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Waste Management
Landfilling is the most popular waste disposal method. The ancient Greeks began landfilling when they required citizens to take their trash outside the city gates and dispose of it. Today we use sanitary landfills. These healthier holes differ from dumps because they are lined on the bottom with clay, special plastic or a combination of both. They have water treatment systems built into them and gas treatment systems to handle the methane gas produced by decaying trash. Every day the trash that is dumped is crushed and covered by a layer of soil to keep out animals and to reduce bugs and odor. These healthy holes are regulated by state and federal laws and meet certain criteria or they are closed.
Many communities now have recycling efforts under way. Newspaper, glass, metal and plastic are the most common materials recycled, however not every community has the ability to recycle all those items at this time. Does yours?
Composting is separating the leaves and grass clippings and sometimes other organic materials and placing them in their own area to decompose. After decomposing, they are used as mulch or fertilizer. Some counties or cities have a special composting facility or a contract with a private firm to compost their organics.
Waste reduction is reducing the waste going into the waste stream. This can be done by reusing items or cutting back on the amount of waste produced. Consumers can purchase items with less packaging or buy reusable products to create less throwaway material when they go shopping. Waste reduction has helped a great deal in extending the life of landfills by making us wiser shoppers.
Hazardous waste disposal is also very important to think about. Many people are not aware how much hazardous waste we use in our homes and dispose of in normal landfills. Most of it should be separated and taken to special hazardous landfills, they are safer. As hazardous waste education continues, citizens will switch to safer cleaning products or dispose of hazardous material in safer ways.
Litter prevention/control is a part of waste management and includes community education and participation in planned clean up projects. Litter is harmful to a community in many ways; it is expensive, it hurts community pride, and it harms animals. Quick clean-ups by communities help reduce litter problems.
Waste Management is a complex issue for everyone. Improper waste disposal results in serious health problems for everyone. We all benefit from knowing basic facts about waste management so we can make good decisions.
Resources
Arizona Interagency Fire Prevention Kid's Page
Ask the Answer Worm! (Soil Questions)
UofA Youth Activities: Water Resources
Learn About Chemicals Around Your House
