Introduction
Due to the increased human activities and pressure on natural resources becoming worse day by day, necessary precautions have to be taken to reduce it. If the same goes in a continual process at this rate, life on earth would become unsustainable. Many scientists and environmentalists are working to implement certain strategies to control environmental pollution. Due to some reasons, it is not happening. They made some plans on how to control environmental pollution, but eventually, the implementation had vanished. In contrast to the solid waste that we see in our household garbage bins, there are also industrial, medical, mining, and agricultural wastes. The environment has mostly been polluted by improper disposal of waste. Therefore, it is needed to keep an eye over waste disposal regularly.
When we look upon the effects of soil, air, and water pollution, the need to reduce environmental pollution comes into the picture. The required measures should be taken on an individual basis to reduce environmental pollution in the neighborhood as well, which should lead to a cleaner environment. Pollution occurs primarily because of the discharge of wastes and inefficient disposal. We should have a certain waste management strategy that should perform properly from its inception until the final disposal.
Waste Management
Every day, across thousands of cities in India, large quantities of waste materials are generated. Waste materials can be of many types, like domestic waste, chemical waste, and medical waste. Out of all this, domestic waste is one of the largest contributors to pollution in our cities as domestic waste is produced from every house, and hence, there should be a proper system to check the collection of domestic waste along with its proper treatment and disposal. All this comes under Waste Management.
To ensure proper collection of wastes, Municipal Organizations of the various cities in India should take a cue and ensure that there is proper infrastructure in place by which the collection of garbage from homes can be done. Also, this waste needs to be classified as plastic and non-plastic waste because the disposal of waste becomes much easier. To ensure proper disposal of waste, governments need to come up with innovative techniques as just throwing the garbage in open sinks leads to a host of environmental concerns. The disposal methods of plastic and non-plastic waste need very different technologies.
Collection of Wastes
The domestic waste generated should be collected into the bins and transferred to the municipal workers who take them to disposable sites. And there, the waste is sorted out and separated as biodegradable and non-biodegradable. The plastic wastes, non-biodegradable, such as bottles, plastic bags, and more, are sent for recycling. On the other side, the biodegradable wastes are deposited on the land and converted as compost.
If the waste is not collected properly for disposal, then it will be on its way into the sewers. And some amounts are eaten by the cattle - non-biodegradable wastes, including plastic bags and metal scrap, choke the sewers and cause incontinence. The cattle swallow these polythene bags and choke their throat. It becomes difficult for them to breathe and may lead to death.
Disposal of Wastes
All of us should follow the practice of collecting waste and disposing of it properly. If certain waste management techniques are not implemented, then it may result in epidemics due to groundwater contamination leading to Water Pollution. It is especially hazardous to the people who work with the wastes. For example, the rag pickers and a few workers who were involved in waste disposal. They are largely affected because they don’t follow any protective measures like wearing gloves and masks while handling the wastes.
Improper disposal may also allow poisonous gases to escape into the atmosphere and cause Air Pollution. In addition, the vehicles and the industries pumping hazardous gases, either directly or indirectly, affect humans’ lives and contribute to Air Pollution.
As responsible citizens, we should participate in proper waste disposal management and cooperate with the government. Throwing wastes at inappropriate locations should be strictly avoided. Efforts are taken to reduce vehicular emissions by encouraging the use of public transport, carpooling, and finding greener alternatives to the existing fuel. Encouraging the use of renewable sources of energy will go a long way in making our planet safer and healthier to live in.
Strategies to Reduce Waste
The strategies required to control pollution and reduce waste are as follows:
Ensure a proper collection system across municipalities of the waste generated in towns and cities.
Identify these wastes as medical, electrical, domestic waste, etc.
Classify these waste materials like plastic or non-plastic waste.
Non-Plastic waste materials have various uses like they can be used as fertilizers or they can be used as fuel materials to generate electricity in plants under controlled conditions.
Plastic, on the other hand, takes hundreds of years to decompose. Hence, the disposal of plastic requires innovation and new technologies, like using plastic to make roads.
In recent years, various breakthroughs have been made in this field that deal with providing alternatives to plastic, like using plates made up of leaves, the discovery of bacteria that decomposes a certain type of plastic, use of shopping bags that are made of decomposable materials instead of plastic, etc.
Strategies to Reduce Air Pollution
One of the ways to lessen air pollution is by using less fossil fuel. Some of the pollution control strategies to follow to reduce air pollution include the following:
Instead of driving, select to walk or ride a bike whenever possible.
