ARTICLE-WASTE DISPOSAL AFFECTS THE ENVIRONMENT

Today, the world faces problems caused by waste disposal and it is time we play our role to save the environment.

Waste management is important so that we can dispose off the waste without harming the environment or health of the society.

Reducing, reusing and recycling items should be practised by all. Educating people about saving the environment from a young age is very important. Unwanted items could be useful to others and recyclable items could be reprocessed into other useful items.

People should understand the consequences of their irresponsible actions such as dumping rubbish into the rivers or in public places. The local authorities as well should take action against the culprits and most importantly the negative attitudes of people need to change.

The whole community should rise and join hands to make a difference, that is to make the environment a cleaner and safer place to live in.

What is waste?

Waste is an unwanted substance. It is known as rubbish,trash,garbage or junk depending on the type of material. Living things dispose of waste or toxins from their bodies. There are many waste types which include municipal solid waste, commercial waste and hazardous waste. Waste can be divided into its physical, chemical and biological characteristics.

Solid wastes are waste materials that contain less than 70% of water. They are household garbage,some industrial waste, some mining wastes, and oilfield wastes such as drill cuttings.

Liquid wastes are usually wastewater that contain less than 1% solids. Such waste may contain a lot of dissolved salts and metals.

Sludge is between liquid and solid. Such wastes may contain high concentrations of dissolved salts and metals. Sludge is a class of waste between liquid and solid. They usually contain between 3% and 25% solids, while the rest of the material is water dissolved materials.

Some components of wastes have economical value and can be recycled once correctly recovered. Waste that some people discard may be useful to others. Waste materials are a valuable resource and people should take advantage of this.

Biodegradable waste such as food waste and sewage is broken down naturally by microorganisms. Uncontrolled disposal of biodegradable wastes can cause the release of green house gases that are bad for health as they can cause climate change.

Waste management

Waste management is the collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal and monitoring of waste materials. It is done to reduce their effect on health and environment. Waste management can involve solid,liquid,gaseous or

radioactive substances with different methods for each.

Waste management practices differ for developed and developing nations, for urban and rural areas and for residential and industrial producers. Management for non-hazardous residential and institutional waste in town areas is usually

the responsibility of local government authorities, while management for non-hazardous commercial and industrial waste is usually the responsibility of the generator .

Waste pollution - the impact on the environment.

Littering




















Littering is the most common visible form of solid waste pollution. The most common irresponsible practice is disposing of waste in public places. Despite signboards forbidding littering, the public still ignore them and continue littering.

Marine debris

Marine debris known as marine litter, is human-created waste that has been deliberately dumped or accidentally become afloat in a lake, sea, ocean or waterway. Four fifths of the ocean debris is seaward from landfills, and washed seaward by storm drains. Other forms of pollution include illegal dumping and leachin



Illegal dumping

Illegal dumping is disposal of materials on private or public land especially in remote areas. Leaching is the process by which contaminants from solid waste enter soil and often ground water system, contaminating them.

Disposal Methods

Landfills

Disposing of waste in a landfill involves burying the waste which is a common practice in most countries.

Landfills were often established in abandoned or unused quarries, mining voids or borrow pits. Plastics, metals and glass remain in landfills for millions of years before they break down.

Properly managed landfill

A properly designed and well-managed landfill can be a hygienic and relatively inexpensive method of disposing of waste materials. A modern landfill has methods to contain leachate such as clay or plastic lining material.

Deposited waste is normally compacted to increase its density and stability and covered to prevent attracting mice and rats. Many landfills have landfill gas extraction systems to extract the landfill gas. Gas is pumped out of the landfill or burnt in a gas engine to generate electricity. Tractors carry loads of sand and soil to fill up the landfills layer after layer. Some landfills are turned into parks and residential areas.

Poorly managed landfill

Older, poorly designed or poorly managed landfills can create environmental impacts such as wind-blown litter, attraction of vermin and generation of liquid leachate. Another byproduct of landfills is gas composed of methane and carbon dioxide which is produced as organic waste breaks down . This gas can create odour problems or unpleasant smell, kill vegetation, and is a greenhouse gas.

Rats, stray dogs and flies are a common sight. People cannot bear the unpleasant smell when the wind blows it to their house. It is very unhealthy to live near a poorly managed landfill.

Incineration

Incineration is a disposal method that involves combustion of waste materials. Incineration converts waste materials into heat, gas,steam and ash. Incineration is carried out both on a small scale by individuals and on a large scale by industry. It is used to dispose of solid,liquid and gaseous waste.

It is a practical method of disposing of certain hazardous waste materials such as biological medical waste. Incineration is common in Japan where land is scarce. Waste -to- energy or energy-from-waste are broad terms for facilities that burn waste in incinerators

Recycling Methods

PVC, LDPE, PP, and PS (see resin identification code) are also recyclable, although these are not commonly collected. These items are usually composed of a single type of material, making them relatively easy to recycle into new products. The recycling of complex products (such as computers and electronic equipment) is more difficult, due to the additional dismantling and separation required.

