Solid Waste free essay sample

Waste in Malaysia What is solid waste? Solid waste can be defined as the useless and unwanted products in the solid state derived from the activities of and discarded by society. Solid waste is one of the three major environmental problems in Malaysia. It is estimated by the Global environment centre that over 23,000 tonnes of waste is produced each day in Malaysia. This amount is expected to rise to 30,000 tonnes by the year 2020. The amount of waste generated continues to increase due to the increasing population and development, and only less than 5% of the waste is being recycled. Poor waste management in Malaysia The standards of waste management in Malaysia are still poor. This poor waste management includes outdated and poor documentation of waste generation rates and its composition, inefficient storage and collection systems, disposal of municipal wastes with toxic and hazardous waste, indiscriminate disposal or dumping of wastes and inefficient utilization of disposal site space. We will write a custom essay sample on Solid Waste or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Furthermore, the lack of awareness and knowledge among Malaysian community about solid waste management (SWM) issues, and being ignorant about the effect that improper SWM has to us has definitely worsened the problem. Effects of improper solid waste management River is a finite and only source of water. In Malaysia, there are almost 1800 rivers. Currently, more than half of these rivers have been polluted and destroyed. Improper solid waste management contributes greatly to river pollution. Improper solid waste management (SWM) also contributes to climate change, Decomposing waste produces methane and production of new products to meet demand emits greenhouse gases and utilizes natural resources. Besides that, solid waste affects climate change through landfill methane emission. The source of manmade methane gas is from the landfills themselves, which happens when organic waste is left to decay. What we as a student can do to curb solid waste pollution Energy Saving method In order to handle the solid waste pollution in Malaysia, citizens should reduce energy usage and wastage. Coming up with energy saving tips is one good solution. Energy-efficient lighting, air-conditioning, refrigeration and mode of transportation represented the majority of the energy saving methods which most Malaysian can adopt. To implement this we have to educate and create awareness among all group of people to get their support and co-operation. Energy saving can also be carried out in small scales and in our everyday daily routine. Recycling Recycling is the process of collecting materials that are often considered trash and remanufacturing them into new products that can be resold and used again. It is made possible by people who separate the recyclable products from their trash and send the items to a recycling center where the products are reprocessed into new items. Recycling can also include reusing products for different purposes in your own home instead of throwing them away, such as using an old coffee can as a planter or a milk carton as a bird feeder. Recycling is a beneficial act because it can keep 70 tons of waste from being deposited into landfills every year