Waste Management Lesson 3

Learning Goals In this activity you will: Learn the process, benefits, and types of composting; Study the importance of reduce, recycle, reuse, and recover; Obtain tips on how to reduce wastes; Reflect on your consumption habit, the amount of waste you generate, and the ways that you can do to reduce the waste; Conduct a survey on how people manage their waste;

Waste Management Waste Disposal: Proper disposition of a discarded or discharged material in accordance with local environmental guidelines or laws. Waste Diversion: prevention and reduction of generated waste through source reduction, recycling, reuse, or composting Waste Generation: Quantity of materials or products that enter a waste stream before composting, incinerating, landfilling, or recycling

Most garbage in Canada is disposed in landfill or dump sites Toxins seep through the soil and spread to the water system resulting in water pollution Organic waste in landfills generate methane which causes climate change

Composting Composting is a natural process where micro-organisms transform waste materials into soil-like product called humus Composting involves organic materials like kitchen scraps, paper, leaves, yard waste, crop waste and animal refuse. The process is comprised of 4 main elements: micro- organisms, organic materials, water, and oxygen Temperature regulates the speed of the process. The higher the temperature, the faster the composting will be.

Did you know? Organic wastes make up almost a third of our total garbage! 38% of Canada's total methane emissions come from landfill sites. Some chic restaurants are using worm bins to eliminate their garbage and provide free compost for their locally grown garden vegetables!

Benefits of Composting Reduction of waste to landfills and less methane Reduces the amount of waste going to landfills. The reduction in organic waste decreases the production of methane, a greenhouse gas.

Benefits to Composting Returning carbon to non-living environment Composting helps to bring back carbon to the non- living environment by decomposing plant and animal matter. Carbon is a crucial element of all living things. It exists as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, oceans, and in fossil fuels. Through composting, organisms break down dead plant and animal matter, returning carbon to the non-living environment.

Benefits of Composting Production of fertile soil Composting produces fertile soil for your gardens and yard. It replenishes the top soils that are lost from agricultural land. However, do not use composted humus as potting soil, as it may burn your plants. You have to mix it with peat moss or soil.

Types of Composting Small scale As an individual, you can compost the food and yard wastes in a container through "wormy composting". All kitchen scraps like vegetables and fruits and their peelings, tea bags, egg shells and yard wastes such as plant trimmings, wood shavings, and leaves can be put in the compost container."wormy composting"

Mid scale Mid scale composting applies to an on-site collection of organic waste especially in an apartment building, hospital, and office building. The advantage is that you do not need to transport the waste to composting sites.

Large scale Large scale composting, like centralized composting, involves the collection and transportation of wastes to a special facility where they will be prepared and processed into compost. Organic waste from restaurants, shopping malls, residential areas, or food manufacturers will be picked up and processed in the facility. The municipal government operates and promotes this type of composting.

The Four Rs (Reduce, Recycle, Reuse, Recover) Reduce Decrease the use of non- environmental friendly materials. Reduce the consumption of non-essential items. Buy products with less packaging Car pooling Recycle Collect the same type of materials like newspaper and re-make them into another product like toilet paper. Support the recycling programs in your communities Reuse Use the same materials again and again. For example, wash and use the same drinking bottle Use old jars, plastic containers to store items or foods Recover Recover energy from wastes. This can only be done in industries. Dump sites collect methane that is generated from garbage and convert it to energy.

Hazardous Materials Household hazardous materials include: Household cleaners and detergents Paints and solvents Motor oil and windshield washer fluid Batteries Prescription medicine and syringes Pesticides/herbicides Gasoline Propane tanks Pool or spa chemicals