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Lesson 4: Solid Waste Collection and Disposal
Outcomes:
- Describe solid waste collection and disposal
- Identify best practices in solid waste management
- Discuss current community waste management functions and how to implement sustainable practices
Solid Waste Collection and Disposal
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Waste encompasses both non-hazardous and hazardous materials that are discarded, later handled at recycling centres or disposal sites. Specifically, “solid waste” denotes recyclables, organic content (like food scraps), and trash from residential and non-residential origins – the latter including sectors like industry, commerce, institutions, construction, renovation, and demolition.
Historically, dumps were cost-effective and straightforward. Trucks would offload waste at designated areas. Often, the accumulated waste was burned to extend the dumpsite’s lifespan. Issues like pests, odor, air pollution, and the risk from open fires led to seeking alternatives for waste disposal. While larger cities chose incineration, smaller ones, due to budget constraints, chose landfills. The term ‘sanitary landfill’ originated post World War II, denoting the disposal method of burying waste ammunition. Unlike open dumps that merely act as waste deposit sites, sanitary landfills are structured systems meeting specific standards. The method involves refuse compaction in a lined area, followed by its covering with soil.
Effective Solid Waste Management
Promoting recycling and composting can mitigate the environmental impact of solid waste. Most trash currently gets dumped in landfills or is incinerated, which can lead to air pollution, land degradation, and water contamination. Moreover, procuring and processing fresh resources to substitute discarded waste intensifies the pollution.
Modern Community Waste Management and Eco-Friendly Approaches
In Canada, waste management and reduction responsibilities are distributed among federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal authorities. Local government and private entities handle collection, diversion, and disposal. Provincial and territorial bodies dictate waste reduction strategies and supervise waste facilities. The federal domain oversees hazardous recyclables and waste movement, while also identifying eco-friendly waste management methods.
With Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan for 2020-2030 anticipating substantial population and employment growth, it underscores the need for strategic solid waste management to prevent overwhelming landfills and environmental pollution.
On January 23, 2020, the Saskatchewan Government introduced the Solid Waste Management Strategy. This plan envisions a holistic, sustainable waste management system, emphasizing waste reduction, reuse, recycling, and composting. The strategy, influenced by public feedback from 2017 and the Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee, targets waste reduction to 589 kg/person by 2030 and 421 kg/person by 2040.
The strategy lists six primary goals:
- Improve knowledge about waste management best practices.
- Advocate for regional cooperation to enhance waste management affordability.
- Offer a comprehensive regulatory framework for waste management.
- Bolster waste diversion.
- Champion innovative, eco-friendly waste solutions.
- Exhibit governmental leadership in waste management.
The government will report on the strategy’s progression yearly and will reassess the strategy every five years to ensure alignment with Saskatchewan’s waste reduction objectives.
Journal Question:
Using the forum labelled “Course 4: Chapter 1” make a journal entry responding to the prompt below. Ensure that you title the entry “Lesson 1”. After writing a journal entry, go and make a comment on two other posts from your classmates. It can be about anything you noticed, liked, agreed with etc. The idea is to continue the dialogue about the topic.
Prompt: Think about the challenges faced by any province or state when it comes to waste management. Why is it vital to have a strategy in place?
*View the journal entry and journal comment rubric to see how they will be marked
Criteria |
Exemplary (4)
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Accomplished (3)
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Developing (2)
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Beginning (1)
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Purpose |
Strong voice and tone that clearly addresses the purpose for writing.
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Appropriate voice and tone. The purpose is largely clear.
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Attempts to use personal voice and tone. Somewhat addresses the intended purpose.
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Demonstrates limited awareness of use of voice and tone. Limited evidence of intended purpose.
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Understanding |
Many interesting, specific facts and ideas are included.
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Many facts and ideas are included.
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Some facts and ideas are included.
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Few facts and ideas are included.
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Conventions |
All grammar and spelling is correct.
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Only one or two grammar and spelling errors.
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A few grammar and spelling errors.
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Many grammar and spelling errors.
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Reply |
Made two significant contributions to the online forum. Highly supportive of others.
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Made one contribution to the online forum. Supported group members.
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Attempted to contribute to online forum but was vague and unclear in the writing.
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Minimally involved. Offered limited support to online group members.
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Works Cited:
Canada, E. and C. C. (2022, January 26). Government of Canada. Canada.ca. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-indicators/solid-waste-diversion-disposal.html
Solid Waste Management Strategy . Government of Saskatchewan. (n.d.). https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/environment-public-health-and-safety/saskatchewan-waste-management/solid-waste-management-strategy
Jain, R., Urban, L., Balbach, H., & Webb, M. D. (2012). Chapter Two – Environmental Laws and Regulations. In R. Jain, L. Urban, H. Balbach, & M. D. Webb (Eds.), Handbook of Environmental Engineering Assessment (pp. 19-65). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 9780123884442. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-388444-2.00002-6.