For a long time, different states have debated on how to treat solid wastes. Most of them come up with ways on how to treat the waste without causing harm to the environment. For a long time, solid waste has always been dumped in landfills where they cause pollution to the environment. Dumping of waste may cause a bad odour to those who are living around. It may also attract different sorts of pests and parasites that may carry diseases that may affect the human beings and animals living around. However, over the years, there are different techniques that have been discovered to how to treat waste and also how to dispose of it without causing any effect o the environment.
The first major method used to treat solid waste includes thermal treatment. This is a process that is commonly used in many countries. It involves all processes that use heat to treat the waste materials. The major techniques used in this case includes incineration. Incineration is the combustion of wae especially the solid waste. It burns the waste in presence of oxygen thermal treatment is utilized as a means of recovering energy that is used in electricity or heating. Some of the advantages that you can acquire from using this process includes reducing the volume of waste, eliminating transport costs for the garbage and also lowering the greenhouse gasses that are emitted.
Another common method that is used in thermal waste treatment is gasification and pyrolysis, this method involves the burning of the waste by using low amounts of oxygen and high temperatures. Pyrolysis method requires no oxygen for the burning process while gasification will require low amounts. Gasification processes is preferred mostly because when burning occurs, energy is recovered without air pollution. Another method used is open burning which is harmful to the environment.
The second method of waste treatment is biological waste treatment. Biological waste treatment uses composting as the major technique. Some of the common method used in this case incudes static pile composting, in vessel composting and vermin composting among others. Anaerobic digestion is a method used in biological waste treatment. The method uses biological procedures to decompose the waste. The method however works in an oxygen and bacteria free environment to decompose the waste material.
Third method is the bioreactor landfills. This is one of the most recent waste disposal methods. The method will use superior microbiological procedures that will increase the rate of decomposition. Liquid is added to the waste to sustain the optimal moisture for the digestion process.
Recycling is also another method of waste treatment. This is the recovery and the reuse of the materials from those that are wasted. This is one of the methods that encourages saving the environment. This method therefore will keep large amounts of waste from the landfills. It is also a method that will save energy hence reducing major costs. Some of the materials that are recycled includes paper. Glass, scrap tires, plastics, iron and used oil. If such materials were left in the landfills, they would cause more harm than good.