Waste is any unwanted or undesired material or substance. It is also referred to as rubbish, trash, garbage, or junk depending upon the type of material and the regional terminology. In living organisms, waste relates to unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from the body.
A dumpster in Groningen, the Netherlands
Waste management is the human control of the collection, treatment, and disposal of different wastes. Waste management is necessary to reduce the negative impacts waste has on environment and society.
Waste is directly linked to the development of human civilization, both technologically and socially. The compositions of different types of waste have varied over time and location, with industrial development and innovation being directly linked to waste materials. Examples include plastics and nuclear technology. Some components of waste have economical value and can be recycled once correctly recovered.
Biodegradable waste, such as food waste or sewage, is broken down naturally by microorganisms either aerobically or anaerobically. If the disposal of biodegradable waste is not controlled, it can cause a number of wider problems. For example, it can contribute to the release of greenhouse gases and can negatively affect human health by encouraging pathogens.
It is difficult to define specifically what a waste is. Items that some people discard have value to others. It is widely recognized that waste materials are a valuable resource, while there is debate as to how this value is best realized. Governments need to define what waste is so that it can be safely and legally managed. Different definitions need to be combined to ensure the safe and legal disposal of the waste.
As a nation, Americans generate more waste than any other nation in the world, with 4.5 pounds of municipal solid waste (MSW) per person per day, 55% of which is contributed as residential garbage. The remaining 45% of waste in the US's "waste stream" comes from manufacturing, retailing, and commercial trade in the US economy.
Environmental Impact
Waste illegally dumped at a subdivision construction site
Marine debris on the Hawaiian coast
Many different types of waste have negative impacts upon the wider environment.
Waste pollution is considered a serious threat by many and can broadly be defined as any pollution associated with waste and waste management practices. Typical materials found in household waste that have specific environmental impacts include biodegradable wastes, batteries, aerosols, oils, acids, and fluorescent tubes.
Biodegradable waste is of specific concern because it breaks down in landfills to form methane, a potent greenhouse gas. If this gas is not prevented from entering the atmosphere, by implication, it contributes to climate change.
Littering can be considered the most visible form of solid waste pollution. The act of littering for the most part constitutes disposing of waste inappropriately, typically in public places. Littering itself may or may not be an intentional action.
Marine debris, also known as marine litter, is human-created waste that has deliberately or accidentally become afloat in a lake, sea, ocean, or waterway. Though it was originally assumed that most oceanic marine waste stemmed directly from ocean dumping, it is now thought that around four fifths of the oceanic debris is from rubbish blown seaward from landfills, and washed seaward by storm drains.
Other forms of pollution associated with waste materials include illegal dumping and leaching. Illegal dumping often involves unregulated disposal of materials on private or public land. Remote sites with road access coupled with limited surveillance often provide the perfect opportunity for this form of dumping which often goes unpunished and leaves others (such as the community or developer) to properly dispose of the waste. Leaching is the process by which contaminants from solid waste enter soil and often ground water systems contaminating them.
