HIERARCHY OF WASTE MINIMIZATION

According to wikipedia, the hierarchy of waste

management is a series of five or six options for dealing with
waste. It is a more complex version of the "reduce - reuse -
recycle" green arrowed triangle logo which ranks as how
favourable each option is from an environmental perspective.
However, it tends not to say anything about cost or
practicality.

The standard outline of the hierarchy ranks 6

approaches to waste management. In order (most preferable
to least preferable) these are: prevention, minimisation,
reuse, recycle, energy recovery and disposal.

We will discuss about the most preferred options of the waste hierarchy and will go down towards
the least preferred options. The most preferred options are the options having the best effects on the
environment, which have been described here in the hierarchical format:

Avoidance

This concept focuses on the measures to be taken so as not to create any type of wastes in the first
place. This is given the top priority in the waste management program. According to this principle, the
manufacturing industries should make use of less hazardous materials in the design and manufacturing
of the products. They should develop strategies to have a cleaner and environment friendly production.

Minimize the amount of waste through various means of control. If we avoid the initial use of
resource then we avoid wasting the resource. Don't buy what you don't need. Remember, when you buy
something, you are buying the whole package, wrapping and all. Look for products whose design has
minimised waste by creating a better product or better packaging. Select the products that use the least
hazardous materials.

All items should be re-used to the greatest extent possible through substitution and postponing.
Substitution is when no new materials are needed to fulfill the need. Postponing is when the life of the
goods is extended through good maintenance practices, repair, cleaning and refurbishment. The goods
don't become waste until further down the line.

Avoidance can:

•Save natural resources,

•Conserve energy,

•Reduce pollution,

•Reduce the toxicity of our waste, and

 •Save money for consumers and businesses alike.

Reduction of Wastes

The reduction of wastes or source reduction is the second preferred option of the  waste
management hierarchy. According to this concept, the companies should take action to make changes in
the type of materials that are being used for the production of the specific products, so as to ensure that
the by-products are of the least toxicity.

This approach helps the industries in various ways. In this way, the industries can be able to
effectively save the natural resources.

According to Epa.gov, before an incident occurs, communities can take steps to reduce the amount
and toxicity of incident-generated waste. For example, the community can minimize waste and mitigate
the hazards in their neighborhoods by updating building codes or retrofitting PCB transformers.
Communities can limit the possible spread of contamination by sealing access points to the sewer or
water system with drain covers. The initial planning and preparation efforts communities take to
minimize the amount and toxicity of incident-generated waste have several environmental benefits
(e.g., reducing the amount of new materials needed to rebuild), as well as economic benefits (e.g.,
shortening the recovery timeline).

Reuse

Reuse is another effective Solid waste management strategy, in which the waste is not allowed to
enter into the disposal system. The wastes are collected in the middle of the production phase and are
again fed along with the source to aid in the production process. This process helps in minimizing the
amount of wastes produced as end product, saves the natural resources and reduces the costs
associated with the production and manufacturing.

Reuse refers to materials that can be used again in their original form. These items typically are not
removed from the site. Communities should evaluate their reuse program to ensure it can be scaled up
to handle incident-generated materials, if necessary. To maximize reuse opportunities for different
materials during an incident, a viable reuse infrastructure, such as end markets for salvaged products,
should be in place prior to an incident. In addition, communities should establish and document
guidelines in their pre-incident waste management plans for salvaging and reusing various materials.
Risk communication should be a part of waste-related community outreach plans to help ensure public
acceptance of the salvaged materials.

According to balancesmb.com, reuse is another powerful tact to avoid waste generation. For
example, reusable packaging systems can eliminate the need for disposable packaging, and also provide
better product protection, thus reducing product damage and losses associated with it. More generally
speaking, the creation of more durable goods can be a beneficial approach to waste reduction.

Recycle
 In the recycling strategy, the waste materials are implemented in the production of a new product.
In this process, the waste materials of various forms are collected and then processed. Post processing,
they enter into the production lines to give rise to new products. This process prevents pollution and
saves energy.

Recycling is the process of collecting and processing materials that would otherwise be disposed of
as waste and turning them into new products. Items usually are recycled off-site. However, in some
circumstances, waste can be recycled on-site (e.g., asphalt recycling or breaking up and grinding
concrete on-site for immediate use in backfill). Communities should evaluate their recycling program for
everyday wastes to ensure it can be scaled up to handle incident-related wastes, if necessary. To
maximize recycling opportunities for different waste streams during an incident, a viable recycling
infrastructure, such as recycling facilities and end markets for recycled products, needs to be in place
prior to an incident. For example, green building programs, local waste management ordinances and
building code requirements can encourage the creation and help maintain a robust and functioning
recycling infrastructure. In addition, communities should establish criteria for recycling various waste
streams. Risk communication should be addressed in waste-related community outreach plans to help
ensure public acceptance of recycled products made from incident-related wastes.

