Improper Waste Management Case Study
In 2013, the Institute of Mechanical Engineers from the United Kingdom reported that over half of the world’s food ends up in the garbage bin, with around 1.2 billion tonnes never making it onto a plate. The main causes of this problem is very strict use-by or expiration dates, and our obsession with wanting aesthetically perfect food. For example, fruits and vegetables that are still edible, nutritious and tasty are often discarded because they are slightly bruised or deformed.
Pictured above:
Deformed fruits and vegetables that are usually tossed out for their lack of cosmetic perfection
Overconsumption is not limited to food alone. With the general increase in household wealth, comes our curious need to buy or possess more and more …show more content…
In countries like the Philippines and Malaysia, flash floods are known to happen during the rainy season due to drains clogged by rubbish that impede the flow of rainwater. These floods cause damage to infrastructure, agriculture, significantly decreases productivity as many businesses and workers are forced to stop operations to tend to their families and homes. The cost of aiding these people affected by the floods are huge, as emergency services are dispatched to treat the injured and give assistance to the infirm, as well as distributing food and other necessities to the flood …show more content…
WHAT CAN AN INDIVIDUAL DO?
Reduce/ Reuse
Avoid using plastic items such as disposable cutlery and plates.
Bring along plastic bags or cloth bags when going shopping
Donate old clothing, furniture, electronic gadgets and toys instead of tossing them out
Recycle
Sort out household waste into their proper categories such as plastic, glass, paper so that they can be properly recycled or repurposed, instead of ending up in a landfill. This reduces the resources used up from nature to produce more goods, and also controls the impact of air, water and land pollution.
Compost
Organic waste, like fruits, vegetables, egg shells, leftover food, animal excrement, and plant clippings can be composted. This method basically breaks down waste that is easily biodegradable, and eventually the product can be used as a fertiliser to return vitality to soil. Composting can be done at home, for one’s own garden, or it can be carried out on a much larger scale for agriculture. Composting is regarded to be one of the backbones of organic
Pictured above:
Deformed fruits and vegetables that are usually tossed out for their lack of cosmetic perfection
Overconsumption is not limited to food alone. With the general increase in household wealth, comes our curious need to buy or possess more and more …show more content…
In countries like the Philippines and Malaysia, flash floods are known to happen during the rainy season due to drains clogged by rubbish that impede the flow of rainwater. These floods cause damage to infrastructure, agriculture, significantly decreases productivity as many businesses and workers are forced to stop operations to tend to their families and homes. The cost of aiding these people affected by the floods are huge, as emergency services are dispatched to treat the injured and give assistance to the infirm, as well as distributing food and other necessities to the flood …show more content…
WHAT CAN AN INDIVIDUAL DO?
Reduce/ Reuse
Avoid using plastic items such as disposable cutlery and plates.
Bring along plastic bags or cloth bags when going shopping
Donate old clothing, furniture, electronic gadgets and toys instead of tossing them out
Recycle
Sort out household waste into their proper categories such as plastic, glass, paper so that they can be properly recycled or repurposed, instead of ending up in a landfill. This reduces the resources used up from nature to produce more goods, and also controls the impact of air, water and land pollution.
Compost
Organic waste, like fruits, vegetables, egg shells, leftover food, animal excrement, and plant clippings can be composted. This method basically breaks down waste that is easily biodegradable, and eventually the product can be used as a fertiliser to return vitality to soil. Composting can be done at home, for one’s own garden, or it can be carried out on a much larger scale for agriculture. Composting is regarded to be one of the backbones of organic