How did garbage appear on planet Earth?
As you know, several centuries ago (and to be specific, at the beginning of the 19th century) an industrial revolution took place in England, one of the main achievements of which was the emergence (and then widespread distribution) of manufactories - factories where machine labor is used on a par with manual labor ( and sometimes completely replaces it). After only 2 centuries, primitive manufactories evolved into huge enterprises, in which sometimes human labor is not used at all - only machines work. The use of machines in production has made it possible to achieve incredible technological progress - without complex mechanisms and programmable devices, a person would never have been able to build cars, computers and other wonderful things, without which we cannot imagine our existence today. Unfortunately, rapid technological progress also has disadvantages, one of which is the global garbage pollution of the planet.
The problem of garbage pollution of the planet has always been - for example, in the Middle Ages in developed countries In Europe, special laws were issued prohibiting pouring sewage and other human waste into the street. Despite the fact that in those days there were no waste processing systems (in addition, there were not even landfills and organized waste disposal sites), the problem of garbage pollution was not so acute - firstly, people at that time did not think about the environment at all ( they didn’t even know such a word), and secondly, the waste of that time was mainly food and decomposed relatively quickly in the ground. In the 20th century, after the invention of plastic and other materials that are indispensable in the production of literally everything that can be produced, the problem of garbage pollution has become very acute - the fact is that plastic and other synthetic materials practically do not decompose in the ground, causing enormous harm. to all living and non-living for hundreds of kilometers around from the places of organized burials. The fact that manufacturers of various goods only care about their own profit adds fuel to the fire, forcing the consumer to purchase more and more new goods, throwing old ones into a landfill, where they can lie for decades and gradually kill all life around.
Several decades ago, developed countries realized that it was impossible to bury plastic waste on their territory, which gave impetus to the so-called "emigration of garbage" - plastic waste from the life of citizens of developed countries began to be loaded onto multi-ton barges and transported to poor countries (mainly African countries). The consequences of such a step are impressive - many African cities in countries located on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean have turned into wastelands, over which smog constantly hangs. Living in such places is almost impossible: in African countries, medicine and hygiene are poorly developed, and hanging over burial places plastic waste smog literally kills the inhabitants of nearby territories.
Unfortunately, in Russia there are also a lot of garbage disposal sites, and they are far from always located in places poorly adapted for human habitation - within a radius of 10-20 kilometers from any metropolis, you can find several dozen dumps, the smoke from which sometimes clouds the whole city. Realizing how harmful smoke from landfills is, the municipal authorities of large cities are taking measures to reduce the amount of plastic waste in the city and beyond, but, unfortunately, there has been so much garbage accumulated over the past century that it is almost impossible to recycle or get rid of it completely.
How garbage can harm the planet Earth? 
But what, in fact, can harm garbage? Maybe plastic waste is absolutely harmless, and humanity should not worry about the problems of recycling and disposal of plastic waste? In fact, everything that contains plastic or materials similar to it (and this is almost all household appliances, cars, furniture - in a word, the whole environment of an average house or apartment) causes enormous harm to nature.
1. Plastic, unlike all natural materials, can decompose for millions of years, releasing various harmful substances into the atmosphere.
2. When incinerated (namely, this is what happens with plastic waste in most landfills to make room for new waste), they form:
a) heavy metals that destroy the ozone layer of the planet;
b) the toxic smoke resulting from the combustion of plastic enters the lungs of humans and animals living in the immediate vicinity of the landfill, and causes irreparable harm health;
c) the decomposition products of plastic rise into the atmosphere and subsequently fall back to Earth in the form of acid rain.
3. Any garbage (not necessarily plastic, but more than 60% of the garbage produced by mankind contains plastic) takes up a lot of space that could be used for agricultural purposes.
4. It is practically impossible to recultivate land that has been a dump of human waste for at least a few years - a huge amount of substances that prevent plant growth accumulate in the soil during this period.
As it becomes clear from the foregoing, in recent decades the issue of garbage has come to the fore - either humanity defeats garbage, or garbage destroys humanity. The governments of all developed countries are closely involved in solving the problem of garbage pollution of the planet, and in the next section we will consider the measures taken by the state to get rid of garbage.
State activities for waste processing 
There are currently enough wide range ways to combat garbage pollution of the planet. Let's consider some of them in more detail.
1. Today, in every major city (and in many smaller cities) there are waste processing plants that accept a very wide range of waste for processing - from glass to plastic. The economic effect of the operation of such plants is undeniable - 70-80% of the waste received at the plant gets a second (or even third, fourth, fifth and further on the list) life, while such plants save ecological situation in the region.
