What Are The Types Of Waste
- Posted by:
- Admin
- Tags:
- Types of Waste, Waste Management, Disposal of Waste
- Posted date:
- 20-05-2022
What are the types of waste and how can my business remove it? In this article we discuss the common waste types and explain how to properly dispose of waste.
Types of Waste Management
Understanding the different waste management methods is crucial, especially if you produce a lot of waste. While waste removal specialists handle different types of waste - which all require different waste management techniques - the fact that was all produce waste means we all require an appropriate waste management plan to dispose of our waste properly.
This means sorting your waste into piles; determining which waste can be reused, recycled or disposed of in a landfill or scrap yard.
Of course, some waste poses more of a problem than others, especially if your business deals with hazardous waste. Although, with an appropriate plan following the UK Environment Agency, sorting your waste can be easy and beneficial for your company.
Again, the different types of waste you produce will need to be disposed of in different ways. This article will take you through the different types of waste usually produced by businesses and the proper waste disposal methods required for each.
- Increasing job satisfaction of your employees working in a cleaner environment.
- Helping your business adhere to UK Government guidelines.
- Improving your reputation with your customers with responsible business practices.
- Saving you money on business waste removal services.
- Helping you to remain flexible with future changes to legislation or business guidelines.
Types of Waste and how to Remove it
All the waste we produce that is handled by any waste removal company can be placed into one of five categories:
Liquid Waste
Liquid waste includes dirty water, wash water, organic liquids and waste detergents - essentially anything but clean water.
Most businesses will produce these from their toilet facilities, break rooms or commercial operations.
This liquid waste is further categorised as either point or non-point source waste.
Manufactured liquid waste is point source waste, whereas natural liquid waste is non-point source waste.
Solid Rubbish
Solid waste is exactly what it sounds like. Any solid, non-hazardous waste thrown away as general waste or regular waste from residential or commercial locations counts as solid rubbish.
Like liquid waste, solid waste can be broken down into further categories:
- Plastic waste, such as carrier bags, bottles and containers.
- Paper and card waste, such as newspapers, cardboard and packaging materials.
- Metal waste, including tins, sinks, taps, and other commercial products.
- Ceramics and glass waste, from broken cups and plates to bottles and window panes.
- Masonry, including concrete, bricks and other items that can be made into aggregates or pavement fillings.
Organic Waste
Recyclable Rubbish
Organic waste, or green waste, is another common find in most households and businesses and mostly includes garden waste, food waste and rotten meat.
While organic waste can be easily composted and broken down by micro-organisms, it still needs to be disposed of safely.
As you can imagine, recyclable waste refers to waste items that can be turned into other reusable items.
Today, most of the waste commonly found in residential and commercial properties can be widely recycled.
Recyclable waste includes masonry, paper, scrap metal, plastic and furniture.
Hazardous Waste
Hazardous wastes are any material, solid or liquid, that is toxic, corrosive, flammable or reactive and can be very dangerous if not disposed of correctly.
Hazardous waste and other pollutants pose a serious threat to the environment and human health, including paint strippers, solvents, toxic chemicals, and electronic waste, such as lead-acid batteries and circuit boards.
Proper Disposal of Waste
Given there are five ways to classify our waste, it makes sense that there are five general ways to dispose of it. Here we will take you through these five waste disposal methods and what they entail.
Hygienic Landfill
For the large amounts of waste we produce that we can't recycle, the safest way to dispose of it is in hygienic landfills. The excavated locations selected for landfills typically have small amounts of groundwater and non-porous soil.
A protective base is laid down to prevent toxins from reaching the water below the ground, keeping chemical levels safe. Once this preparation is complete, the waste is then dumped on top, alternated with soil layers to compact it.
Recycling and Reusing
Apart from preventing waste in the first place, reusing and recycling waste materials is the second-best form of waste management. While a lot of our waste can be widely recycled, only around 16% of it actually is.
There are great benefits to recycling our waste more, including potential earnings and ensuring the safety of our planet by reusing our resources. Reusing materials, such as plastic bottles and paper bags can reduce the waste we generate on earth and save money.
Vermicomposting
Vermicomposting uses a species of worm to help the decomposition of waste and usually takes place in land treatment facilities.
It is very similar to composting and is mainly used to eliminate organic waste.
As the worms decompose the organic waste you feed them, their excretions go on to fertilise the surrounding soil.
Therefore, not only are you removing the waste, you are improving the soil's nutrition for further growth.
Waste Disposal by Incineration
Incineration reduces the amount of waste we have and is one of the most effective ways to dispose of waste. It is especially beneficial when dealing with hazardous waste, as it reduces the amount of waste present by over 90%. There are also beneficial by-products of incinerating waste.
For example, we can use the heat from incineration to generate energy and even the ash produced can be used for hydroponics and fertilisation.
Waste Disposal in Water Bodies
In some extreme cases, such as when dealing with a few hazardous wastes, ensuring proper waste removal usually entails moving it as far as possible from inhabited places.
In such cases, waste can be dumped into giant bodies of water, such as in the middle of oceans, where the waste will sink to the bottom where no human will ever go near it.
Call us today, and we can give advice on what would be the best-sized skip for your end of tenancy cleaning out.