The catastrophic effects of today’s poor waste management systems are listed below:

Waste Management & Soil Contamination

Ideally, we would like our plastic, glass, metal and paper waste to end up at a recycling facility. It then returns to us as a renewable product. But the reality is entirely different. 

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Water Contamination via Improper Wastes

Water is an excellent solvent; it can contain numerous dissolved chemicals. As a  result, while moving through, water picks up pollution along the way. It often has dissolved substances like various chemicals and gases.

Rainfall easily mixes to toxic liquid substances and seeps into the water streams to end up in nearby water bodies. Thus, the neighbourhood fountain, pond, lake or even drinking water taps are susceptible to the dangers of contamination.

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Severe Weather Due to Climate Contamination

Firstly, harmful greenhouse gases are created from decomposing waste. These rise up to the atmosphere and trap heat. This adversely causes extreme weather reactions in the form of storms and typhoons.

How else are we impacted? Well, apart from temperature what is also drastically affected is the level of precipitation in the air. From acid rain to severe hail storms or global warming – everything is fair game at present. This also spreads out into other areas with regards to subdivisions such as thermal and radioactive pollution.

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How The Air is Contaminated

Let’s talk about the ozone layer first. A lot of it leaves us feeling hopeless for we feel unable to make necessary changes. We think we cannot consume any less. Even so, we can, at least, follow strict protocol over how it’s recycled. 

On the occasions paper and plastic are burned at the landfill, causing landfill gas, the chemicals released which accumulate and contribute to the ozone layer and also hurt the surrounding human population. Methane gas adds to it as well. Besides, with chemicals such as dioxin out there, the air has been proven to have harmful effects on us.

All of it, and especially when improper waste management is concerned, play a significant role in causing global warming. 

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Human Damage

Consider the majority of the human population where we do not see any scientific waste management system. Such places may possess a system, but there is no disposal area to be found.

Those who are at significant risk are:

• Children and those who live near such facilities

• Waste disposal workers

• Employees whose workplaces manufacture or come into contact with waste materials

Think about the fires at landfills and its effects on us. Whether coming from the air or its accumulation in our cellars, those landfill gases have been exposed for causing cancer, create respiratory and visibility problems, and the explosion of cans put people nearby at constant risk.          [epa.gov.us]

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