WASTE MANAGEMENT

It is our God-given duty to take care of our environment and keep it clean always. With the increase of environmental hazards like water contamination, air pollution, and climate change, it’s important for us to look for ways to reverse the damage that is being done to our planet. The impact of climate change and global warming is being felt in every country and on every continent but we have a part to play to ensure a habitable planet for everyone.

The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has proclaimed climate change to be the defining challenge of our time. It is a global problem, and yet each of us has the power to make a difference. Even small changes in our lifestyle and behavior can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions which affects the ozone layer while ensuring a good quality of life.

This calls for global responsibility to ensure sustainability and global health by doing our very best to keep our environment clean and green. 

THE  IMPACT OF WASTE RECYCLING ON SUSTAINABILITY AND GLOBAL HEALTH :

• There is a great need for cities and communities to come together in unity in order to devise the means of ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment which will help to guarantee a sustainable future where economies can thrive and peace is fostered across every border. The impacts of climate change are greatly felt on a global scale which in turn affects the economy of the nations of the world.
• Environmentally sound and economically viable management of solid waste is the sole responsibility of legally prescribed ULBs.
• Due to lack of policy and technological interventions, non-cooperation among stakeholders and inefficient collection mechanisms, solid waste management services are inefficiently managed by India’s municipalities. As a result, a large segment of residents is not provided with waste collection services.
• Of the 62 million tonnes of waste generated annually in India only 68 per cent is collected, of which only 28 per cent is treated by municipal corporations.
• Thus, at present, only 19 per cent of the total waste generated in the country is treated and more than 80 per cent is disposed of in an unscientific manner at dumpsites.
• The Waste to Energy Report (2014) estimated that the unattended waste has the potential of generating 439 MW of power (from 32,890 TPD of combustible wastes including refused-derived fuel or RDF), 1.3 million cubic metre of biogas per day or 72 MW of electricity from biogas and 5.4 million metric tonnes of compost annually to support agriculture.
• Through literature and participant observation, It has been discovered there is an urgent need to educate our communities especially in the rural areas in Nigeria about climate change mitigation for sustainable development.
• Proper waste management is one of those climate change mitigation measures which helps to ensure global health. This involves the reduce, recycling and reuse of waste products which is therefore very vital to ensure that our environment is a cleaner and greener place for mankind to live.

INTERESTING WAYS TO RECYCLE YOUR WASTE AT HOME

1. Plastic Water Bottles

Plastic water bottles are the worst enemy one can have indoors. People often dispose of plastic bottles irresponsibly after use and thus harm the environment. With a little use of creativity, plastic bottles can come to good use. For instance, you can cut off the bottom halves of the plastic bottles and plant seedlings in them. These nifty plant-holders are easy to craft and will be a great addition to your garden space.

2. Aluminum Foil

Aluminum foil has various uses in our daily lives and can be real handy at times. However, their disadvantage, like that of unused plastic items, is that they are non-biodegradable. But fret not, there are ways to upcycle and reuse aluminum foil, rather than disposing it off after one use - you can place the foil behind plants in the shade and use the foil as a reflector.

3. Composting

When we buy fruits or vegetables, we often throw away the useless bits without realizing that they can be put to better use. A countertop composter is an easy way to stash away your compostable food scraps for later use in your garden. After all, you're paying for the whole fruit or vegetable, so why not use the inedible parts as well.

4. Build an Eco-brick

Thousands of plastic bottles end up lying in landfills every year as they can only be recycled a finite amount of times. So rather than just throwing them away, you can use them to make nifty eco-bricks. These bricks can be used for making modular furniture, as a decorative item for your garden and a paperweight to name a few.

5. Segregate your wet and dry waste

Don’t just club all your waste together. Make provision for separate wet waste and dry waste disposal. Wet waste is fruit and vegetable peels, teabags and leftover food. Dry waste includes wood, metal, glass and related products. Dry waste usually ends up in landfills, and the wet waste can go back into your compost bin. Segregating waste is important for the environment.

6. Reuse Your Home Delivered Newspaper

If you're one of those people who gets their newspaper delivered regularly then this recycling technique is the best fit for you. Instead of stocking up your old newspapers, you can use them as a packing paper to wrap up your fragile items or gifts. You can also use a newspaper as a cleaning aid by mixing water and a splash of white vinegar to clean your window stains, effortlessly.

7. Replace Singe-use Plastic Item

While single-use plastic items are common in our lives, their frequent usage can also have a negative impact disturbing the ecology surrounding us. For example, a plastic item can take up to 1000 years to decompose. That’s why many countries have taken a pledge to get rid of single-use plastic items once and for all. You too can adopt a healthy practice of replacing plastic items with eco-friendly substitutes. Start off by replacing your plastic toothbrushes with biodegradable toothbrushes, plastic stemmed cotton buds with biodegradable paper stemmed cotton buds and plastic straws with reusable biodegradable bamboo straws to name a few.

This article therefore seeks to draw the attention of policymakers in government, private sectors, non-governmental organizations and interested individuals to the need to seek for innovative ways of educating communities and encouraging recycling for sustainable development and global health. Waste Recycling goes a long way toward enhancing climate change mitigation among other environmental benefits.

It is also important for scientists, scholars, journalists and other passionate individuals to explore the effective methods of bridging the communication gaps through efficient information dissemination, intensive awareness outreach, use of climate change poems and blogs, an innovative grant scheme to waste management firms to help ensure that they are adequately educated and efficient in their task of waste management and recycling for sustainability and to achieve our global health goals.