Understanding Municipal Solid Waste Hazards to Handle Them Responsibly

Waste disposal and management have become a pivotal point due to the increasing burden on the landfills and their bitter impact on everything surrounding them. That’s why it is necessary to wake up and realize one’s responsibility toward it. Experts say the maximum municipal solid waste comes from homes, hospitals, and businesses. In 2018, it amounted to a total of 292.4 million tons. If you calculate waste generation per person a day based on this, it can be nearly 4.9 pounds. You have to be careful about your contribution to this. It starts with paying attention to what you throw and how.

If you don’t want to mess up in this area, you should consider using rental dumpster services and enhancing your awareness about this type of waste handling. Responsibly managing our regular waste materials is the need of the hour. Otherwise, everyone will have to face the consequences because municipal solid waste is hazardous.

Toxicity

MSW can contain harmful substances like heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Paper, plastic, containers, clothes, cardboard, glass, and other types of waste remain scattered all over. Municipalities transfer them to nearby landfills to burn or bury them.

Landfill leakage

Few landfills apply plastic liner systems to handle the buried waste. But plastic can cause leachate and get infected by the buried waste due to dangerous toxins. As a result, these can flow into the soil and groundwater. At the same time, landfills can leak if the liners have holes, cracks, or defects in them. Once this happens, it can be challenging to control the liners’ leak.

Air pollution

Incinerators or waste burning apparatus create ash that accumulates in landfills. Some fine particles escape into the air, leading to pollution. When the waste burns, toxins like carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, VOCs, mercury, and others get released into the air. The air pollution technology takes care of them and buries ash in the landfills. But it again can be responsible for the leaky liner problem. If you don’t know, toxins can cause various diseases, such as cancer, lung issue, heart problem, and damage to the liver, kidney, nervous system, etc.

Considering all this, every individual should understand why it is essential to know what they throw and how. Responsible disposal can also help your municipalities tackle them well and more efficiently. Since they recycle and compost or mulch, proper segregation can quicken their job. In return, it can benefit your environment too. Proper waste disposal will allow your surroundings to remain clean and safe. When this happens, you can breathe in pure air and stay healthy. Else, it can become another fight.

Your ignorance or negligence can add to different health woes for everyone. Toxins can create severe illnesses like respiratory challenges, cancer, weak kidneys or livers, etc. You can prevent this all by starting with a small yet significant step. Know what municipal solid waste stands for and how you should throw it. Hire dumpster services also to keep your neighborhood free from mess.