Solid Waste Mismanagement Is a Major Economic and Health Liability

Cheap use and throw plastics have replaced traditional glassware, paper bags, and metal utensils.

- DR P.S. VENKATESH RAO

Single-use plastic bags, containers, straws, cups, cutlery, etc., litter our entire landscape, water bodies, and seas. Burning garbage heaps produces obnoxious, pungent, toxic gases and smoke that damages our lungs and internal organs. Left exposed to weathering, these plastics fragment into harmful fine microplastics. Microplastics are now present in the air, water, food, and even in our lungs, blood, body, and brain. Avoiding plastic water bottles and food containers, especially for salty and acidic foods, can block a major source of microplastics. We should adopt the 5Rs of waste management sincerely: Refuse single-use plastics; Reduce waste production and resource utilization; Reuse by substituting disposables with reusable items; Repurpose useless items into something useful; Recycle used materials into useful new goods.

Cardboard boxes and aluminum foils should be cleaned of all food particles and dried before sending for recycling.

BUILD, DEMOLISH, AND DUMP: Debris from construction sites and demolished buildings are often dumped recklessly on vacant lands, abandoned open mines, dried lakes, and river beds. Broken and defective ceramic tiles and other construction waste materials can be crushed and used as a replacement for traditional aggregates or cement in concrete, or as a precursor for building blocks, or geopolymers (alkaline-activated materials AAMs), an alternative to Portland cement. Co-processing in a cement kiln uses solid waste, used tires, sewage sludge, waste oils, and construction and demolition waste as fuel. The ash and mineral residue form part of the cement clinker. Silicon carbide from ceramic polishing waste can be used as a foaming agent to produce foam ceramics.

Preventing hazardous material content will ensure less environmental exposure and safe recycling of construction materials. Some hazardous construction materials like asbestos, PCBs in joints, seals, and thermal insulated windows have been phased out.