2. In the leadership of many municipalities, specialized groups for the improvement of the city work, which, among other things, recruit people who clean the streets of the city and suburban areas from garbage, thus saving the earth from the decomposition products of glass, plastic garbage and other types of garbage.
3. In many European countries, the voluntary collection of garbage and its delivery to recycling centers are encouraged. So, for example, in England people get a fairly good increase in wages by simply handing over your rubbish and rubbish collected on the street to recycling centers.
4. Many European countries ah (and more recently - in some Russian cities) you can find containers painted in different colors - containers of one color contain waste of one type, and containers of a different color - waste of a different type. Such events greatly facilitate the processing of waste, and consequently, reduce its cost.
5. In many countries, for unauthorized dumping or throwing garbage in the wrong place, a very large fine is due, which often equals several monthly incomes of a citizen, which, of course, sharply discourages the desire to throw your garbage anywhere.
There is no doubt that government measures to solve the problem of garbage pollution are very important, but you should not rely only on the state in this matter - people themselves must do everything possible to one day completely get rid of garbage.
What can we do to get rid of garbage?
The spheres of activity of the state are extremely diverse and multifaceted, and therefore public services alone will never cope with the problem of garbage. Below are simple and simple recommendations, the implementation of which will dramatically reduce the amount of garbage on our planet.
1. You should never believe the advertising that surrounds us literally everywhere and persistently offers to buy this or that product. You need to remember one simple principle: a thing can be thrown away only when it is completely broken or completely ceased to be necessary. There is no need to buy a new product just because it is a little more perfect than the old one - this way you can save both your own budget and our planet.
2. Things that at one point become unnecessary can be donated or sold to someone who needs them (almost all things that are thrown away due to uselessness are in working condition and could serve many more people). Such a simple step at the same time helps to replenish the budget and prolong the life of our planet.
3. Always, when the product has expired or it has finally ceased to perform its functions, hand it over for processing. Modern goods are 60-80% made from recyclable materials, which means that their delivery to specialized centers is absolutely justified.
The problem of pollution of the planet Earth with garbage today is very relevant and will remain so for a very long time - until humanity invents revolutionary new methods of recycling glass, plastic and other types of garbage that will forever put an end to garbage pollution of our planet. Until these methods are invented, we should not forget about the importance of recycling and follow all the simple instructions that will at least slightly, but reduce the amount of garbage on Earth.
Municipal solid waste Waste - substances (or mixtures of substances) recognized as unsuitable for further use within the framework of existing technologies, or after domestic use of products.
Reasons for the accumulation of waste. 1. Population increase. 2. In the production of goods, most of the raw materials go to waste. 3. "Consumer approach to life" 4. Creation of synthetic materials (plastics, synthetic fibers, etc.) that do not exist in nature.
Types of waste disposal. 1. Burning. Problems: large territories are needed; garbage does not burn well; a huge amount of soot and harmful organic compounds are emitted into the atmosphere.
2. Recycling. This is the most environmentally friendly option for waste management, which does not increase their volume. Waste processing plants are being built to process waste.
3. Recycling of waste is the most resource-saving way. But there are a number of problems here: The first problem: the garbage must be sorted. The second problem is the delivery of garbage to the place of processing. The third problem is that garbage cannot be used as a raw material for the production of high-quality products.
4. The organization of landfills is the cheapest, but at the same time short-sighted way of garbage disposal. Toxic substances penetrate into groundwater, are dispersed by winds in the surroundings and thereby damage the environment. As a result of decay processes without air access, various gases are formed. Fires regularly break out in landfills, in which soot, phenol and other toxic substances are released into the atmosphere. In landfills, rodents multiply in large numbers, which are carriers of various infectious diseases.
Each Russian city dweller annually “produces” 300 kg of municipal solid waste (MSW), about the same amount of waste from a Parisian or Berliner. The largest "scavengers" are Americans, they produce 600 kg of solid waste per year for each inhabitant of the country.
Mount Elbrus 5642 meters above sea level
The issue of pollution environment rises more and more often, because the production of goods is increasing, and the problem of their proper disposal is not solved. Ecology suffers, which is associated with many cataclysms. The problem of waste must be solved quickly and efficiently, otherwise landfills will soon occupy all free territories and cause epidemics.
Waste disposal is the most important problem of our time
The problem of waste disposal in Russia and many other countries is associated with a number of obstacles. They are financial, systemic, construction, strategic and other factors. They complement each other and make it impossible to implement an environmentally friendly and at the same time profitable recycling system.
