Inadequate inorganic waste
With the presence of mayors and representatives of the municipalities of the province of Chiloé (Los Lagos Region), a ceremony was held to launch the project “Implementation of an integrated solid household waste management strategy”, an activity headed by the Minister of the Environment, Carolina Schmidt, and the Undersecretary of the same portfolio, Javier Naranjo, which is part of the Provincial Waste Management Strategy of Chiloé, in a day held at the Centro de Creación (Cecrea) in Castro.
“From Chiloé we are making a very profound change in the way we take care of nature on the island, managing our waste in a different way. Because if we want to take care of this tremendous natural heritage, we cannot continue doing things as they have been done in the past, looking for a hole to dump the garbage we generate, but we have to completely transform the way in which we reduce the amount of garbage, through composting and recycling, with an integrated waste management in the territory that is sustainable, to have a clean and garbage-free Chiloé”, stressed Minister Schmidt.
What is the origin of solid waste in the environment?
ReCrea Lago Llanquihue, is a private initiative that arises from the citizen demand to enable responsible waste management and since its implementation in August 2017, through environmental education and the promotion of recycling, seeks to generate a change in behavior around the care of nature.
Its education program, successfully applied in the Mirador del Lago, Inmaculada Concepción and Colegio Puerto Varas schools, is focused on students from first grade to fourth grade and through work in the classroom and support for the work of teachers, promotes, encourages and educates on environmental issues. In turn, through the implementation of Green Points, more than 6,400 people will have daily access to recycling.
Causes of poor solid waste management
Improper waste management has negative impacts. On the one hand it can affect health, in the form of diseases; or it can also have detrimental effects on the environment: on the aesthetics of cities, natural landscapes and their species, and on the contamination of water, soil and air. All of these affect our quality of life.
“A waste is a substance or object that its generator discards or has the intention or obligation to discard according to current regulations”. This is how the Law for the Promotion of Recycling and Extended Producer Responsibility defines it.
With respect to their risk, hazardous waste is classified as waste that may be waste or a mixture of waste that presents health risks and/or adverse effects on the environment. They also have characteristics of corrosiveness, reactivity, toxicity and flammability.
The correct disposal of waste is essential to avoid its negative impact on the environment. Especially when dealing with hazardous waste, what are the consequences of poor waste management?
Inadequate organic waste
Good waste management is essential to protect the environment. As the population grows, waste generation increases. And if it is not properly treated, it ends up in landfills and incinerators. This causes environmental problems that affect the soil, water and air.
In addition to these environmental problems, there is also the impact on people’s health and quality of life. For example, poor waste management means an increase in waste and this will lead to a time when there is no space to treat and classify it. This can generate more pollution and health problems due to poor air quality. But pollution is also one of the causes of climate change, which is provoking forced displacements due to natural causes such as floods or droughts, forcing millions of people to leave their homes. If we are not committed to sustainable development, including good waste management, in addition to the environmental impact, we must take into account the negative effects that will be produced in many economic activities such as tourism or agriculture.