The modern world does not stand still. Every year, production volumes increase, population growth and urban expansion continue. Along with this, the problem of waste disposal has come to a head. On land, special landfills for waste are present in limited quantities. At the same time, the volumes arriving at them exceed their capacity, so the garbage mountains increase every day. Unprocessed heaps of waste negatively affect the ecological state of the planet. That is why there was a need to create high-quality waste recycling plants. At these facilities it is necessary to apply only modern methods of waste processing and disposal. It is worth noting that the trash generated by mankind belongs to various danger groups. In order for waste processing to be effective, for each individual type it is necessary to choose its own recycling method. But first their sorting is required.
Household waste
This number includes product residues associated with the life of people. It can be plastic, paper, food and other similar wastes that have been thrown from institutions and houses of the population. The garbage we are used to getting rid of is found at every step. A fifth and fourth degree of danger is attributed to many refuse.
Recycling of household waste from plastic should not do without mechanical impact, i.e., grinding. Further, they are necessarily treated with chemical solutions. Often after this procedure, new polymeric substances are made, which are used a second time to create new products. Household waste such as paper or food waste can be composted and subsequently decomposed. Subsequently, the resulting composition is suitable for use in agricultural business.
Biological decay
Biological species in nature are humans and animals. These two groups also generate large amounts of waste. A lot of such litter comes from veterinary clinics, sanitary organizations, catering establishments and similar enterprises. Processing of biological waste is reduced to its burning. Substances of liquid consistency are transported by special transport. Incineration is also applied to organic waste.
Industrial waste
This type of waste is generated as a result of the functioning of production and technological activities. This includes all construction waste. It appears in the process of installation, facing, finishing and other works. For example, this category of garbage includes paint and varnish residues, heat-insulating substances, wood and other industrial “trash”. Recycling of industrial waste often involves incineration. Wood residues are suitable for a certain amount of energy.
Radioactive waste
Such waste includes solutions and gases that are not suitable for use. First of all, these are biological materials and objects containing large amounts of radioactive components (above the permissible norm). The degree of danger depends on the level of radiation in such waste. Such garbage is disposed of by burial, some are simply burned. A similar processing method applies to the next group of activity residues.
Medical waste
This list contains all substances that are produced by medical facilities. About 80% of the waste is ordinary household waste. He is harmless. But the remaining 20% are capable of causing harm to health in one way or another. In Russia, the disposal and processing of radioactive and medical waste has many prohibitions and conventions. Also, the country carefully spells out the necessary conditions for the treatment of this group of garbage, methods for their burial or incineration. Special burial grounds were created for liquid and solid radioactive components. If you need to get rid of medical debris, they put it in special bags and set it on fire. But this method, unfortunately, is also unsafe, especially if the drugs belong to the first or second group of danger.
Division into classes
All waste is divided according to its state of aggregation. So, they are solid, liquid or gaseous. In addition, all trash is classified according to hazard level. There are four classes in total. The garbage belonging to the first degree of danger carries the strongest threat to the planet and living organisms, including humans. This waste can spoil the ecological system, which will lead to disaster. These include the following substances: mercury, polonium, lead salts, plutonium, etc.
The second class includes residues that can cause environmental failure, which cannot recover over a long period (about 30 years). These are chlorine, various phosphates, arsenic, selenium and other substances. The third group of hazards includes those wastes after which the system can recover in ten years. But only if the garbage will no longer affect the infected object. Among them, chromium, zinc, ethyl alcohol and so on are distinguished.
Low-hazardous waste - sulfates, chlorides and simazine - is assigned the fourth class. But this does not mean that they practically do not affect humans and the ecosystem. If the source is eliminated, the organism or nature will be able to recover only after three years. There is fifth grade trash. This means that the waste is completely safe for the environment.
The importance of recycling
There are several reasons why proper waste management is necessary:
- Once in the environment, most substances and materials turn into pollutants (it is worth considering that our planet is already suffocating every day from the emissions of cars and factories).
- Many resources from which these or those materials are created are exhausted. Their stocks are too limited, so the output is recycling.
- In some cases, objects that have fulfilled their purpose, are a source of substances. Moreover, they are cheaper than natural materials.
More about disposal
Recycling is the change of waste materials to the complete disappearance or modification of the structure so that it is not possible to reuse them. But this word may have a different meaning. For example, it is often used in a figurative meaning.
Today, a large amount of waste is reused for various purposes. All garbage that is disposed of today is divided into two main groups:
- Municipal solid waste (glass, paper, plastic, food waste).
- Industrial waste (biological, medical, radioactive, construction waste, as well as the garbage of the transport complex).
Disposal can be made in one of several ways, which are also divided into groups. For example, the main methods include heat treatment, composting, which is a natural decomposition method, and landfill at special landfills. Some of these waste recycling methods provide recycled materials.
