disposal procedure.  According to World Bank, China’s whopping 190 million tons of waste every year is not totally properly disposed.  Only less than 50 % of China’s solid waste are treated properly, whether it is through landfill or incineration.  China is not alone.  Other Asian countries, like India, Indonesia and the Philippines also have poor waste disposal methods.

Regardless of territories and boundaries, pollution affects everybody.  Environmental problems in Asia could still affect North America, Europe and Africa.  This is why there are efforts among different countries in helping each other resolve environmental and waste problems.

An example would be the efforts between European and Asian countries.  Europe is leading in environmental technologies, about 60 % of environmental discoveries and technologies came from them.  They would play a major role in helping Asian countries become aware of different environmental damage happening in their nations.  Asian countries mostly would have to deal with issues of water and air pollution, waste management for both households and industries, deforestation and loss of biodiversity.

Countries, like the United States and Canada, are encouraging more individuals to go back to the basics of waste reduction:  reduce, reuse and recycle.  The government are passing laws, state regulations about trash disposal that would help homeowners to start smart and proper waste management at home.

Environmental issues are not just an issue of a specified country.  We should be more away that by starting waste management in our homes, workplace or school, we get to reduce the impact of pollution and climate change.