Barriers are created not only by the government, higher bodies and organizations, but also by each individual. It is impossible to organize the correct collection, removal and destruction of garbage if it initially ends up in the wrong places. We are talking about improvised landfills and a lack of understanding of the importance of sorting household waste and separating hazardous and non-hazardous waste. However, many organizations are actively fighting this.
Hazardous and non-hazardous waste must not be mixed
Environmental pollution due to improper disposal is conditionally launched from the moment the future waste is produced. In production, each waste must have a passport, a document indicating which hazard class it belongs to.
Reference! Hazardous waste cannot be mixed with non-hazardous waste for the reason that their disposal methods are completely different and not interchangeable. If radiation, biological and chemical wastes are thrown into landfills, this threatens to seriously pollute the soil and water, as a result of which the danger will threaten the animal world and humans.
MSW as an environmental threat
Household waste (MSW, municipal solid waste) is the most numerous. They are destroyed by removal to landfills, burial and incineration. These are the best methods, but only a huge amount of garbage takes up incredible territories. With household waste potentially dangerous is constantly emitted, therefore, in the process of decomposition, toxic substances are released.
Solid household waste, which includes plastic cans, bags, bottles, is partially incinerated, but this method is also imperfect. When burning, poisons are released into the atmosphere that are dangerous to human health.
Reference! Only 3-4% of MSW is sent for recycling. The problem of garbage is that there is a lot of it, and there are only a few processing organizations. Such enterprises usually deal with the disposal of a specific type of raw material, creating collection points where everyone can bring bottles, batteries, waste paper and other garbage that can be recycled.
Disposal of industrial waste
Recycling of industrial waste is carried out by processing plants, whose activities are strictly controlled. Waste materials are processed and a secondary product is obtained, which can be reused for the production of a number of goods.
Air protection optimization
To protect the air at enterprises, gas cleaning equipment should be introduced. Factories must comply environmental requirements and constantly monitor the emission of pollutants.
It is planned to compensate for the costs of eliminating the consequences by obtaining fuel energy. This allows you to save money on some resources like oil, gas and fuel oil.
MSW incineration technology
Incineration is the most common way to dispose of household waste. This approach is necessary to reduce the amount of waste for their further disposal.
Waste incineration can be beneficial for:
- Pair.
- Electrical energy.
- Hot water.
- Thermal energy.
Reference! Burning is carried out in special furnaces, the temperature in which reaches 1200 degrees. The emitted smoke is filtered so that fewer harmful elements enter the air.
Utilization and recycling of plastic waste
An important problem with garbage is that it is valuable, but it is not always used. Plastic waste is recyclable and reusable.
The process goes like this:
- Plastic is collected at collection points. Special containers are also installed in the yards, where plastic bottles can be thrown away.
- At the factory, workers sort by color and degree of soiling.
- The first stage of processing is grinding. Plastic is crushed into small fragments, after which it can be washed and dried. The result is flex.
- The second stage of processing is packaging. The raw material may already be sold, but processing can continue to produce a higher value product.
- The third stage of processing is agglomeration. Flax grinding is carried out with high temperature knives. The result is small lumps.
- The final stage of processing is granulation. The mass of lumps turns into granules. Then heated to 180 degrees, stretched into fibers, cut. At this stage, an extruder can be used, which perfectly straightens, mixes and draws the fibers.
Reference! The resulting raw materials can be used to produce packaging containers, pipes, insulation for wiring, mesh and many other products.
On the issue of chemical waste disposal
Chemical waste requires special handling. For recycling, several basic methods are used. For proper recycling, effective technologies are important that can ensure high-quality waste disposal without harm to the environment.
Applied methods of processing on the example of organochlorine waste:
- Hydrogenation.
- catalytic oxidation.
- Disinfection.
- Thermal combustion.
- Hydrogenolysis.
Reference! Chemical waste ranks first among the pollutants.
Ecological problem of accumulation and disposal
The accumulation of waste without proper disposal or with its poor implementation is a leading environmental problem, not only in Russia, but throughout the world. In large quantities, any garbage is dangerous, even which belongs to the category of non-hazardous, because landfills begin to occupy vast territories, which does not pass without a trace for nature and man.
The problem of waste and ecology in Russia
Russia is safe and profitable processing garbage has not yet become a trend. Many cities become sources of a large amount of waste, most of which is plastic. For a year, a resident of Russia throws out about 3 tons of garbage.
Reference! In Russia, processing, by and large, lends itself to those wastes that represent the greatest benefit. Good profit brings glass, waste paper, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, textile and polymer waste.
