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ECO-FRIENDLY HOME AND INDUSTRIAL WASTE

DISPOSAL/MANAGEMENT

Ngarambe Daniel

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Today, a number of eco-friendly waste disposal methods such as Industrial waste management, pet waste disposal, Recycling of textile, metal, electrical and all other components/materials, Green Buildings/Architecture have been adopted in different continents across the world. It can be noted that the efforts of these methods has evidently been rewarding over the past two decades. Below are some of the eco-friendly waste management/disposal methods used in a number of countries around the world.

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Textile industry is among the most essential consumer goods industry. We all need garments and other textile products such as footwear and bags etc. However, textile industry is also accused of being one of the most polluting industry. Not only production but consumption of textiles also produces waste. To counter the problem, textile industry has taken many measures for reducing its negative contribution towards environment. One of such measures is textile recycling- the reuse as well as reproduction of fibers from textile waste.

1. Textile Recycling

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Majority of textile waste comes from household sources. Average lifetime of any clothing is deemed to be for about 3 years, after which, they are thrown away as old clothes. Sometimes even 'not so worn garments' are also discarded as they become unfashionable, or undesirable. These are post-consumer waste that goes to jumble sales and charitable organizations. Most recovered household textiles coming to these organizations are sold or donated. The remaining ones go to either a textile recovery facility or the landfill.

Sources of Textile waste

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i). The requirement of landfill space is reduced. Textiles lead to many problems in landfill. Synthetic fibers don't decompose. Woolen garments do decompose but produce methane, which contributes to global warming.

ii). Pressure on fresh resources too is reduced.iii). Leads to balance of payments as we buy

fewer materials for our requirements.

Benefits of Textile Recycling

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iv). As fibers get locally available, they don't have to be transported from abroad thus reducing pollution and saving energy.

v). lesser energy is consumed while processing, as items don't need to be re-dyed or scoured.

vi). Waste water reduces as it does not have to be thoroughly washed with large volumes of water as it is done for, say, and raw wool.

Vii). Demand is reduced for textile chemicals like dyes and fixing agents.

Benefits of Textile Recyclingcont.

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Textile recycling like any other form of recycling is an activity that undergoes two major processes as described below;

a). Collection of textile materials to be recycled Most of the people willing for donating their used clothes

prefer door-to-door pickup which is often conducted by nonprofit organizations within or otherwise municipal or county programs. Only few people go out

b). Recycling the textiles. Textile recovery facilities sort out the overly worn or stained

clothing into various categories. Some textiles become wiping cloths and polishing cloths. Cotton can be used for making rags or form a component for new high-quality paper.

How Textile Recycling can be achieved

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Industrialization has been noted as the highest contributors to the increasing levels of carbon emissions to the atmosphere. It was to this call that nations/Governments, NGOs/Non-Profit Organizations, Companies and a few individuals suggested various ways in which industrial waste can be managed to the benefit of the environment and later to the inhabitant of the areas where these Industries operate.

2. Industrial Waste Management

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Most Governments, parastatals and other stake holders in Europe, Asia and America started implementing these policies in the early 20th century and later Africa which has faced mega challenges from prominent intercontinental corporations across the world.

Implementation and enforcement of the Industrial waste Management policy

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Local governments provide counseling, consulting and recommendations to organizations on what they can do to better manage their waste and plan for a more environmentally friendly production processes.

More than ever, Governments have clearly laid consequences to companies that do not take waste management seriously. Part of this includes reducing harmful emissions into the environment over a period of time and correctly disposing of waste materials.

Role played by stake holders in the implementation of the policy

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Governments have setup terms and conditions about what is acceptable in terms of waste management and as a result of this, industries know their impact of manufacturing on smog levels and the escalating cost of managing their waste. More industrial leaders are showing their accountability for the environment.

Governments and other responsible state parastatals for example the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) in Uganda have managed to convince policy makers to increase the amount of taxes various Industrial waste producers have to pay for the disposal of their materials and in particular, need to take caution in the way they dispose of hazardous materials.

Role played by stake holders in the implementation of the policy cont.

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Governments together with many other NGOs have supported the publication of reports that expose some companies especially in Africa and Asia that have been mislabeling their products in fear of the high taxes levied on such products due to their impact on the environment an act that has led to the increasing contamination of the few existing and in most cases these companies have been completely banned from production and their Directors, Managers and other responsible heads jailed to set an example for the rest.

Role played by stake holders in the implementation of the policycont.

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Scooping up after your dog is a normal part of any walk, and cat litter duty is every feline owner’s worst job, but have you ever thought about the cumulative impact of the pet waste from our furry friends? Believe it or not, the combined poop of all cats and dogs in the world totals to about 13 billion tons of waste piled up, flushed, and composted every year. We shall briefly cover the various environmental impacts of pets' waste and how to start disposing of your pets waste with the earth in mind.

