Waste Management Info » compost

What Is Solid Waste Management?

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:13:25 +0000

By definition, solid waste is a waste material that is composed of less than 70% water. It can be anything from kitchen waste to electrical waste. A huge part of produced waste is made up of solid waste. In fact, according to statistics, each person produces around four pounds of solid waste everyday. This enormous production has greatly concerned a lot of people primarily because if not managed well, solid waste will worsen pollution, spread diseases, and cause danger to human health and other living species. For this reason, the call to practice solid waste management has become more persistent over the years.

Solid waste management is the proper monitoring, sorting, transportation, and disposal of solid waste. In modern society, solid waste management efforts are backed up by different legislations and campaigns. For instance, collection programs, in which waste management companies pick up solid waste from households, are instituted by local governments and carried out in different communities. In places where there are no collection programs, residents are required to drop off their solid waste at locally established waste facilities.

But because a considerable percentage of solid waste comes from other sources than households, trash bins are scattered in areas with high passerby traffic such as parks and streets, to name a few. Industrial waste, on the other hand, is usually managed by the generators themselves. They usually have their own facilities for treatment and disposal of waste.

Once collected, a great bulk of solid waste goes to incinerators and landfills. These disposal methods, however, have negative impact on the environment, thus a significant percentage of solid waste is turned over to different treatment facilities. Recyclable solid waste, which often includes scrap metals, papers, glass, and bottles, undergo certain processes to make new products. To encourage people to recycle, recycle bins are usually made available in many parts of communities. Biodegradable or organic waste materials, on the other hand, are made into compost. Composting in some areas is mandated by legislation and in such communities, compost bins are provided to residents. Hazardous waste, or that which is potentially dangerous when disposed of like battery and fluorescent light, is also usually recycled.

Modernity paved the way to the massive production of solid waste. And this has become one of the many gripping environmental issues faced by the world today, especially because the problem in solid waste transcends the “now” generation. Whatever is done, or not done, to solve the problem affects the heritage of the next generation. In developed countries, solid waste management has become a priority and certain systems are fully operational. Same is true with some developing countries. However, many other countries need to catch up.

Truth be told, hardly anyone thinks of garbage. Once something graduates from its intended use, it is immediately considered trash, thrown off, and then forgotten. But solid waste management is everyone’s responsibility. It is not solely for governments to practice. Not only for businesses. And not for a few individuals.

Everyone makes waste and it is only necessary that everyone takes part in properly handling solid waste.

Tags:biodegradable,compost,composting,developed countries,developing countries,incinerators,landfills,recyclable,solid waste management,waste materials

Vermicompost And Waste Management

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:53:32 +0000

Numbers will show you how much the world has gone to the dumps. An average American would have about .75 tons of trash every year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Most of the world’s waste came from industrialized countries. These countries have waste management laws, especially for hazardous wastes, but still experience problems with dumpsites and waste disposal.

Solving waste management problems do not have to take you anywhere else, you could start solving trash problems at home. Small contributions like this could go a long way. About 25 percent of our wastes are yard trimmings or food scraps. Although, a lot of people are learning to recycle and reuse plastic, metal, glass and other similar items, biodegradable stuff are nearly not recycled at all.

A great way to recycle food scrap is having a compost bin or by vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is another way of composting. Worms are used in the process to produce vermicompost, a rich soil which is a great way to fertilize a garden. There are different kinds of worms used in vermicomposting, like the red worms, white worms, and earthworms. These worms would produce vermicast which are worm castings or worm humus. Worms used in vermicomposting can be available from vermicompost enthusiasts or from a supplier.

Worms can be eat a lot of your food scraps and wastes, like vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, tea, and even eggshells. However, avoid feeding them with bones, dairy products, spicy food, oily food and animal manure. Beddings for vermicompost bins can also be made out of household materials like newspaper and cardboard.

Different type of containers could work, as long as they would protect the worms from too warm or cold weather conditions. Worms are comfortable in temperatures ranging from 55 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Most commonly used bins are those made of wood or plastic. A 12-inch deep compost bin can accommodate about a pound or 1,000 worms. Odour does not have to be a problem. A vermicompost bin which is done properly will not give out any smell.

There are many benefits associated with vermicompost. The vermicast is 10 to 20 higher in nutrients compared with other organic material used to enrich soil. It can also improve the soil’s water holding capacity. Enriching the soil could enhance plant growth and the crops yielded. If you have a vegetable patch, this would be a great way to reduce food waste and increase productivity from your patch using chemical-free fertilizers.

In the United States, there are states like Illinois, who are banning landscape waste in landfills. Vermicomposting is a great way to address disposal of these kinds of waste. Aside from that, there are some who would use vermicomposting as another source of income. They would sell vermicast, it is often times called “Black Gold” because of its high nutrient content. Others would supply worms to fishermen or become a local supplier.

Using vermicomposting as a waste management method for food scraps and other biodegradable materials at home is surely a win-win solution. You get to reduce waste and benefit from it, whether it is short term or in the long run.