Benefits of recycling include:

•Preventing the emission of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants;

•Saving energy;

•Supplying valuable raw materials to industry;

•Creating jobs;

•Stimulating the development of greener technologies;

•Conserving resources for our children's future; and

•Reducing the need for new landfills and combustors.

Energy Recovery

The energy recovery process is also called as waste to energy conversion. In this process, the
wastes that cannot be recycled are being converted into useable forms of energy such as heat, light and
electricity etc. This helps in saving various natural resources. Various processes such as combustion,
anaerobic digestion, landfill gas recovery, pyrolization and gasification are being implemented to carry
out the conversion process.

In Sweden, for example, roughly one-half of solid waste is incinerated to generate electricity.
Pyrolysis is used in such processes as creating clean energy from old tires, as well as in converting scrap
plastic into oil. (Epa.gov, 2017)
 "Energy recovery" is really a euphemism for "burn it". This may seem odd, but waste materials can
be burned down and the energy from it harnessed as electricity. This saves burning oil or coal, although
other oxidised pollutants, namely sulphur-containing products and dioxins produced can cause more
damage. Burning waste in this manner needs to be tightly controlled.

Energy recovery can also be achieved with bio-mass waste. We can either burn it directly, or
compost it to capture methane, which can be burned to produce energy (biogas).

Energy recovery from waste is the conversion of non-recyclable waste materials into useable heat,
electricity, or fuel through a variety of processes, including combustion, gasification, pyrolization,
anaerobic digestion, and landfill gas (LFG) recovery. This process is often called waste-to-energy (WTE).
Converting non-recyclable waste materials into electricity and heat generates a renewable energy
source and reduces carbon emissions by offsetting the need for energy from fossil sources and reduces
methane generation from landfills. After energy is recovered, approximately ten percent of the volume
remains as ash, which is generally sent to a landfill.

Treatment and Disposal

Prior to disposal, treatment can help reduce the volume and toxicity of waste. Treatments can be
physical (e.g., shredding), chemical (e.g., incineration), and biological (e.g., anaerobic
digestor). Landfills are the most common form of waste disposal and are an important component of an
integrated waste management system. Modern landfills are well-engineered facilities located, designed,
operated, and monitored to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. Landfills that accept
municipal solid waste are primarily regulated by state, tribal, and local governments. EPA, however,
established national standards that these landfills must meet in order to stay open. The federal landfill
regulations eliminated the open dumps (disposal facilities that
do not meet federal and state criteria) of the past. Today’s
landfills must meet stringent design, operation, and closure
requirements. Methane gas, a byproduct of decomposing
waste, can be collected and used as fuel to generate electricity.
After a landfill is capped, the land may be used for recreation
sites such as parks, golf courses, and ski slopes.

Even at landfills, there is attention to recovery. Methane

gas, which is generated by decaying organic matter, may be
captured for energy. And after closure, landfills can be capped
and repurposed for other use such as parks or golf courses.

The disposal process holds the last position in the waste management hierarchy. Landfills are the
common form of waste disposal.

THE AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE WASTE HIERARCHY

 The five-stage waste hierarchy, as promulgated by the WFD, deals with more than waste
management issues, in that waste prevention is generally accepted as being outside of the waste
management spectrum, even in the WFD. The concept of waste prevention entails more effective and
efficient resource management in order to avoid the generation of waste. Given this, should waste
prevention even be included as part of the hierarchy? There are arguments to suggest it should,
especially if we were to consider the hierarchy as a broader environmental hierarchy towards more
sustainable resource management — a longer title but one that may be more appropriate.

The waste hierarchy thus makes three different claims, which relate in different ways to
dematerializing the economy.

•Diversion from landfill can only serve dematerialization, as it results in waste being recovered,
recycled, or reused and thereby substitutes virgin inputs.

•Reducing environmental impacts is also the goal of dematerialization, but the waste hierarchy
does not by definition live up to this promise.

•Saving resources by prioritizing recycling, reuse and recovery does not guarantee
dematerialization, as it reduces primary inputs but still allows secondary flows to grow unrestrained.

Benefits of waste management hierarchy:

•Lower the levels of greenhouse gas emissions and pollution

•Promote resource efficiency and cut costs

•Contribute to more sustainable energy consumption

•Stimulate the development of green technologies.

•Boost economy and create new jobs in resource management industry

Sources

Leblanc, R. (2019, November 20). thebalancesmb.com. Retrieved December 9, 2019, from

https://www.thebalancesmb.com/reduce-reuse-and-recycle-the-waste-management-hierarchy-
2878202

Monkbot (September 2019). Waste hierarchy. Retrieved December 9, 2019, from

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_hierarchy