The problem of waste and ecology in other countries
In European countries, the situation is a little better, but not much. Clean streets are not indicative of an efficient processing industry. Japan and the USA can be proud of modern recycling technologies. The main processing method they use is plasma gasification. In the recycling process, it is possible to obtain and use gas.
Ways to solve the problem of waste
The problem of recycling must be solved, because there are all possibilities for this. This can take a lot of time, but it is an important measure that is worth the effort and money spent.
Reference! The key point in solving the problem is the creation of a system that will globally control the issues of waste management and disposal.
Recycling
During the recycling process, garbage is also generated, but its amount is less than it could be without the production process. Recycling to obtain valuable raw materials will not be able to solve the problem completely, but it is worth special attention.
The emergence of new technologies and those willing to take up this business makes it possible to turn waste into sources of energy and secondary raw materials. This is a much better option than allowing garbage to pollute the environment and poison living beings, including humans.
It is possible to improve recycling to protect nature, and this is happening. We need an integrated approach, where the government, governments and every citizen have one goal - to minimize the destructive impact of garbage on the ecosystem.
Waste disposal problem (2 videos)
Waste management (12 a photo)
Waste problem
List the main causes of the waste problem.
What are the current methods of disposal of household waste (garbage)?
What substances are classified as special waste? Give examples of things that are special waste.
Sorting and analyzing household waste in your apartment. Propose a project to reduce their volume and implementation.
Currently, each of the inhabitants of our planet accounts for an average of about 1 ton of garbage per year, and this is not counting the millions of worn out and broken cars. If all the garbage accumulated during the year is not destroyed and not processed, but poured into one heap, a mountain as high as Elbrus would form - the highest mountain peak in Europe.
There are several reasons for the increase in the amount of garbage:
growth in the production of disposable consumer goods;
increase in the amount of packaging;
raising the standard of living, allowing usable things to be replaced by new ones.
Garbage, despite the prohibitions, is dumped in places that are not intended for this at all. Such territories are not fenced, there are no specialists monitoring the proper disposal of garbage. From these "wild" (unauthorized) landfills, the wind blows paper and other light waste. "Wild" landfills not only disfigure the landscape, but also pose a threat to human health. Substances formed during the decomposition of waste pollute atmospheric air. Rainwater washes away poisonous substances from decomposed waste; this leads to pollution and contamination of open water bodies and groundwater. Now there are ways to destroy household waste that do not pose a serious threat to the environment.
Waste problem in the city
The three most common ways to dispose of waste are:
arrangement of specially equipped landfills;
garbage composting;
disposal at waste processing plants.
Garbage composting
Not every place can arrange a specially equipped dump. Specialists from various fields are involved in solving this problem: geologists, hydrologists, ecologists, etc. In this case, the following should be taken into account:
wind rose in the landfill area;
distance from settlements, water protection and nature protection zones;
soil permeability;
the area of the territory allotted for the landfill (the area should be sufficient to receive garbage for a long time);
location convenient for transport access, etc.
Specially equipped landfills The best way get rid of garbage, although today you can’t do without them.
Waste composting is a way to neutralize and use waste. The composting method can only process organic matter, which in the case of household waste makes up a little more than half of the garbage. organic matter, having a natural (plant and animal) origin, decompose under the influence of bacteria and atmospheric oxygen. In composting, as a rule, household waste is mixed with waste generated during processing. Wastewater at wastewater treatment plants. Waste rots and forms compost, which is used as fertilizer. Similarly, compost is obtained in agriculture by mixing manure with plant residues.
Table 7
Comparative characteristics of various methods of waste disposal
Recycling and recycling of waste is becoming increasingly important, as it saves the raw materials of our planet. American scientist A. Teller said: "We must no longer see waste as something to be destroyed; we must learn to see it as an unused source of raw materials".
Every year, about 130 million m3 of municipal solid waste is generated in Russian cities, which is about 0.2 tons per person. There are 7 incinerators operating in Russia today, which process about 3% of municipal solid waste, and 9% is removed from cities to more than 1000 landfills. The rest of the waste goes to landfills. There are 2 waste incineration plants in St. Petersburg (Gorelovo, Yanino). One of the ways to solve the problem of waste is their initial well-organized sorting.
Wastes that are particularly hazardous to the environment and human health and which, for various reasons, cannot be disposed of together with household waste are called special wastes, which include approximately 600 highly hazardous substances. These include:
pesticides found mainly in industrial waste chemicals plant protection;
radioactive waste generated at enterprises using radionuclides and at nuclear power plants;
mercury and its compounds - chemical industry waste;
arsenic and its compounds contained in waste from metallurgical industries and thermal power plants;
lead compounds, which are found especially often in waste products from the oil refining and paint and varnish industries, etc.
