More and more often in modern society questions are raised on the topic of ecology. This includes widespread air pollution from industrial waste and gases, and pollution of water bodies, as well as the problem of garbage and waste disposal.
Human waste has become too much
Human activity is closely related to the occurrence of decay products, food and industrial waste. Some of them must be processed properly, otherwise they can cause serious harm to the environment. In addition, the decay time of many materials exceeds 100 years. Active pollution of the planet and the unresolved problem of garbage have led to global changes - the destruction of the environment for the existence of living organisms.
Garbage disposal, especially from big cities, is becoming an increasing problem of our time. None of the developed and developing countries can boast of an established waste management system. Today, only 60% of waste gets a second life through recycling, where to put the remaining 40%? Incineration or burial is not particularly advisable, whichcomplicates an already tense situation.
Where to put waste?
The problem of waste disposal concerns absolutely all types of waste: from household to chemical. Moreover, many of them have dangerous decay products, which significantly complicates the methods of processing. Garbage, decomposing, releases alcohols and aldehydes, which then seep into the soil, residential buildings and into the air. The already polluted environment is undergoing another invasion of toxic substances. And this happens not once a year, but every day and in many places.
The environmental problem of garbage is becoming frightening, because every day the amount of unrecycled waste is only increasing, and no one can give clear instructions to combat this problem. In Italy, for example, already several cities are simply littered with unutilized waste. The problem of garbage makes itself felt most acutely in cities such as Naples and Palermo. In order to somehow free up living natural space for themselves, residents burn garbage right on the central squares of the city. It is terrible to say what is happening on the outskirts of these cities. Fetid fumes swirl in the air and pollute the already terrible air.
Hazardous and non-hazardous waste must not be mixed
The problem of garbage pollution begins with the manufacturer of the product. In production, it is necessary to draw up a waste passport, in which disposal instructions should be clearly stated. Hazardous waste must never be mixed with non-hazardous waste. This kind of mixturethreatens with unpredictable and he alth-threatening consequences. For example, energy-saving light bulbs, beloved by many, must be disposed of as hazardous waste, that is, in a place specialized for this. This type of bulb contains mercury, even a small release into the atmosphere threatens with serious problems for the safety of people and organisms.
Further, the garbage problem is moving towards the citizen and the state. Agree, not every user of a battery or the same light bulb will worry about where he will throw this waste. Garbage is mixed into containers, and then into special machines. This is at best. If the work of organizations that take out garbage is suddenly disrupted, a very noticeable problem arises: the city suffocates in its waste. Remember the picture that takes place on New Year's holidays. The landfills are overflowing, and if it weren't for the fresh, frosty air, it would be easy to suffocate from the smell of rotting food.
Where to start solving the problem
The problem of garbage pollution is often unresolved due to poor collection systems, lack of proper disposal sites or plants, and the companies that do the dirty work. The most effective, but at the same time time-consuming process is the redistribution of garbage for recycling or for use as fertilizer. The method is especially relevant for countries with a developed industry. Some of the garbage, under this policy, is burned in furnaces to generate energy. In addition, the processing of waste material intosuch new products ultimately reduce government production costs and at the same time solve the problem of garbage pollution. For example, the production of paper from recycled paper requires much less energy and water. Thanks to this solution, it becomes possible to solve not only the problem of garbage pollution, but also rid the atmosphere of excess greenhouse gases.
Pollution of the planet's water spaces
The environmental problem of garbage affects not only land, but even the oceans. Plastic waste fills the water space more and more. The area of such a landfill is larger than the area of the United States. The largest accumulation of garbage is seen off the California coast. This is the world's largest pile of household waste weighing about 100 million tons. Garbage floats at a depth of up to 10 m in a wide variety of forms: from toothpicks and bottles to shipwrecks. All the garbage brought by the current forms a kind of water dump. For the first time, an ecological problem in the water area was discovered in 1997. Location - North Pacific Spiral. This accumulation is connected with the circulation of waters, bringing a variety of garbage. According to scientists, such a waste landfill causes the death of about 100,000 birds a year. In addition, when plastic reacts, it releases harmful substances, which then get to the person with the caught fish. The existence of a floating landfill once again reminds us that the problem of garbage has long gone beyond the borders of states and has acquired a global global character.
Russia's "garbage" problem
Unfortunately, the problem of disposal is currently particularly affecting Russia and the former Soviet republics. The approach to garbage collection is much different from European methods. Abroad, it is customary to disassemble garbage in accordance with the type of waste. You will inevitably be fined if you throw metal or plastic into the glass container. This makes recycling much easier. In Russia, recycling ends with the removal of various kinds of waste to a landfill. Huge hundreds of hectares of contaminated land are becoming uninhabitable and exuding harmful odors.
We are very far from solving the problem
It is not clear why measures are not being taken to more rationally dispose of waste. After all, someday, or rather very soon, there will not be enough space on Earth for all the heaps of unprocessed garbage. Instead, there are more and more products made from chemical materials that do not decompose themselves, but when decomposed after hundreds of years, they destroy the environment. Why not stop the production of polymers in the form of banal polyethylene? Previously, they managed with ordinary paper, which decomposed perfectly in natural conditions and did not harm nature.
Did you throw the trash in the bin?
Considering the problem of disposal, it is worth saying that little depends on the average person. For the cleanliness of a city or an entire country, well-organized removal, sorting and processing of garbage is necessary. First of all, there must be production,providing for almost complete processing of unsuitable raw materials. However, don't litter on already polluted streets. Dispose of waste in the right places to contribute your small and possible share to the cleanliness of the environment.
Figure-symbol "The problem of garbage"
Recycling was first started in the UK 200 years ago. Over the past sixty years, the world community has begun to understand the gravity of such a crisis for the planet as a whole. In order to attract the attention of the population to this topical topic, in public places, on packages, on consumer goods there is a symbol "garbage problem". It represents 3 cyclic hands closed in a clockwise triangle. Most often green, sometimes black.
The “garbage problem” symbol was introduced by ecologists in the 70s of the 20th century to designate containers and packaging material that have a long decomposition time in nature, as well as to display the need for industrial waste processing. This sign was invented in 1970 by student Gary Anderson.
A 'garbage problem' graphic on a product can also mean that it is made from recycled waste. Then three arrows closed in a triangle are placed inside the circle. Often such a sign can be seen on paper or cardboard products. Some interpretations of the symbol have been specifically created for various industry groups and are required to be displayed on products.
