Chapter 10
Waste Management
By Susan Stempleski
The lesson in this chapter centers on the theme of waste management. The lesson begins with a warm-up activity in which students are introduced to key vocabulary related to the theme. Then students work in small groups and complete a short quiz to assess their background knowledge about the topic of waste management. After completing and discussing the quiz, students read and discuss a list of waste reduction habits. The lesson concludes with a short writing activity in which students list the waste reduction measures they will adopt and/or try to persuade their families to adopt.
People today often discard items that years ago would have been repaired or saved for other uses. In fact, many modern products (e.g., disposable razors and nonrefillable pens) are designed for a relatively short life that ends in a wastebasket.
How to manage waste in an environmentally sound manner is a complex and sometimes controversial issue. There is no single, simple solution to the solid waste problem. The use of a variety of waste management practices is recommended to reduce waste management problems most effectively and safely. There are three levels to the hierarchy of waste management: first, source reduction; second, recycling; and third, combustion and landfill.
Source reduction means reducing the amount and the toxicity of the waste that is produced. Individuals and families can participate in source reduction by buying more products that are durable and nondisposable, and more products that have fewer toxic components and less packaging. Reusing items that we usually throw out is a good way to reduce the waste disposal problem. Manufacturers have a big role to play in source reduction. They should be encouraged to produce products that have less packaging and fewer toxic components.
Recycling is the second level of waste management. Reuse of materials not only saves energy and natural resources, but it prevents potentially useful materials from being buried in landfills or burned in combustors.
Waste combustion and landfills are the third level of waste management. Combustion has two great benefits: it reduces the bulk of waste, and it also produces energy. Source reduction and recycling help to make combustion and landfills safer and more efficient by reducing both the quantity and the toxicity of waste, and by removing recyclable materials that might be difficult to burn or that could cause harmful emissions. Landfills are needed to handle waste that cannot be recycled or safely burned. Also, ash from waste combustion must be sent to specially designed landfills.
Waste reduction, recovery, treatment, and recycling processes are becoming more efficient, but no matter how efficient they become, there will be some amount of waste needing landfills. People can, however, greatly reduce this amount by becoming aware of how they contribute to the solid waste problem and by changing their habits to promote more efficient use and reuse of resources.
