The Issues We Face on Waste Today

Solid waste is considered garbage produced in our homes, offices, and industrial companies. The production of solid waste and its toxicity is increasing. Most of the products we buy from the market contain harmful chemicals, and when these products are combined with other chemical products, your health and our environment are at risk. There are different waste facilities for every nation including incinerators and landfills.

Humans Contribute Too Much Waste

The human race is responsible for more than 30% of the world’s generated waste. Just imagine how much household garbage you throw out every day. You tend to throw out trash of different kinds each day. It is in the form of paper (white paper, magazines, tissues), plastic (food container, bag of chips, medicine bottles), glass (food jars, beer bottles), food (vegetable peels, leftovers), and so much more - it is for certain that you can still think of a lot more examples.

In addition to the solid waste coming from your home, there are also pieces of trash lying out on the streets; those that come from the commercial sector such as restaurants, hospitals, and shops; the industrial companies, manufacturers, and the agricultural sector.

In the United States, about 220 billion tons of garbage per year is being produced as reported by the Environmental Protection Agency. While statistics for the entire planet are not readily available, just consider that the U.S. comprises 4% of the world population – that will simply tell you that it is a LOT.

The Toxic Nature of Waste

Government regulations on the chemical industry are not that stringent, which results to the manufacture of products that may contain harmful, untested chemicals. These products are consumed and eventually thrown away. There are still chemicals known to be harmful (such as BPA in plastic toys) that are still used due to poor regulation. The toxic nature of waste intensifies the problem and people do not really have a clear solution for the problem.

Packaging is definitely a serious contributor of solid waste and that a huge percentage of waste products come from packaging, which is made of plastic. Plastic does not biodegrade and it does not disappear even for centuries – and that will seriously wreak havoc in our environment. Imagine the lifespan of a plastic material and the fact that a lot of trashes thrown away are made of plastic – it is definitely concerning.

How Garbage Pollution Affects the Environment

Garbage pollution affects the environment in many ways. For one, the chemicals that are present in the waste are harmful to the environment and all living species. Garbage pollution is also a source of bacterial diseases. Uncontrolled trash problem can also radiate into something more serious like having the garbage find their way into rivers and streams, polluting the waterways and harming aquatic life.

The long-term effects brought about by trash problem are not easily reversible especially when chemicals are involved. While there are several campaigns and projects that aim to solve trash problems, it still helps if you make small contributions to prevent the problem from becoming worse.