The Different Waste Management Concepts Used To Curb The Various Kinds Of Pollution
Waste management is the collection, transportation, processing, recycling or disposal, and monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human activity, and is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or aesthetics. Waste management is also carried out to recover resources from it. Waste management can involve solid,liquid, gaseous or radioactive substances, with different methods and fields of expertise for each.
Waste management concepts :
There are a number of concepts about waste management which vary in their usage between countries or regions. Some of the most general, widely used concepts include:
Waste hierarchy: The waste hierarchy concept refers to the "3 Rs" reduce, reuse and recycle, which classify waste management strategies according to their desirability in terms of waste.
Minimization: Refers to the processes intended to reduce the amount of waste produced. The aim of minimization is to extract the maximum practical benefits from products and to generate the minimum amount of waste.
Extended producer responsibility : Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is a strategy designed to promote the integration of all costs associated with products throughout their life cycle (including end of life disposal costs) into the market price of the product. Extended producer responsibility is meant to impose accountability over the entire life cycle of products and packaging.
Introduced to the market: This means that firms which manufacture, import and/or sell products are required to be responsible for the products after their useful life as well as during manufacture.
Polluter pays principle: The Polluter Pays Principle is a principle where the polluting party pays for the impact caused to the environment. With respect to waste management, this generally refers to the requirement for a waste generator to pay for appropriate disposal of the waste.