Each of us uses a lot of things every day, which after their use also become special waste, for example:
batteries;
unused medicines;
residues of chemical plant protection products (toxic chemicals);
residues of paints, varnishes, anti-corrosion agents and adhesives;
cosmetic residues (eyeshadow, nail polish, nail polish remover);
residues of household chemicals (cleaning products, deodorants, stain removers, aerosols, furniture care products);
mercury thermometers.
Liquidation (utilization) of liquid and solid special waste is regulated by strict rules and regulations. Part of special waste is incinerated at special installations, part is placed at special waste landfills. Most special waste has to be stored on the surface of the earth, observing strict precautions. Waste is placed on a waterproof platform up to 3 m thick. All drains and groundwater are constantly monitored.
The problem of waste is complicated by the fact that the natural decomposition of various materials requires a certain time. For example, paper takes 2 to 10 years to decompose, a tin can 90 years, a cigarette filter 100 years, a plastic bag 200 years, plastic 500 years, glass 1000 years.
Solid waste is also used as a secondary resource, which has a significant environmental effect. So, in the production of paper or cardboard from waste paper, emissions into the atmosphere are reduced by 85%, water pollution - up to 40%, compared with the production of these products from primary raw materials - wood. Waste recycling allows you to save natural resources.
Mention should be made of the problem of disposing of the huge amounts of worn-out tires accumulated in each country. By processing them to the so-called dispersed state (into rubber crumb with particle sizes from 0.63 to 5 mm), it is possible not only to eliminate mountains of tires, but also to make various rubber products from them. Among them are hydrothermal insulation blocks used in construction.
Before the era of agglomerations, waste disposal was facilitated by the suction capacity of the environment: land and water. Peasants, sending their products from the field directly to the table, dispense with processing, transportation, packaging, advertising and distribution networks, brought little waste. Vegetable peels were fed to pets or used as fertilizer. The movement to the cities has led to a completely different consumer structure. Products began to be exchanged, and therefore packaged.
Currently, the inhabitants of our country daily throw away thousands of tons of various rubbish: glass containers, waste paper, plastic and food waste. This mixture contains a large amount of hazardous waste: mercury from batteries, phosphorus - carbonates from fluorescent lamps and toxic chemicals from household solvents, paints. Today, Moscow alone throws out 10 million tons of industrial waste, 1 million for each inhabitant.
There are various ways to dispose of waste. This is the allocation of land for landfills, but the methane gas formed during the decay of waste poses a serious threat to residents living near this facility, because. it might just explode. This and landfilling, then it poses a great danger to ground and groundwater. This includes waste incineration, but many cities that use incinerators have abandoned this method due to deteriorating air quality.
The most promising way is the recycling of garbage. The following directions in processing are used here: organic mass is spent on the manufacture of fertilizers, textile mass and paper waste - obtaining new paper, scrap metal is sent for remelting. The main problem then remains sorting garbage. Although in Germany the entire population of the country is involved in this process. How? It's very simple: each family collects their household waste in different containers, depending on the composition, and does not dump everything in one pile: glass - to glass, waste paper - to waste paper.
Today in Russia, about 60% of waste is recycled, and the rest is taken to a landfill. After filling the territory allotted for garbage, the landfill is covered with a layer of earth of at least three meters. But despite this, the entire area of the landfill poses a danger to the health of people and animals. Groundwater in vast areas is contaminated with toxic substances and pathogenic microbes. For several decades, nothing can be built and farmed in these territories.
But construction debris can be used to create artificial hills. They are covered with a layer of earth, grass is sown and sports facilities are created: ski and toboggan runs. They are also used for hang-glider flights. This experience already exists in our country.
In Russia, the share of the urban population is 73%, which is somewhat lower than the level of European countries. But, despite this, the concentration of household waste in large cities of Russia has now increased dramatically, especially in cities with a population of 500 thousand or more people. The volume of waste is increasing, and the territorial possibilities for their disposal and processing are decreasing. The delivery of waste from the place of its generation to the disposal points requires more and more time and money. In Russia, it is necessary to improve the organization of the process of urban waste disposal.
Now the waste is simply collected for disposal in landfills, and this leads to the alienation of free land in suburban areas and limits the use of urban areas for the construction of residential buildings. Also, the joint disposal of various types of waste can lead to the formation of hazardous compounds.
The first waste processing plant in Russia was built in 1972; in the Urals, projects for the construction of such plants in Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Tigil and Pervouralsk are still being considered. There is another way to eliminate household waste by creating special strains of bacteria and fungi that can destroy organic compounds and polymers.
