Solid waste

From WikiMD's Wellnesspedia

Solid waste refers to any discarded or abandoned material. Solid wastes can be solid, liquid, semi-solid or containerized gaseous material. In the light of a significant ongoing waste crisis in some parts of the globe, efforts are being made to understand and apply sustainable waste management practices. This includes the study of solid waste management.

Definition[edit | edit source]

Solid waste is defined as any discarded or abandoned material. Solid wastes can be solid, liquid, semi-solid or containerized gaseous material. This includes all discarded household, commercial waste, non-hazardous institutional and industrial waste, street sweepings and construction debris.

Types of Solid Waste[edit | edit source]

Solid waste can be classified into different types depending on their source:

  • Household waste is generally classified as municipal waste,
  • Industrial waste as hazardous waste, and
  • Biomedical waste or hospital waste as infectious waste.

Solid Waste Management[edit | edit source]

Solid waste management is a term that is used to refer to the process of collecting and treating solid wastes. It also offers solutions for recycling items that do not belong to garbage or trash. Solid waste management can be divided into the following components:

  • Waste generation
  • Waste collection
  • Waste transportation and transfer
  • Waste treatment and disposal

Waste Generation[edit | edit source]

Waste generation encompasses activities in which materials are identified as no longer being of value and are either thrown away or gathered together for disposal.

Waste Collection[edit | edit source]

Waste collection is the process of transporting waste from its source to the final disposal site. This includes collection from individual houses, institutions, and commercial establishments.

Waste Transportation and Transfer[edit | edit source]

Waste transportation is the movement of waste from the source or the collection point to a treatment plant, a recycling facility, or a disposal site.

Waste Treatment and Disposal[edit | edit source]

Waste treatment and disposal involves the process of converting waste materials into usable water, energy, or other forms of materials.

See Also[edit | edit source]


Solid waste Resources

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