| Environment & Ecosystem |
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The population of the world is rapidly growing. Advances in medicine are enabling people to live longer, and the increased availability of food through modern farming methods means that death rates are much lower than birth rates in developing countries.
The increasing population compounded by lifestyle changes, is putting ever greater demands on natural resources and the environment. There is a greater demand for raw materials, renewables and non-renewables, which in turn is producing more waste and pollution.
Environmental pollution is the contamination of air, water and land from man-made waste. Toxic elements introduced into the natural environment cause instability, disorder, harm, and discomfort to the ecosystem. Pollution leads to depletion of the ozone layer, global warming, and climate change.
Waste pollution is one of the biggest threats facing our environment today. Whilst waste collected from homes, offices, and industries may be recycled or burnt in incinerators, a large amount of rubbish is bypass these processes and is rather sent to landfill sites.
The demand for these landfill sites is becoming more and more acute, especially in the developing countries. The rising standards of living also mean that we are throwing more away, which is increasing the quantity of solid waste.
Many governments around the Globe are adopting a Zero Waste Plan which aims to change how waste is viewed and managed.
Zero Waste means making the most efficient use of resources by minimising demand on primary resources, and maximising the reuse, recycling and recovery of secondary resources instead of treating them as waste. The Zero Waste aspiration will also help governments to achieve climate change goals and assist in sustainable financial growth.
We all share responsibility for dealing with our waste. |
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