Waste disposal is a crucial sector in society, as people produce so much trash throughout lifetimes. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), each individual produces around 4.4 pounds of waste in a single day in America. With that translating to over 250 million tons of trash in a year, finding sustainable ways to manage waste has become ever more important to help protect the future of humanity and the planet.
Thankfully, some effective waste disposal solutions are more sustainable. Here are some examples:
Solar-powered compactors
Commercial compactors can significantly reduce the volume of trash produce by various industries, which is why they have become staples in waste management. Their compaction allows reduced hauls and allows more space to be effectively used up, leading to fewer emissions in trips and an increase in recyclability and collection of waste.
In that function alone, these make preserving the environment easier for major waste producers. There are stationary compactors on the market now, however, that run on solar power. This adds another level of sustainability because refuse is compacted using a renewable energy source that is not reliant on traditional power grids. It is a great option for waste disposal systems that want to be even more mindful of their carbon footprint while creating energy savings and lowering operational costs.
For those who may have the idea of the small ones out for public use, there are recycling equipment providers who can integrate the same technology into larger-scale commercial units.
Biological reprocessing
When it comes to managing organic waste made up of food scraps, plants, and paper, one of the most effective methods to do so sustainably is by biological reprocessing. This is a more intensive and massive way to recycle compostable goods.
There are different specific ways to achieve usable results. Biological decomposition reprocesses the waste into mulch that can be used for industrial landscaping and large-scale agriculture. Anaerobic digestion uses microorganisms to take waste gas from biodegradables and turn them into electricity and heat producers. Depending on the systems used, another outcome that can come out of this is fuel and renewable natural gas.
This is a great way to repurpose materials on a bigger scale that may otherwise have gone to the landfill because they can’t be put into the recycling. It even covers major waste-producing industries and can make use of animal manure, industrial wastewater, and oils.
Waste reduction
One of the best management protocols is to reduce the waste produced in the first place. While this also covers making use of reusable products, it also calls on producers to only supply items that will be completely used up throughout their usage. On the end of consumers, this means steering clear of disposable or one-time use products.
On an industrial scale, the application of waste reduction is seen by manufacturers urged to lessen the toxicity of their materials used and pushing for the adoption of recyclable materials even in existing products.
This promotes better waste habits as, quite literally, fewer things are going to waste.
All of these systems are in place today. As more leaders take to them and encourage big and small businesses alike to take part in this change, society can continue to thrive sustainably.