3. Pet waste Disposal

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Currently, most cities and towns have embarked on campaigns to encourage pet owners to properly dispose of their pet waste, in most developed countries like the US and UK, some creative cities are finding ways to turn it into an energy source. Now that’s poo power! Dog and cat feaces that are improperly disposed off, on the other hand, create many serious environmental hazards as shortly described below:

Pet waste Disposal cont.

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i). Greenhouse gas emissions: As animal feaces decompose in an anaerobic environment like a landfill, it releases methane gas, a greenhouse gas 21 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. If this gas were harnessed, one ton of animal waste could produce 50 gallons-worth of diesel-equivalent energy which is enough to power a moderate home for two or even more weeks.

ii). Plastic trash: Most of us dispose of our animal feaces in plastic bags - doggie bags for our canines, and litter liners for that cat litter. We know that plastic bag waste is a major problem, but it compounds poop issues - wrapping animal waste in plastic serves to mummify the waste, preserving it until the plastic bag breaks down which can take hundreds of years.

Pet waste Disposal cont.

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iii). Water pollution: While leaving your dog poop in the park may seem perfectly natural, it can actually contribute to water pollution. Many water-borne diseases that harm both humans and wildlife are carried in animal feaces. Toxoplasmosis, for instance, protozoa found in cat feces that can wash into streams, rivers, and oceans through septic systems, sewage pipes, yards, and landfills, can infect birds, rodents, shellfish, and sea otters, causing illness and even death in these creatures. Other harmful bacteria include; Coli, fecal coliform, salmonella, and giardia.

iv). Solid waste: Cat litter really adds up, too - over 200 million tones of clay cat litter is tossed into landfills all over the world every year.

Pet waste Disposal cont.

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i). Don’t leave your poop on the lawn at home or in public spaces

ii). Don’t leave dog poop on concrete surfaces or near sewage or septic systems

iii). Don’t flush your pet waste

The don’ts of Pet waste Disposal

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a). Eco cat litters: Choose an eco-friendly cat litter option that’s biodegradable and free of clay or silica.

b). Biodegradable pet bags: Made from corn and other plant-based plastics that easily break down in commercial composting systems, biodegradable poop bags pose less of a solid waste problem than conventional plastic bags. Some options include Bio Bag Dog Waste Bags, Poop Bags, and Kyjen Pooch Pick-Up Bags, Spike Business Bags.

Eco-friendly pet waste disposal methods

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c). High quality food: If you want to reduce the need for poop bags, scoopers, composters, and other pet waste disposal tools, think seriously about feeding your pet the highest quality pet food possible. This reduces their poop output and makes them healthier in the process.

d). Dog outhouse: Another fun way to contain your dog poop and create a way to handle it in an eco-friendly manner is to make your own doggie outhouse. You choose a designated area, construct a little “outhouse” using gravel, scented mulches, and a house-like structure if you like, and then train your pooch to use the area.

Eco-friendly pet waste disposal methods cont.

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Waste from any animal can contain pathogens that are difficult if not impossible to kill in a compost pile. While composting feces is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, if you plan to use your compost to grow food crops, it is recommended that you compost these materials in a separate compost system.

That said, there are many resources now available for the safe composting of your pet’s waste. For instance, here are some pet waste composters and pet waste digester systems which use enzymes to break down pet poop into benign residue developed specifically to handle your cat or dog feces:

How to Compost your pet waste

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1. Clean Air Gardening Pet Waste Composter2. Doggie Dooley In-Ground Waste Digester Systems

and Pet Waste Toilets3. NatureMill Pet-Friendly Automatic Composter4. Tumbleweed Pet Poo ConverterAnd if you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person, there

are resources online for making your own dog waste composter or doggie toilet. Check out these free guides to DIY poo solutions:

1. City Farmer Pet Waste Composting2. Pet Project DIY Waste Digester

How to Compost your pet wastecont.

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- Refers to a structure and using process that is environmentally responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building's life-cycle i.e. from siting to design, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and demolition. This practice expands and complements the classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort.

4. Green building/construction

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A. Energy Efficiency: Green buildings often include measures to reduce energy consumption – both the embodied energy required to extract, process, transport and install building materials and operating energy to provide services such as heating and power for equipment.

B. Water Efficiency: Reducing water consumption and protecting water quality are key objectives in sustainable building.

Benefits of Green Construction

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C. Material Efficiency: Building materials typically considered to be 'green' include lumber from forests that have been certified to a third-party forest standard, rapidly renewable plant materials like bamboo and straw, insulating concrete forms, dimension stone, recycled stone, recycled metal, and other products that are non-toxic, reusable, renewable, and/or recyclable e.g., Truss, Linoleum, sheep wool, panels made from paper flakes, compressed earth block etc.

D. Waste Reduction: Green architecture also seeks to reduce waste of energy, water and materials used during construction. For example, in California nearly 60% of the state's waste comes from commercial buildings during the construction phase; one goal should be to reduce the amount of material going to landfills. Well-designed buildings also help reduce the amount of waste generated by the occupants as well, by providing on-site solutions such as compost bins to reduce matter going to landfills.

 

Benefits of Green Construction cont.

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