Plastic recycling is recovering scraps or waste plastic and reprocessing the material into useful products.

Because of the many types of plastics , they each carry a resin identification code and must be sorted before they can be recycled.

Paper can be recycled by reducing it to pulp and combining it with pulp from newly harvested wood as the quality of the paper decreases after recycling. Some types of paper are difficult to recycle

Glass can be collected by trucks and bottle banks . It may be sorted out into colour categories. At the glass recycling plant, the glass cullet is cleaned. The cullet is crushed and added to a raw material in a melting furnace. It is blown or melted into new jars or bottles.

Aluminium cans,scrap metals, appliances and building materials are detected by electro magnets. They are melted down and turned into new metallic products.

Textile or clothings and shoes can be sorted out and donated to the needy. This recycling practice is good. In fibre reclamation mills, textiles are sorted out according to types and colours. The recycled textiles are redyed . Therecycled yarn can be woven or made into cloth.

Timber recycling is popular as consumers would buy recycled timber products as they would like to protect the trees and forest from being destroyed.

Greenpeace viewed recycled timber as an environmentally friendly product.

Biological Reprocessing

Composting

Waste materials that are organic in nature, such as plants, food scraps and paper products can be recycled using biological composting to decompose the organic matter. The resulting organic material is then recycled as mulch or compost for agricultural or landscaping purposes.

In addition, water gas from the process (such as methane) can be captured and used for generating electricity. This method is to quicken the natural process of decomposition of organic matter.

An example of waste management through composting is the Gre en Bin P rogram in Toronto , Canada, where household organic waste like kitchen scraps and plant cuttings are collected in a dedicated container and then composted.

Energy Recovery

From Waste To Energy

Anaerobic digestion component of Lubec k mechanical biological treatment plant in Germany, 2007.

The energy content of waste products can be harnessed directly by using them as direct combustion fuel or indirectly by processing them into another type of fuel.

Recycling through thermal treatment ranges from using waste as a fuel source for cooking or heating, to fuel for boilers to generate steam and electricity in a turbine. Solid waste can also be converted into solid , liquid and gas products. The g as is then burnt to produce electricity and steam.

Avoidance and Reduction Method

Waste Minimisation

The principle is to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Waste reduction is important. Consumers must reuse second-hand products and repair broken items instead of buying new. Products must be designed so that they are refillable or reusable such as cotton bags instead of plastic bags. We must discourage the use of disposable products such as styrofoam boxes. We can use tiffin carriers and tupperwares instead.

Old clothes and shoes can be donated to the poor. Plastic sheets and big pieces of cloth are sent to countries which need them.

Beautiful and creative handicrafts are made out of unwanted items. They are valuable and sold as souvenirs and presented as gifts to loved ones. Unique structures and landscaping are created from recycled items.











Waste hierarchy

Waste Handling and Transport

Garbage trucks

Local authorities or private industry handle waste collection. Where there is no formal waste collection system like in some rural areas, rubbish is burnt and buried. Some countries practise curbside collection. Big recycling bins are provided.

Residents of the area separate their rubbish before throwing them into the bins. They bring their recyclable items to collecting centres. Some agencies or groups of people will provide them and send them to be recycled properly.

However mostly, the recycling process is expensive and getting the public cooperation is difficult. Therefore, many people just dump their rubbish anywhere.

Education And Awareness

Education and awareness in the area of waste and waste management is more important globally. The Talloires Declaration shows concern about the seriousness of environmental pollution and degradation and the depletion of natural resources.

Air pollution , accumulation and distribution of toxic wastes, destruction and depletion of forests,soil and water. The depletion of the ozone layer and emission of "green house" gases threaten the survival of humans and other living things. There is a need to prot ect the earth and environment for the future generations.

Various organisations such as SAM ( Sahabat Alam Malaysia )or Friends of The Earth Malaysia, Friends of the Earth International, Greenpeace and others. They organise awareness campaigns and educate people about the importance of the appropriate way of disposal of rubbish and recycling recyclable items. School teachers and parents together play an important role in educating the young. They should be good role models and practise what they teach.

Supermarkets and private companies could sponsor environmental projects such as recycling and cleanliness campaigns.

BACKYARD SALE

CHILDREN WITH THEIR CREATIVE RECYCLED ITEMS

COOPERATION AND DISCUSSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

CELEBRATE EARTH DAY STOP USING PLASTIC BAGS

Websites:
Environmental Groups

Greenpeace - http://www.greenpeace.org/

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) or Friends Of The Earth Malaysia
www.foe-malaysia.org

Friends Of The Earth International - http://www.foei.org/

Searches made with Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_disposal#Methods

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recyclable_waste

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landfills

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composting

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling

OTHER SEARCHES DONE BY USING GOOGLE SEARCH,IMAGES & PICASSA WEB

TO THE FOLLOWING WE WISH TO EXPRESS
OUR THANKS AND APPRECIATION:

