PLA 423 – Introduction to Urban and Regional Planning

WHAT A WASTE: Effects of Solid Waste Management

on the Environment

BENAVIDEZ, Pauline Joy A.

BS Architecture – 4B

AR. Rolando Addun

Course Facilitator

May 11, 2023

WHAT A WASTE: Effects of Solid Waste Management on the Environment

ABSTRACT
Solid waste management is a critical environmental concern as it has significant
impacts on both the environment and human health. The improper handling and disposal
of waste can lead to environmental pollution, habitat destruction, and public health risks.
This research abstract will examine the effects of solid waste management on the
environment, with a particular focus on developing countries, and explore possible
solutions to mitigate these impacts. Developing countries face unique challenges when it
comes to solid waste management. Many lack the necessary infrastructure and resources
to effectively manage waste, leading to widespread environmental pollution and public
health risks. One of the most significant environmental impacts of poor solid waste
management in developing countries is land pollution. When waste is not properly
disposed of, it can contaminate the soil, making it unsuitable for agriculture and plant
growth. This can have severe economic consequences for local communities that rely on
agriculture as a source of income. Solid waste management also has a significant impact
on water quality. In many developing countries, waste is disposed of in open dumps or
nearby water sources, leading to the contamination of water sources and making them
unsafe for human consumption and aquatic life. This can have severe health
consequences for nearby communities, particularly those that rely on local water sources
for drinking, cooking, and bathing.

INTRODUCTION
Solid waste refers to any unwanted product in our environment or from our daily
items that are not liquid or gas. They include garbage or refuse, sludge from a wastewater
treatment plant, and other discarded material, resulting from industrial, commercial,
mining, and agricultural operations, as well as community activities. Solid waste on
improper disposal affects the environment in many different ways such as the pollution in
the air, water, and soil and the spread of diseases like dysentery, dengue yellow fevers,
and so on.
The complexity and scope of the solid waste problem have not been fully
recognized and addressed by our society, for a variety of reasons. This has resulted in
the lack of a coherent, integrated approach to solving present waste problems and/or
preventing future ones. Instead, approached to waste management, waste minimization,
and waste regulation have bee responsive (or reactive) to particular problems or problem
symptoms, and compartmentalized to match the specific responsibilities of the particular
groups involved. In particular, most solid waste management decisions continue to be
made and implemented at very local levels, predominantly with a short-term focus to
respond relatively immediate pressures of landfill shortages, funding problems, political
considerations, and the like. Different harmful wastes that can cause these diseases are
shown in the figure below.

Figure 1. Harmful Effects of Solid Wastes on

the Environment

In this study, the objectives are to evaluate current solid waste practices and
management, and the associated long-term trends, that might have implications on the
global environment, to qualitatively identify the environmental implications of these
practices and trends. Pollutants from solid waste affect the air, land, oceans, and
waterways. In addition, solid wastes have other, more indirect impacts, such as the
reduction of feedstocks of natural resources because useful material are disposed of
rather than recycled. As part of this study, it is necessary to define the linkages between
local solid waste practices and the macro-level impacts they may cause.

Solid waste materials can be managed in several different ways, and these
different management options imply differing impacts as a result. Thus, it is important to
consider all of these management options, as well as the trade-offs between them. The
flow of materials through society is shown in this figure below.
 Figure 2. Material Flow to Society