Secondary materials
Usually, all waste that remains after production and human activity is called “recyclable material”. But this idea is not entirely true.The fact is that not all garbage should be reused or sent to other needs. There is also such a group of garbage that is used a second time only as an energy source (after special treatment), and therefore also does not belong to secondary raw materials. Those substances that produce energy after processing are called "secondary energy raw materials."
This group can include only those materials that, after a certain impact, may become suitable in the national economy. A good example is a can of canned food. It can no longer be used for food storage, but after remelting a new food container or other metal objects are made from it. It becomes obvious: secondary raw materials are objects that, after their intended use, are resources that are useful for further use. To receive a new product or raw material, waste recycling is necessary. Today, several methods are used for this, which are described below.
Natural processing
Back in the 20th century, in most cases, household waste was recycled by composting. Garbage, in particular organic waste, was dumped into specially dug pits and sprinkled with earth. Over time, the waste decomposed, decayed, and was used as fertilizer in agriculture. But relatively recently, this method has been slightly modified. Scientists have developed pressurized plants for heating composted waste. Organic residues in this case begin to decompose more quickly, which results in the formation of methane, which is biogas. It was he who began to be used to create biofuels.
Specialized companies have emerged that are building mobile waste recycling stations. They are used in small towns or in farming. It was estimated that such large-sized stations, designed for cities, to maintain unprofitable. To get a decaying product, you need a lot of time, and the resulting fertilizer still remains unused, and they also need to be disposed of somehow. In addition, there are other garbage that has nowhere to go, so they will accumulate. For example, it is plastic, construction residues, polyethylene and so on. And it is economically unprofitable for the authorities to create a specialized plant where solid domestic waste would be processed.
Thermal disposal
Thermal processing refers to the incineration of solid household waste. The process is used to reduce the amount of organic substances and their neutralization. Further, the resulting residues are buried or disposed of. After burning, garbage is significantly reduced in volume, all bacteria are exterminated, and the resulting energy can generate electricity or heat water for the heating system. Such plants are usually arranged near large city landfills, so that the processing of solid waste takes place by conveyor. Nearby there are landfills intended for the disposal of recycled residues.
It can be noted that waste incineration is divided into direct and pyrolysis. In the first method, only thermal energy can be obtained. At the same time, pyrolysis burning creates the opportunity to produce liquid and gas fuels. But regardless of the method of thermal utilization, harmful substances are released into the atmosphere during combustion. It harms our ecology. Some install filters. Their goal is to trap solids. But as practice shows, even they are not able to stop pollution.
If we talk about the technology for processing medical waste, Russia has already installed several special furnaces. They are equipped with gas purification devices. In addition, microwave and steam thermal treatments and autoclaving appeared in the country.All these are alternative methods of burning medical and other suitable garbage. Residues containing mercury are treated by special thermochemical or hydrometallurgical methods.
Plasma Disposal
This method is currently the most advanced method of disposal. Its action takes place in two stages:
- The waste is crushed and squeezed under a press. If necessary, the garbage is dried to achieve a granular structure.
- The resulting substances are sent to the reactor. There, the plasma stream transfers so much energy to them that they acquire a gaseous state.
Avoid fire by using a special oxidizing agent. The resulting gas is similar in composition to ordinary natural gas, but it contains less energy. The finished product is corked in a container and sent for later use. Such gas is suitable for turbines, boilers, diesel generators.
Such processing of industrial waste and household waste has been used for some time in Canada and the United States. In these countries, the remnants of human activity are effectively disposed of, and the final product is used for the good as fuel. In the West, they are already preparing to introduce this technology on an even larger scale. But since such equipment is quite expensive, it cannot be purchased by CIS countries.
Is it possible to solve the problem of waste disposal?
Of course, for the processing of solid waste and hazardous garbage to take place at the highest level, a lot of financial investments are required. Also, political circles should be interested in this. But at the moment, we have to do with outdated recycling equipment. According to the authorities, existing plants are coping with the problem, so there is no need to reconstruct and refit them. The impetus for this can only be an environmental disaster.
Although the problem is widespread, it is still possible to solve or reduce its size. The situation requires an integrated approach on the part of society and the authorities. Well, if everyone thinks about what he personally can do. The simplest thing a person can do is start sorting the garbage that he generates. After all, the one who throws the waste knows where he has plastic, paper, glass or food. If it becomes a habit to sort the remains of life, then such garbage will become easier and faster to recycle.
A person needs to be regularly reminded of the importance of proper waste disposal, sorting and respect for the natural resources that he owns. If the authorities do not take measures, conduct motivational campaigns, simple enthusiasm will not be enough. Therefore, the problem of waste disposal will remain in our country at the "primitive" level.
