There’s no getting around the fact that humans create trash, and we’ve been doing it since we were cavemen. The only difference is that back then there wasn’t very many of us, and the small amounts of refuse made by those humans weren’t much of a problem. Fast forward thousands of years and the sheer number of people on the planet means the amount of solid waste we make it hugely problematic. But it’s going to happen one way or another, and so civic governments have to have the right approaches to dealing with it.
Our scope of operations and responsibilities here at Load n’ Lift is much smaller and simpler, and what we need to be relied on for is delivering disposal bin rentals for Trenton and Colborne area residents who need them. Nothing too complicated or challenging about that, and we take a lot of pride in our service track record with getting people their rental dumpsters quickly as soon as they need them. Figuring out what to do with an entire regions solid waste production with regards to proper and responsible disposal is going to be a handful.
First world countries have made serious positive progress in processing solid waste and minimizing the environmental impact of it. Second and 3rd-world countries, not so much. However, there’s reason for optimism with how we can all collectively be better with solid waste management and that is what we will look at with your blog entry here at Load n’ Lift this time around.
Serious Detriment
Solid waste management is a universal issue that matters to all of us no matter where you live. When you consider that 90% of waste is openly dumped or burned in low-income countries, you can make the connection that it is poor and vulnerable people who are most affected.
From an environmental perspective, poorly managed waste is contaminating the world’s oceans, causing drains to clog and causing flooding. It also transmits diseases, puts people more at risk for respiratory problems from burning, and it also harms animals that consume waste unknowingly.
Economic development is affected too, and we already know that greenhouse gases from waste are also a key contributor to climate change. A study done 5 years ago found that 5% of global emissions were generated from solid waste management and we can be sure things haven’t improved since then and likely have gotten worse. Those emissions numbers exclude transportation.
Heady stuff for sure, and much more so than talking about the best rates on dumpster rentals for Colborne and Trenton. Which are here at Load n’ Lift, but let’s continue with our look at better future management approaches for solid waste.
More and More
No good news to be had here, as solid waste generation is increasing at a disturbing rate. Countries are rapidly developing and doing so without adequate systems in place to manage the changing composition of waste produced by their citizens. More than half of humans on earth now live in cities, and it is these people that are generating more than 80% of the world’s GDP but are also at the root of the global waste challenge.
Estimates are that right now the world generates 2.01 billion tons of municipal solid waste each year, and about 33% of it is not managed in a manner that would be considered environmentally safe. Add to this the fact that economic development is being foreseen to push global waste to increase by 70% over the next 30 years. This is expected to work out to 3.40 billion tones of waste generated annually.
Waste Production by Region
The largest percentage of the world’s solid waste – 23% of it – comes from the East Asia and Pacific region. High income countries produce 34% of the entire solid waste despite the fact they only account for 16% of the world’s population. Waste generation is always going to increase with economic development and population growth, and lower middle-income countries is where this is going to happen most prominently in the near future. In Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia waste generation is expected to triple by 2050 and these regions should be producing upwards of 30% of the total waste by the time.
Upper-middle and high-income countries provide nearly universal waste collection, and more than 1/3 of waste in high-income countries is recovered through recycling and composting. Low-income countries collect about 48% of waste in cities, but only 26% in rural areas. Only 4% is recycled in these countries. Overall, 13.5% of global waste is recycled and 5.5% is composted.
The Fixes
Solid waste management is a key issue when it comes to planning sustainable, healthy, and inclusive cities and communities. Governments must take urgent action to address waste management for their people and the planet. It makes economic sense to invest in sustainable waste management as uncollected waste and poorly disposed waste have significant health and environmental impacts. Using us for disposal bin rentals Trenton and Colborne can minimize environmental impacts in your community.
One positive seen right now is the way the World Bank is working with countries, cities, and partners worldwide to create and finance effective solutions that can lead to gains in environmental, social, and human capital. Since 2000 they committed over $4.7 billion to more than 340 solid waste management programs around the globe, looking for the best initiatives and areas of engagement.
The biggest challenge is with financing solid waste management systems but the World Bank is helping there too.
- In Azerbaijan, World Bank loans supported the rehabilitation of the main landfill site and establishment of a state-owned waste management company, increasing the population served by the formal solid waste management system from 53 to 74%
- In China, a results-based incentive program has upped participation in household kitchen waste separation. The Bank’s $80 million loan has also supported the construction of a modern anaerobic digestion facility to ferment and recover energy from organic waste that stands to benefit 3 million people
- In Nepal, a results-based financing project of $4.3 million facilitated increased user fee collection and improved waste collection services in five municipalities to the benefit of 800,000 urban-area residents
- In Pakistan, a $5.5 million dollar project for support of a composting facility in Lahore in market development and the sale of emission reduction credits that led to reductions of 150,000 tones of CO2-equivalent and expansion of daily compost production volume from 300 to 1,000 tones per day.
Get Colborne and Trenton dumpster rentals done right the first time with your call to Load-n-Lift. No matter the size of the job or variety of waste materials you need removed, we can handle the job with maximum efficiency via our mini-bin and multi-lift roll off equipment.
