How can we mitigate climate change through sustainable waste management practices?
With the rapid growth of the human population and the increase in human wants, a large amount of waste is released into the environment every day. Since every person in the world is responsible for generating waste, waste management has become a major social and environmental concern. The term ‘waste’ counts not only the solid waste collected in trash cans daily but also the harmful gaseous emissions released into the atmosphere. The World Bank has estimated that by 2050, the world will create 3.88 billion tonnes of waste per year. This is a massive amount of waste that may be released from households, industries, agricultural activities, and many other processes carried throughout the world each day. If this bulk of waste that is predicted to be produced in the future is not minimized or managed properly it can lead to adverse climatic risks that can lead to an enormous disaster (Siegel, 2022).
Reasons for climate change and its consequences.
Climate change continues to be the reason for many of the burning problems faced by the entire world. It has significantly impacted rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Unexpected climatic changes have become a major factor affecting the global food production systems leading to food insecurity. On the other hand, natural disasters followed by adverse climatic conditions lead to the loss of valuable lives and devastate property giving rise to massive economic pitfalls. They also deteriorate natural ecosystems creating a burden on the environmental balance. In early history, climate change was brought about by natural consequences. However, since the 1800s, anthropogenic activities have become the main driver of climate change. Following inappropriate waste disposal mechanisms especially landfills, burning of fossil fuels and deforestation are some of the major human activities that accelerate climate change. A great risk is posed by high levels of methane and carbon dioxide gases, collectively known as the Land Fill Gas (LFG) generated by waste decomposition in landfills. Methane is identified as a highly potent greenhouse gas which is 25 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide.
Reckless behavior of humans has resulted in different harmful environmental consequences including soil degradation, polluted air, and unconsumable water threatening not only humans but also all the other inhabitants on earth ranging from microscopic to macroscopic levels. We should not rely on traditional waste management practices, particularly landfills since they require a vast land area and also they have a high level of contribution towards climate-related risks. To cope with these problems the world is trying new innovative solutions through research and development activities.
How can we manage waste sustainably?
The model of circular economy is one of the best ways to ensure sustainability in waste management. As prevention is better than cure, the first and foremost thing to be done is preventing waste from being created. This could be easily facilitated by encouraging product durability and repairability and discouraging the use of single-use plastics by implementing proper policies. The general public should understand the worth of the 3R concept and utilize it practically during day-to-day chores. Consumers can shift to eco-friendly reusable items and at the same time, manufacturers can meet their demand by producing reusable items.
As responsible citizens, consumers must make well-informed decisions about the products they buy considering the environmental impacts of them. In situations where reducing and reusing is not further applicable, recycling is the sound option. This preserves valuable resources for future use reducing the need for virgin resource extraction. Globally, organic waste forms about 65% of waste generated, with the majority of it being food and green waste. By composting food scraps and yard waste, we can convert them into valuable nutrient-rich soil that can be utilized in agricultural activities. Further, the trend of Waste-to-Energy technologies transforms waste into electricity or heat, potentially reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The path to a greener future
Although we are in a situation where it is harder to live without causing harm to the environment, still we face issues in the application of the model of the circular economy. One of the major unfortunate reasons behind many of the climatic risks encountered today is the lack of public awareness. It is obvious that many people still do not have a clear cut about how waste management impacts climate change. As UN reports suggest the world’s population in 2050 is expected to reach 9.7 billion which is a lot more than the current 8 billion. So just imagine, where can this additional 1.7 billion dump their garbage? Taking these facts into account, it is clear that there is great significance in getting used to sustainable waste management practices.
In conclusion, our endeavor to accomplish a Greener future cannot be fulfilled without adopting sustainable waste management strategies. Currently, most developed countries even with very high economic status are trying harder to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Disruptions caused by climatic changes have become a huge challenge for them to achieve these goals. Thereby there is a great necessity in handling risks associated with climate change carefully. Sustainable waste management plays a leading role in fighting against climate-related risks and biodiversity loss. Thereby let’s join our hands together in the process of transforming waste from a burden into a resource, fostering a cleaner, healthier planet for all beings.
Key References
Dinneen, J., 2022. New Scientist. [Online]
Available at: https://www.newscientist.com/article/2333207-half-of-buenos-airess-methane-emissions-may-come-from-one-landfill/
[Accessed 10 August 2022].
Siegel, K., 2022. How our trash contributes to climate change and what we can do about it , Rotterdam : Clean Air Task Force.
Voorwarts, S., 2023. STERK. [Online]
Available at: https://sterkontruimingen.nl/en/clear-with-a-green-conscience-how-strongly-promotes-sustainability-through-recycling-and-reuse/
Ruwanda Himara,
Undergraduate,
Department of Agribusiness Management,
Faculty of Agricultural Sciences,
Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka.