Waste pollution
Waste pollution refers to problem created by improper treatment of solid or chemical waste. For example, littering leads to health problem as waste rots.
1.Source of waste
 Improper habits, for example unnecessary packaging, containers (paper, bottles and plastic materials) lead to the production of waste.? According to the information from the Environmental Protection Department in 2003, unwanted materials for recycling collected from the public weighed 16,420,000 tons, while materials in landfills weighed 2,460,000.? Consumerism gives rise to the disposal of large size waste such as air-conditioners, televisions, range hoods, mattress and other furniture.? Over 110,000 vehicles, 140,000 motorcycles and 7.27 millions of tires are thrown out every year. The? commercial and industrial sectors also owe their prosperity to the production of waste.? Farmland raising animals producing excretion also results in pollution problem.
2.Influence of waste production
a.Air pollution – burning plastics will produce poisonous gases.
b.Water pollution – poisonous materials in waste will be carried by rainwater and flow into rivers and seas.
c.Soil pollution – poisonous materials will dissolve into soil and affect the growth of plants.
d.
Spreading diseases – improper disposal of waste encourage the growth of mosquitoes, flies and mice.
 3.Reduction of waste
The limited area in Hong Kong cannot afford new landfills.? It is therefore important to stop the growth of waste.? Here are some practical hints to reduce the production of waste:
| Reduction of waste |
?bring one's own shopping bags, reuse containers, avoid too much packaging, use recycled paper.? The commercial and industrial sectors can convert food into compost, collect newspapers, magazines, plastics, metals, ink cartridges and other industrial and construction waste.? Buying part replaceable machines, long-life batteries and reconditioned tires can also help reducing waste. |
| Waste separation |
"Waste is not waste when recycled"? 1 ton of paper can save 20 logs.? Metal, glass and plastics are recyclable and consist of 46% of our daily waste.? They can be separated and recycled properly. |
| Handling waste |
Waste should be separated into "recyclable" and "non-recyclable".? The "recyclable" should be further separated into different categories. |
4.廢物管理行為的可取性
| 廢物管理等級制 |
| 避免 |
- 避免產生廢物
- 位於廢物管理等級制的最上層
- 盡量使用可再用的物品
- 避免使用過度包裝和用完即棄的物品 |
| 減少 |
- 減少產生廢物
- 盡量使用少量包裝的產品 |
| 循環 |
- 使廢物可被再用
- 循環再用以減少被棄置的廢物
- 例子︰鋁罐 |
| 處理 |
- 減少廢物的體積
- 焚化 |
| 棄置 |
- 棄置處理後的廢料 |
| 資料來源: 環境保護署, 2001 |
|
