Waste management systems deal with waste materials through techniques like collection, transport, recycling, disposal, or treatment. Waste types include human, industrial, hazardous, and biodegradable waste. Waste management systems vary by social, cultural, and technological norms, and can be preventive or reactive. Hazardous waste requires specific waste management systems based on potential hazards.
A waste management system typically refers to a specific technique, strategy or device used to deal with waste materials. This may include the collection, transport, recycling, disposal or treatment of waste. The use of waste management systems varies according to both the types of waste material to be treated and the purposes of the treatment itself. In general, waste management systems attempt to reduce waste for reasons such as threats to public health, environmental concerns, or the overall look of a place.
The term waste generally refers to unwanted or unusable material that is deliberately discarded by its users. Classifications of different types of waste include human waste, industrial waste, hazardous waste or biodegradable waste. Specific definitions of waste have been turned into law by organizations such as the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU), in order to effectively classify waste and minimize the environmental, social or economic negatives that negligence in waste management of waste can cause.
Waste management systems vary according to social, cultural and technological norms. In industrialized countries, there are generally standard waste treatment strategies. Waste management systems such as landfills attempt to bury waste underground or separate waste within the confines of an enclosed area. Incineration burns waste material using high temperatures and can also be used to convert burnt waste into usable energy sources.
Recycling is a common waste management strategy. It can be used for both environmental and social benefits. A recycling waste management system can be as simple as specially marked containers for the disposal of recyclables. These colorful containers are commonly found in most western countries.
A waste management system can also be designed as a strategy to avoid or reduce waste. These types of systems are preventive and aim to control waste generation. Legal restrictions can limit the industrial production of waste by factories. Introducing environmentally beneficial behavior into the public consciousness in order to produce a greener world is also an example of a waste management system, such as the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle”.
Hazardous wastes require their own specific waste management systems based on the potential public health and environmental hazards they may cause. These waste management systems are related to the type of hazardous waste handled. They incorporate concepts such as incinerators or recycling for cleaning.
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