Monday, February 20, 2017

Basics Relating To Waste Disposal Houston TX Residents Should Know

By Brenda Cox


The amount of waste that is produced by the United Sates is estimated to be at about 220 million tons annually. This is the highest amount by any country and as such its disposal presents a major challenge both for the private citizen and the government. There are a wide range of methods that have been developed to deal with the problem. If planning to undertake waste disposal Houston TX residents need to be aware of a number of things beforehand.

Some of the commonly used options include source reduction, landfills, fermentation, recycling, reuse, land application among others. Landfills take up most of the trash not just in the United States but in many other countries as well. It has become a custom to take the trash through special treatment processes before eventually disposing of it. The role of these process is to reduce the environmental impact.

The use landfills has reduced significantly in the last few decades. One of the reasons as to why this is the case is the advent of more environment friendly options. Among the unwanted effects of land-filling is the production of greenhouse gases such as methane. Landfills are also known to pollute water sources and agricultural land hence are banned or highly regulated in some areas.

Incineration (combustion) is also a fairly widespread practice when it comes to the disposal of various types of waste. This may be done at household level or at a larger scale (municipal). Ensure that you are familiar with by-laws of your local authority before getting rid of refuse in this manner the idea is to burn the materials ta very high temperatures and to convert them to residue and gases.

Recovery and recycling are arguably the safest methods and also the most ecofriendly. Recovery is where various items that have been marked for disposal are picked from a heap of garbage and put into other use. The items may also be used as a source of energy in the form of fuel, electricity and heat. Recycling is the process of turning refuse into newer products.

Plasma gasification is the use of electrically charged gases in converting refuse from one state of matter to another. Commonly the solid and liquid refuse is changed from its state to a gaseous state known as syngas. Syngas is a source of renewable energy. The main disadvantage of this method is that the necessary technology cannot be used at household level.

Composting is another simple option that can be used by anyone. In this method, the waste is subjected to a natural bio-degradation process. This means that the waste must be biodegradable. Examples of refuse that falls in this category include plant remains, animal excreta and kitchen waste among others. Composting is mainly used to provide a source of organic fertilizer and not necessarily as a disposal option.

Reduction of wastage remains the most effective way of controlling refuse. Ensure that old items are repaired and reused instead of rushing to acquire new ones straight away. There is a need to drastically cut down on disposable items like plastic bags and opt for those that can be used over and over. It is important to engage the services of an expert when handling biomedical waste and other hazardous materials.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment