Picture this, an industrial setup that generates tonnes of pollutants and chemically disastrous waste. The contaminants flow into the ecosystem’s natural bodies, leading to imbalances, sometimes carcinogenic issues. The sludges and contained gases can wipe out an existence in a considerable amount of time and are a matter of immediate concern. Do you think capital punishment is the deadliest horror of solitary confinement? Welcome to the “productive globalized era.” Where you, me, and everyone is a victim of improper waste management.
What is Hazardous waste management?
The last few chapters of social science textbooks clearly defined it. Hazardous-waste management is the disposal, treatment, and collection of waste material. When there is improper handling of hazardous waste, it causes substantial harm to human health and environment safety. Hazardous wastes take the shape of solids, liquids, sludges, or contained gases; caused due to chemical production, manufacturing, and other industrial activities. They’ll cause damage during inadequate storage, transportation, treatment, or disposal operations.
Several options are available for hazardous-waste management. The best option is to reduce the amount of waste right at the source or recycle it and make it useful. Though recycling and reducing waste are good alternatives, they are not considered the ultimate remedy to hazardous waste disposal. There will always be a requirement for treatment and storage or removal of some amount of hazardous waste.
Following are some practices to combat hazardous waste:
- Surface storage techniques
- Secure landfills
To sum up, hazardous waste that is not destroyed by incineration or other chemical processes needs to be disposed of properly. Land disposal is the final destination for such wastes, although not an ideal practice due to the inherent environmental risks involved.
But wait! Isn’t there some remedial action at a very minimal individualistic level? This technique is called “awareness to transport methods.” Suppose we pledge to inform the environmental ministry and the concerned officials to transport industrial garbage to disposal sites. In that case, we can utilize the bio-waste generated from the management process: and use natural materials to cover the hazardous wastes. The formal term for this process is blocking the lateral flow.
Owing to the exponential rise in population, we’ve eventually resorted to building apartments around industrial complexes. The saddest part is that many industrial wastes can enter into local water supplies and pollute them. The government has ordered the construction of cutoff walls to indicate such malpractices, completely dividing and allocating spaces to industries and residential buildings.
The most beneficial solution is to reduce the quantity of waste at its source or recycle the materials for some other productive use. Nevertheless, while reduction and recycling are suitable options, they’re not considered the ultimate remedy to the problem of hazardous waste disposal. There’ll always be a requirement for treatment and storage or removal of some amount of hazardous waste.
