WASTE DISPOSAL
A BRIEF DIVE INTO THE DUMPSTER
The importance of waste disposal goes way beyond our trash cans. It surely doesn't directly concern us, citizens of an advanced western nation. Nevertheless for the environment, for the wildlife or even for people living in worse conditions than us, it might be a matter of life and death.
MASKS: THE NEW THREAT TO THE ENVIRONMENT
The coronavirus pandemic has not only created a global health crisis but is also becoming a threat to the environment. In the covid era, the mask became essential in the life of everyone. The mask protects us from other people, protects other people from us and protects us from the environment. But who protects the environment?
Several researchers and newspapers report that every minute of the day in the world 3 million non-biodegradable and potentially toxic face masks are thrown away in the environment.
The masks, worn daily, are composed of three elements: "fabric", elastics and a metal bar to be tightened on the nose. The biggest problem is how the masks are disposed of. Since the mask is made up of three different elements, the mask should be broken down and each part should be thrown into the appropriate bin, but this is not possible because the masks could infect other people. In fact, masks and other medical devices must be burned. Nevertheless, all people have to throw them in the bin and not leave them in the environment. Unfortunately, not everyone throws the mask in the trash. Walking around the cities or in the countryside, there are many masks thrown on the ground or close to the bins, but not inside them. Throwing the mask in the trash and not on the ground is a simple action to do, which costs nothing but, at the same time, has a great impact on the environment.
Arianna R.
THE JOURNEY OF OUR WASTE
In this article you are going to read about how our waste is collected and recycled or destroyed.
Paper: The majority of paper is recycled. The recycling process is as follows:
- Collecting paper in the warehouse
- Selecting the different types and mashing them
- Pressing the mash paper and wrapping it in bricks
- Breaking bricks in small pieces
- Removing inch with a chemical treatment
Through these processes you can get raw material to make paper
Plastic: The recycling process is as follows:
- Collecting plastic in the warehouse
- Selecting the containers by color and by plastic type
- Cleaning the plastic containers
- Destroying them in small parts. You can generate new plastic materials using these small parts.
Glass: The recycling process is as follows:
- Collecting glass in the warehouse
- Removing the non-glass material
- Breaking glass in little parties
- Melting glass and making new objects
Food waste: The recycling process is as follows:
- Collecting the food waste into the composting area
- Using this compost for the topsoil
Non-recyclable waste: Some of these wastes become energy to produce electricity and heat. Others go to the landfill.
Sofia R.
JIANGCUNGOU LANDFILL: A DISCOURAGING STEP BACK ON WASTE DISPOSAL
Jiangcungou rubbish dump is situated in Xi’an, China, and it is sorrowfully known for being one of the biggest and most polluted landfills in the world. It was constructed in 1994 and was designed to be used for over fifty years, until 2044, but its designers' expectations were quickly discouraged when in 2019 it reached its full capacity. This landfill covers 170 acres or 700,000m² and is 490 feet or 150m deep in the ground, which means it could hold 49 million m³ of waste. Furthermore, designers predicted the dump would have received 2500 tonnes of waste per day, while it actually saw the deposition of 10,000 tonnes daily, which led to the reaching of its capacity 25 years in advance. But what to do with all this waste? It is sad to explain: full landfills cannot be used anymore, therefore, they are abandoned and become the major cause of soil and aquifers pollution. As a matter of fact, waste can sometimes emit gaseous mercury or can solve in water and contaminate it. So, what to do with such a big and useless dump? The Jiangcungou landfill is going to be converted into an ecological park: China’s Government is working on a national plan with the aim to use other waste disposal methods, especially incineration, in order to reduce the number of dumps in the country, which counts 654 landfills and 286 incineration plants. But we must acknowledge the fact that China used to collect waste from other countries, becoming the United States, Japan and Europe’s dump: in 2017, it imported 34 million tonnes of rubbish from them, until the Government banned the importation of 24 types of foreign garbage and implemented mandatory sorting of household waste, especially in Xi’an. Are these restrictions ever going to be enough to improve the horrific consequences our environment is facing?
Sara G.
