Why do we need to manage waste?

Waste management basically is done to protect the environment and for the health and safety of the population. Every individual living on this earth knows about what will it lead to if the wastes are not managed. Having a proper waste management can result in the availability of valuable materials to reuse. This can save money while potentially creating new jobs and business opportunities. Reducing, reusing and recycling your waste is important for the environment, but it can also be profitable. It decreases the amount of waste for disposal, saves space in landfills, and conserves natural resources. Waste management is also important for public health. Harmful wastes can cause long term health problems, so it is very important that they are disposed of appropriately and carefully and not mixed in with the normal waste coming out of your home or office.

How can we reduce our wastes?

• Carry reuseable shopping bags
• Always try to resuse the items you have bought
• Avoid single-use food and drink containers and utensils
• Shop from local farmers markets
• Try to compost you wet(kitchen)waste

How can we promote good waste management?

1. Measure your waste

It is easier to manage and track your improvement on something that is measured. Start by recording the types and quantities of waste materials generated within your house. This could just be a quick visual assessment and estimation of amount and types of waste per week. As you change how you manage your waste, you can compare and see what difference your changes make to the amount of waste disposed to landfill.



2. Reduce

To reduce the amount of waste going to landfill, consider: Can waste be avoided or reduced by the way you procure goods and services or by changing your business operations? Does another local business have a use for the waste materials produced by your business? What materials can be targeted for recycling?



3. Recycle

Find out what options are available locally for business recycling.



4. Collection services

It is a good idea to find out how levy fees will be managed by your waste service provider, and find out more about your waste collection services—how it impacts your ability to recycle and what options are available to you.



5. Separating waste

It’s important to ensure that waste is correctly separated for recycling. Putting the wrong waste in contaminates the recycling. Check out the free-to-download recycling signage to help businesses communicate correct recycling and waste separation behaviours.



How is waste management and climate change interlinked?

Rising levels of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are causing changes in our climate, and some of these changes can be traced to solid waste. The manufacture, distribution, and use of products-as well as management of the resulting waste-all result in greenhouse gas emissions. Our energy production, product consumption and irresponsible waste management contribute directly to climate change by adding carbon-based particles into the air, which are produced during the burning of petroleum products. The result is warmer air, creating a disastrous greenhouse effect.The disposal and treatment of waste can produce emissions of several greenhouse gases (GHGs), which contribute to global climate change. The most significant GHG gas produced from waste is methane. It is released during the breakdown of organic matter in landfills. Other forms of waste disposal also produce GHGs but these are mainly in the form of carbon dioxide (a less powerful GHG). Even the recycling of waste produces some emissions (although these are offset by the reduction in fossil fuels that would be required to obtain new raw materials). Waste prevention and recycling help address global climate change by decreasing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions and saving energy.