Choose public transportation, instead of using own/commercial vehicles.
Maintain your vehicle tires with proper inflation.
Turn the lights off when you are about to leave a room.
Replace energy-hungry incandescent bulbs with some compact fluorescent bulbs or LEDs.
Go for natural resources like Windmills or Solar plates to avail electricity.
Plant more trees! Because trees filter air by inhaling carbon dioxide and providing fresh air.
Strategies to Reduce Environmental Pollution
Environmental pollution is also a major global concern due to the harmful effects of pollution on a person’s health and on the environment as well. Some of the strategies that are to be followed to lessen environmental pollution include the following:
Stop smoking or at least follow “No Smoking” regulations at public places.
Do not use open fires for waste disposal.
Instead of plastic, use eco-friendly or biodegradable products, because plastic-like products are highly toxic in nature.
Maintain proper waste disposal, especially for toxic wastes, and plan some strategies to reduce waste.
Do not litter in public places, and some anti-litter campaigns should be run to educate the public.
Don’t cause loud noises or unwanted sounds.
FAQs on Strategies to Control Pollution and Reduce Waste
1. How to Reduce Garbage/Waste at Home and How to Recycle a Few Things?
Think before you buy some toxic items. Do you really need it? Do you already have any substitutions to do? Can you borrow the item? If you have to buy it, then consider how the items are packaged. Can the packaging be reused (like glass jars), recycled, or composted? Or is that a wasteful packaging?
Start composting some food scraps at home itself. Bokashi system is a perfect system for all your food scraps. It means no more food wastes should go into the garbage.
Perform a waste audit for every certain period of time and think carefully when you are going to buy any no biodegradable or toxic items. They are like, What are the main materials in our garbage? How can we reduce, reuse, or recycle such things?
2. What are the Best Methods to Reduce Pollution?
Choose to reduce whatever we can, reuse whatever we can, and also recycle whatever we can.
Increase usage efficiency. Use mobile for longer till it becomes outdated. If there is something at home that is not being used, give it or sell it to someone who can use it and by doing so, it prevents that person from buying a new thing and polluting the earth.
Reduce the usage of plastics. Buy refills/reusable packs instead of plastic containers.
Learn to live with fewer expenses. One can find better ways to stretch that money and make it last longer. The less money we use, the less we pollute. Prefer savings and help people in need.
Segregate your garbage as wet, dry, and human waste. It becomes easier to recycle and less goes to the landfill.
Carpool or cycle, if possible. Use organic fertilizers/pesticides on farms instead of artificial ones.
Don’t waste anything. Treat certain wastes as a resource.
3. What is the need to have a proper garbage disposal system?
Domestic waste is produced by all households in India. This waste, at the beginning, is harmless, but if left in the open, it starts to decompose and produce a very pungent smell. Also, such open hosts are a breeding ground for parasites, bacteria, and many harmful diseases. Hence, to keep our cities clean of this menace, a proper collection and disposal system of garbage needs to be put in place.
4. What is the biggest challenge in the disposal of waste?
The biggest challenge in the disposal of waste is to understand the characteristics of these waste materials. Plastic waste materials are easier to separate, but their disposal methods are vastly different from non-plastic materials, which can decompose and hence be used as fertilizer for farmers or as fuel in power plants. Also, medical waste is harmful and toxic, and hence, their disposal is done under careful observation.
5. What are the biggest challenges to waste collection?
The biggest challenge in the waste collection is to create awareness among people so that they only dispose of their garbage to municipal workers who can then take the garbage to disposal units. Many times, it has been seen that people throw their garbage on the streets, and in a short span of time, there develops a cesspool of garbage near our streets, which is not only extremely dirty from the considerations of hygiene, but also develops toxic byproducts.
6. What are the government schemes which are targeted at garbage collection and disposal?
Indian cities regularly feature among the dirtiest in the world. Seeing this pitiful condition of our cities, the government launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, which was focused to work on both fronts to create awareness among the minds of the common people to take cleanliness seriously and also to invest in infrastructure, which will ensure proper garbage collection and disposal.
7. What are the consequences of not controlling pollution?
The Indian way of life is very closely linked to our interaction with nature, the philosophies and ancient wisdom had a purpose to remind us that no matter how much development we can make until our environment is in such conditions which can support our lifestyle, development has no meaning. Such was the importance given by our ancestors to the conservation and preservation of nature.
