Waste management is an essential concern of the USA. The country generates millions of tons of waste and has to be disposing of it. The US is filled with both trash and treasures, while some of the discarded items can serve as valuable resources, some of the waste is toxic, like chemicals, and therefore dangerous.
The government and the communities have to be proactive in preventing waste and disposing of the waste appropriately. The US has a professionals waste management association that deals with obtaining the most out of waste. The waste management is an essential part of the day to day life of the USA.
Waste management refers to the management of waste and its disposal. The need of waste management is realized. People and industries generate a huge amount of waste in their daily life. The waste is mainly generated from the cities, industries and industries.
The waste may be hazardous or non-hazardous. The waste may be in the form of solid, liquid, or gas. The waste may be in the form of plastic, metal, wood, rubber, glass, etc. The waste also contains toxic chemicals, heavy metals, and radioactive materials. The waste generated from the residential area may be in paper, glass, plastic, food, garden, and others. Waste from the commercial activities may be in the form of paper, plastic, metal, cardboard, glass and food.
Waste from the industrial activities may be in the form of paper, plastic, metal, and glass, etc. Most of the waste contains toxic chemicals, heavy metals, radioactive materials. The waste comes into our landfills. Most of the waste goes into our oceans and rivers. The waste may cause environmental pollution and health hazards.
The Need For Waste Management In The Us.
The US is the third major garbage generator in the world after China and India. The US generates over 250 million tons of garbage each year. In the year 2000, the total amount of waste increased by 3%. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States produced stuffed an estimated 254 million tons of trash in 2013.
This is equal to 4.33 pounds of garbage per person per day. The waste level has been on the rise since then. The percentage of waste going to landfills has increased from 42% to 52% in the last decade. The US population is expected to increase by 16% from 2012 to 2035. This will translate into an increase in garbage production of about 15%. Landfills are already at maximum capacity in many areas.
This increase in waste production is attributable to the increase in population, the growing number of waste generators, a rise in consumerism and the increase in packaging for goods. There is also a rise in the number of households that have multiple items of a single type. For example, more than one computer. It is clear that the US need a drastic change in its waste management system.
What Are The Laws Regarding Waste In Us?
The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is responsible for the regulation of hazardous waste in the US. Non-hazardous waste is handled by local or state regulations.
The EPA regulates the treatment and disposal of hazardous waste through the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976 and RCRA regulations. RCRA specifies those wastes that are classified as hazardous and requires that hazardous waste be either recycled, treated, incinerated or disposed of in a deep geological repository.