Tags:compost,composting,Environmental protection agency,landfills,organic material,plant. earthworms,United States,waste disposal,worm castings

Managing Organic Waste Through Composting

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:03:37 +0000

Because incinerators are perilous to the environment and human health, and landfills are becoming scarce, expensive, and in the same way an environmental threat, different efforts in reducing the amount of waste are in place today. Such efforts include composting, a process by which organic waste is made into a soil resource. Organic waste, which includes kitchen and yard garbage, makes up 30% of household waste and if composted would contain the necessary nutrients, microbes, and substances to enrich the soil and benefit the plants. Composting then was only known as a gardening practice, but ever since people became aware of waste and environmental issues, it has become a way of managing organic waste. There are existing composting efforts on both large and small scales. Many communities, for instance, are running local composting projects using collected organic waste from households. On a smaller scale, many individuals make their own compost at home using different techniques. Regardless of the size of the project, composting should be well-managed in order to produce effective compost. Making compost relies mainly on organic waste. Not all organic waste, however, can qualify as material for compost. Diseased plants shouldn’t be piled for compost as they may infect other plants. Although a hot temperature can kill the disease organisms, it is best not to take chances. Unless weeds and grasses, the kinds that tend to stubbornly re-sprout and re-grow, are dead and dry, never add them to the pile. Cat and dog feces are also not best for composting because they may contain disease organisms that are harmful to human health. Pest-attracting kitchen waste, such as meat scraps and bones, shouldn’t as well be included in the compost. Which organic waste then is a good compost ingredient? Here is a list. 1. Fruit and vegetable peels and other debris are best for composting. Because they are high in nitrogen, they are classified as “green” compost ingredients. Eggshells, tea bags, and other food and kitchen scraps can also be added to the compost pile, providing they won’t attract too many pests. 2. Sawdust is a “brown” compost ingredient, which means it is low in nitrogen. Sawdusts decay in varied speed. Depending on the wood, some sawdusts tend to decay more quickly than the others. When using sawdust as a compost ingredient, make sure it does not come from a chemically-treated wood. If it does, it can potentially contaminate the entire compost, soil, and eventually plants. 3. Leaves are common compost ingredients. Whether dead and dry (“brown”) or living (“green”), leaves are ideal for composting. Actually, forest trees usually thrive on the dead and decaying leaves on forest floors, which cumulatively act as compost. Lawn clippings are also great for composting. When making compost, it is very important to thoroughly mix all the organic waste so there won’t be clumps that prevent aeration. Brown ingredients are normally best to mix with green ingredients to speed up decay. Other ingredients are also best to use in thin layers. If every household in every community is managing organic waste by way of composting, the volume of waste will be reduced by 30%. And in a world that is literally threatened by massive waste production, that is a significant number.

Tags:compost,composting,feces,garbage,human health,landfills,microbes,soil,tea,temperature

Composting – A Waste Management Process

admin — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:03:29 +0000

In today’s complicated world where everything is connected (from manufacturing to consumption to disposal), waste management takes on several disposal methods (landfills, incineration, recycling, pyrolysis, etc.) because there is as yet no ideal disposal system. One of these processes is composting. Composting Composting happens in nature all the time. These days, composting takes on a new meaning as it becomes one additional method of waste disposal under the bigger umbrella of waste management. Composting is controlling the decomposition of organic matter in a more scientific manner. The product is compost (humus), and is used in gardening and farming (the industrial kind) by mixing it with the soil. This improves the soil quality, soil structure and brings back the nutrients. Compost or humus is the end-product of decomposed organic matter as performed primarily by microbes, fungi, molds, and other microorganisms. They are helped by larger creatures like the earthworms, ants, snails, millipedes, sow bugs, slugs and others who consume and break down the organic matter. To encourage the microbes, the compost heap should have the correct mix of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and water. If the heap is too wet, it will block the oxygen needed by the bacteria. If the pile is too dry, the bacteria do not have the moisture to survive and reproduce. Nitrogen is needed for the proteins the microbes need. Decomposition still works even if some ingredients are missing, but not as quickly as is planned. This mix of biodegradable materials is still capable of being completely broken down from the action of microorganisms into carbon dioxide, water and biomass. Industrial composting Together with other advanced processing systems, progressive cities and many urban centers around the world are now installing large-scale composting systems as part of their total urban waste management. In landfills, mechanical sorting of mixed wastes is done along with in-vessel composting called mechanical biological treatment. Today, biodegradable waste materials are treated before it is dumped into landfills, making it industrial-sized compost pits. This is to help reduce global warming. Untreated materials break down anaerobically and produce gas that includes the greenhouse gas methane. The size of waste materials is also a significant issue in compostability. Big pieces of wood may not make up for fast composting while saw dust is a good one. Contaminating materials are also dealt with bioremediation and other special composting approaches. Techniques There are two composting techniques – active (hot) and passive (cold) composting. Active composting allows the most effective decomposing bacteria to flourish, killing most pathogens and seeds, and producing usable compost quickly. This is used by most commercial and industrial composting ventures because not only this ensures a higher quality, it also produces fast results. Most home composters usually employ the passive kind unconsciously – just throw in everything in there and leave it for about a year or two. Some, of course, are extra-religious in their home composting endeavor – monitoring temperatures, regularly turning the soil, adjusting the heap, etc.) Community action Organic materials included in waste sent to landfills produce the dreaded greenhouse gas methane during decomposition. In suburban areas, organic waste materials can be removed from the total stream from the very start – at household levels. Promoting backyard composting to the community at large can help reduce organic materials (kitchen scraps, other biodegradable materials) thrown out to landfills. This goes a long way in helping decrease the production of greenhouse gases.

Tags:biodegradable waste,compost,compost heap,decomposing,global warming,greenhouse gases,mechanic biological treatment,organic matter,waste disposal,waste materials

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What Is Solid Waste Management?

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