Disposing Garbage

The world’s population has tremendously increased in the recent past. As a result of the ever-growing economies, more waste is being produced than ever before. For instance, the amount of wastes produced per day is very high necessitating immediate actions to remedy the situation. Different countries dispose of their wastes differently as seen bellow.

Some of the wastes that get into the environment are incinerated. The process of incineration involves converting the wastes into ash and flue gas. Flue gas as a by-product of incineration is cleaned of any pollutants before they are released into the atmosphere (Lohuizen 2). The heat produced during incineration is used for the production of electric power. This method is very substantial as it reduces the number of wastes in the environment and solid waste incinerators reduce pollution compared to landfills. Besides, the method saves on transport costs. However, the method pollutes the environment due to the smoke produced during combustion.

Most of the wastes released to the environment in places such as Africa and Asia end up in dumps and landfills. The disposed wastes pose a great threat to the health of human beings. For instance, direct handling of solid wastes leads to various types of infectious diseases and especially to the waste pickers (Lohuizen 7). These wastes also find their way to water bodies such as rivers and oceans where they pollute the water and interfere with marine life. Besides, wastes in the environment block drainage systems which cause flooding and especially during the rainy season.

To reduce the number of wastes in the environment, wastes are recycled. The recycled materials are converted into valuable goods such as newspapers, soft drink containers, and steel cans. As a result of recycling, pollution is minimized as the recycled materials are reused (Lohuizen 5). Also, reusing reduces global warming as combustion of wastes which leads to the emission of greenhouse gases which cause global warming is avoided.

In conclusion, as a result of increased population and economic growth in the world, the amount of wastes released to the environment has increased. Different countries have come up with different ways of dealing with these wastes to prevent and minimize environmental pollution. For instance, wastes are incinerated, recycled and deposited in dumps and landfills. Although efforts have been made to prevent pollution, more should be adopted to make the environment a better place for human existence.

Works Cited

Lohuizen, Kadir Van. “The world produces more than 3.5 million tons of garbage a day — and that figure is growing.” The Washington Post (2017): 1-35.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER

Disposing Garbage

Paper details
If you get a message on the Washington Post website saying you need to pay to access the article, you DO
NOT need to pay. You have several options:
1. Try accessing the article with a different web browser
2. The article is available through the CSUDH Library website. Search terms “Washington Post”, “Drowning in
Garbage”, ” Kadir van Lohuizen ”
3. Google the author’s name ” Kadir van Lohuizen ” https://www.noorimages.com/lok-wasteland
What happens after you throw something “away”?
You will need to access The Washington Post interactive article to answer the questions. Read the text, and
view the video and short embedded videos, to answer the questions. The article can be found here:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2017/world/global-waste/