How To Handle Various Kinds Of Waste

United States citizens alone are responsible for over 199 billion kilograms of waste annually. Getting rid of all that garbage in a safe, efficient manner is crucial to human, animal and environmental health.

Municipalities and countries constantly grapple with waste management issues. With a burgeoning world population, handling and disposing of waste products properly is imperative.

Waste not

Waste management methods fall into various categories:

Reduce and reuse;
Feeding animals;
Composting;
Recycling;
Incineration/combustion;
Fermentation;
Landfills;
Land application.

Landfills. Dumping things into designated landfill sites is still the most popular method of garbage disposal. These sites are managed professionally with things in place like odour management and identifying hazardous waste. There is a space issue moving forward, so other means are being more readily investigated.

Incineration/combustion. Burning reduces solid waste to up to 30 per cent of its volume. Less space is taken up in landfills.

Reduce/reuse/Recycle. Discarded items are used to make other things. Plastics and tin can be recycled, as can other items like paper and cardboard. Besides lightening the load on landfills, recycling also cuts back on energy use. It has become an efficient and popular means of handling waste.

Animal feed. Some common household garbage is used to feed livestock.

Composting. The breaking down or organic matter, like eggshells, peelings and the like, is used for organic farming. This is a sustainable form of handling certain waste items.

Follow the rules

Handling waste isn’t as uncomplicated as throwing it into a garbage bin. There are many things to consider looking at the larger picture. If you aren’t sure what type of waste you’re dealing with, it’s best to ask an expert. Chemical waste needs to be handled a certain way for safety reasons.

Label all hazardous waste materials;
Don’t eat or drink around waste that could be harmful;
Read labels;
Store all potential hazardous waste products properly.

Hazardous waste materials are given a zero- to four-point rating. O – minimal; 1 – slight; 2 – moderate; 3 – serious and 4 – severe. Know what you’re dealing with before doing anything! In some cases, it could be the difference between life and death.

The experts at Gorilla Bins can help you dispose of your unwanted household items in a safe, easy way. Give them a call and they will be happy to answer any questions that you have.