Photo by Bill McChesney is licensed under CC BY 2.0
Trash is a dirty, smelly, complicated and critical issue for government. In 2012, the world generated about 1.3 billion tons of waste. By 2025, that volume will rise to about 2.2 billion tons. Government officials struggle valiantly to deal with all kinds of issues related to the disposal of trash. At the center of the chaos is an industry known as waste management and thousands of public officials who are responsible for overflowing landfills, environmental issues, increased costs and air quality. The industry is evolving in ways that are vital to future generations and the world’s environment.
Innovation in the waste industry has come a long way, but the “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle” campaign has not been as effective as most had hoped. Overwhelming quantities of waste are still sent to growing landfills or to pollution-inducing incineration.
Despite its potential, recycling has been difficult to implement successfully. Cities have tried all types of approaches, but the efforts have not met expectations. And, at the same time, municipalities have tried numerous ways to reduce the amount of trash that has to be handled.
This year, Seattle became the first city to legally mandate composting. Homeowners are being fined for not sorting their garbage. Trash bins that do not have separated garbage are tagged with a red sticker, indicating noncompliance, and a hefty fee will result. The city also fines residents with trash bins that contain more than 10 percent of food waste, recyclable items and food-soiled paper. This is not a popular mandate.
In Norman, Okla., the city invested $2.3 million in a program that composts wastewater sludge with yard waste and woodchips. The process reduces infectious bacteria in treated materials and the city then uses the sludge-yard waste byproduct in public parks and on greenbelts.
In Wisconsin, the city of Appleton has also invested in its composting program. By 2017, it will spend $1.6 million to upgrade compost services and will create products to be used in nurseries and commercial landscapes. Some cities are testing whether the product created can result in a significant revenue stream back to the city.
Other cities and municipalities have invested in a different type of technology to improve waste management processes. The city of Richmond, Virginia, is using sun-powered trash compactors that reduce both operational costs and trash overflows. As technology changes the world in so many other ways, it’s good to know that the problem of waste management has not been ignored.
Government agencies are doing all they can to keep up with the pace of technological advancement. For you to do so too, contact SPI’s team of experts and subscribe to our newsletters.