According to Downs and Avecedo in 2019, the waste humans generate has been
detrimental to our environment for quite some time now. Humans are generating too much
trash and cannot deal with it in a sustainable way. Waste that is not biodegradable and
cannot properly be recycled is filling our oceans and landfills. Let’s take plastic waste as
an example. A recent study found that of the 6.3 billion metric tons of plastic waste that
has been produced, only 9% of that plastic waste had been recycled. In 2017, for
instance, the Environmental Protection Agency calculated that the total generation of
municipal solid waste in the United States just that year was 267.8 million tons. Compared
with 2015 levels, it was a 5.7 million increase. Altogether, the amount of waste generated
affects the environment in multiple ways: its contribution to the worsening climate crisis,
its negative impact on wildlife and the natural environment, and its detriment to our very
own public health.
The way we dispose of waste is troubling. What is worse, in this decade alone,
waste disposal has become more careless. What we have failed to do is to put into action
the ideas we believe will help us mitigate or adapt to climate change. Case in point: the
trash that is dumped in landfills releases methane gas. Taken one step further open
landfills were found to represent 91% of all landfill methane emissions. The burning of
large, open piles of trash in various parts of the world emits dangerous levels of carbon
dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is heating up our planet. Researchers have calculated
that approximately 40% of the world’s trash is burned in this fashion, posing large-scale
risks to both our atmosphere and the people that live near these burning sites.
 Ecosystems vary widely from location to location. However, one of the most
outsize consequences of our global waste problem manifests itself in relation to our
marine life and waterways. Simply put, it affects the people who depend on the ocean for
their livelihoods. They cannot distinguish between what is or isn’t food. They consume
the trash, which results in death because the aquatic animal could not process it. This
affects fish, seals, turtles, whales, and many other aquatic animals, as scientists have
also found many plastic fragments in over a thousand species. Due to ingestion of trash
or plastics, starvation is usually the next step because some species do not have high
acidic levels in their stomach to break down the object that they ingested. There are some
animals that do but plastic fragments have been known to be able to last 100 years. When
it comes to biodiversity, our waste problem is severely plaguing the health of the world’s
species.
Human health is at risk though our inaction. We keep producing large amounts of
trash, we do not dispose of it correctly, and in the end that will be our downfall as it is for
the environment and wildlife in the ecosystems we all share. We cannot prevent or
promote longevity with how we treat our Earth. The more emissions that we produce due
to how much trash we generate affects us long term. One can develop diseases such as
asthma, birth defects, cancer, cardiovascular disease, childhood cancer, COPD,
infectious diseases, low birth weight, and preterm delivery. Bacteria, vermin, and insects
can also be added to the problem that trash causes.
The figure below shows waste mismanagement in developing countries.

Figure 3. Waste Mismanagement in

Developing Countries
CONCLUSION
Therefore, it is essential to take a holistic approach to solid waste management in
developing countries. This should include community education and awareness
campaigns to promote the importance of proper waste management practices, as well as
the development of local infrastructure and resources to support waste management.
Governments and international organizations can also play a critical role in supporting
waste management practices through funding and technical assistance.
To address these challenges, solid waste management has significant impacts on
the environment, particularly in developing countries. Land pollution, water pollution, air
pollution, habitat destruction, and greenhouse gas emissions are all significant concerns
associated with poor waste management. Implementing effective solid waste
management practices is essential to protect the environment, safeguard public health,
and promote sustainable development. Governments and international organizations
must work together to support waste management practices in developing countries,
including community education, infrastructure development, and technical assistance.

REFERENCES

Miguel, M. (2019, January 11). Govph. Solid Waste Management.

https://www.denr.gov.ph/index.php/priority-programs/solid-waste-management

Amruta, P. (2023, May 8). Effects of solid waste - environment notes - PREPP. Prepp by
Collegedunia. https://prepp.in/news/e-492-effects-of-solid-waste-environment-notes

Davis, M. M., Holter, G. M., DeForest, T. J., Stapp, D. C., & Dibari, J. C. (1994, September 1).
Possible global environmental impacts of solid waste practices. Possible global
environmental impacts of solid waste practices (Technical Report) | OSTI.GOV.
https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/10186427

Downs, A., & Acevedo, R. (2019, February 19). How our trash impacts the environment. Earth
Day. https://www.earthday.org/how-our-trash-impacts-the-environment/

Hoornweg, D., & Bhada-Tata, P. (2012, March). What a waste: A global review of solid waste
management. Open Knowledge Repository.
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/1a464650-9d7a-58bb-b0ea-
33ac4cd1f73c