The Green-Collar Industry And The Waste Management Jobs

admin — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 13:22:48 +0000

There is the white-collar sector, and then there is also the blue-collar. With the growing concern over the environment, there rose another sector: the green-collar industry. An official definition of green-collar is yet to be established, but the various definitions formed by different organizations and individuals share a common explanation, that green-collar jobs are those that contribute to the upkeep of the environment by addressing issues that include but are not limited to conservation, global warming, pollution, and waste disposal. While this definition may constitute green building architects, engineers, and other professionals, green-collar industry also includes people assuming waste management jobs. Waste management has itself become a successful industry. Presently, waste management agencies and firms are proliferating, whose services primarily focus on collection, transportation, and disposal of residential and industrial waste, and are providing decent jobs to a lot of people. There are various jobs available in the waste management industry, which are all important in keeping the environment clean and orderly. Following are some of them. 1. Garbage Collectors. The most visible and perhaps the most popular of all waste management workers, garbage collectors are responsible for picking waste at a predetermined route and schedule. Although there is no required special education for garbage collectors, they have to be physically fit since they need to drag and carry loaded containers. In cases when they use automated trucks, meaning the vehicles can haul and lift the garbage into the truck, garbage collectors, also called trash collectors, can work alone and drive their own truck. This, therefore, means they should be licensed and skilled drivers. 2. Service Drivers. They work as the garbage collectors’ partners, driving the service truck to the designated area. While the garbage collector does the entire picking job, the service driver is responsible for transporting the waste to the destination safely and securely. 3. Street Sweepers. Their main job is to keep the streets and roads clean. They traditionally use brooms and dustbins, although it is more common to see them working with sweeping machines, which help them complete their job faster and more efficiently. 4. Truck Mechanics. They work behind the limelight, leaving the garbage collectors and drivers at the forefront. However, their work is very important since they make sure that every truck used for collecting and transporting waste is functioning properly. Their job includes repair, inspection, and maintenance. 5. Sales and Marketing Staff. They may not take part in the actual handling of waste and may work in offices, but their job is equally important. These people are responsible to bring the services of waste management firms and agencies to the attention of individuals and businesses. The sales and marketing team come up with advertising and marketing strategies to generate more clients. 6. Analysts and Researchers. Their job is more inclined to the science of waste management. They may be more involved in recycling methods, waste classification, studies on conservation and waste treatment, among other things. Because of the nature of these waste management jobs, they are required to have special education.

Tags:dustbins,garbage,global warming,green building,green-collar jobs,industry,recycling,transportation,waste,waste disposal

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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The Green-Collar Industry And The Waste Management Jobs

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