LMS EDUCATION OFFICE,

ESPECIALLY TN HJ MAT LAZIM, LMS DISTRICT EDUCATION OFFICER
AND EN MD RAVI, ICT OFFICER

LECTURERS & FACILITATORS FROM UPSI,

JPN PERAK AND ICT OFFICERS,

S.K. SELAMA HEADMISTRESS,PN HJH JAMAIYAH

EN FADLI NCER FACILITATOR &

ALL FRIENDS

WHO HAVE HELPED TO MAKE THIS PROJECT SUCCESSFUL

SAVING OUR ENVIRONMENT

ANAK PERAK ICT PROJECT 2009- PPD Larut, Matang & Selama/ JPN Perak/ UPSI
( In conjunction with the LMS ICT Month, 15 June - 15 July 2009)
School : Sekolah Kebangsaan Selama Code: ABB6071
Address: Jalan Menteri, 34100 Selama, Perak
Portal Rasmi: http://www.skselama.net/
Blog ICT : http://www.skselama.blogspot.com/
Subject : English Language ( integrated with Science )
Year : Year 5
Unit 3 : Saving Our Environment
Title of Project: Waste Disposal Affects The Environment
Theme : World Of Knowledge
Learning Outcomes:

• Pupils should be able to understand how the cleanliness of the environment should be maintained by focusing on waste or garbage disposal and recycling.


• Pupils should be able to use Web 2.0 Application in the course of the ICT Project, create their own blogs and share their ICT skills and knowledge with their peers.

Web 2.0 Teaching Tools: Members of the ICT Team carried out the project by using Web 2.0 Application. It includes using Google Search, Google Documents, Google Presentions, Google Maps, Picasa Web Album, Blogs, Wikipedia, Twitter and Portal .

Members Of The ICT Team and their personal blogs: Mdm Oon Lay Wah, English Teacher (http://www.laywah.blogspot.com/)
Pupils from Yr 6 Gemilang: Mohamad Khairul Ikhwan b. Mohamad Saufee, (http://ikhwanskselama.blogspot.com/ )

(Ameer Firdaus b. Ahmad Fauzi ( http://ameerfirdausict.blogspot.com/) and
Aliff Iqbal b. Mazufil Hanim ( http://aliffiqbalict.blogspot.com/)

RECYCLING CAMPAIGN

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE - LET'S SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT

22 JUNE, 2009- The Recycling Campaign was launched in S.K. Selama to instil awareness among its pupils and staff here of the importance of recycling. With its theme "Reduce, Reuse and Recycle", it is hoped that everyone will play their part seriously to save the environment. In a simple ceremony during the weekly assembly, the headmistress, Pn Hjh Jamaiyah reminded the pupils especially to use the recycle bins correctly. The ICT team members, Ikhwan, Ameer and Aliff received a token of appreciation for participating in the Anak Perak PPD LMS ICT Competition entitled," Waste Disposal Affects The Environment". By using Web Application 2.0 , which includes Google Docs, Picassa Web Album, Google Search, Google Present, Twitter and blogs , the members of the team share their findings and present their assignment. It is a

wonderful new experience for these young boys especially.

13 June, 2009, The S.K. Selama Alumni Committee Officially Formed

It is definately a day to remember as the Alumni Committee is officially formed today. It is hoped that the Alumni will serve as a platform for all ex-pupils to meet, interact with one another and contribute to their alma mater. For a start, this committee will be working hard on a campaign drive to encourage as many ex-pupils as possible to be members of the alumni and the portal. Whatever it is, we all have to join hands together to ensure success in any project. Congratulations to the committee members who have been appointed into the committee. Dr Mahmood Othman, UiTM senior lecturer is its Chairman. The two Vice Chairman are Mr Lingaeswaran a/l R. Subramanian,PJK and Mr Eddie Chua Soo Seong, PPT. Its secretary is Pn Khananun Hana Abdul Hamid and Assistant Secretary is En Abdul Rauff Tajuddin. The treasurer is Tn Hj Zaaba Zainuddin. The 15 committee members are En Mohd Roslan Bani Amin, Tn Hj Fuaddin Kamaruddin, Dr Md Taufik Hidayat, Pn Nazirah Abdul Rahim, En Zainal Abidin Mansor, Pn Siti Kartiwi Zainal Abidin, Mdm Oon Lay Wah, Mdm Yee Siew Lan, Mdm Lee Tai Pin, Cik Fatin Ajlaa Abd Kamal, En Shafiq Abd Aziz, En Md Husni Md Ariffin, Miss Rupa Devi, En Md Syaiful Izham Md Tamin and En Hasnan Jamaluddin. A good networking among all committee members through internet will be a wonderful idea.

Larut Matang & Selama District ICT Month 2009

15 June - 15 July is ICT Month for Larut, Matang & Selama District 2009. Hopefully, all teachers ,pupils and even parents are aware of the importance of ICT knowledge. Thus, are interested to learn and improve on their computer skills. Teachers and pupils must grab the opportunity to learn theseskills and apply them effectively in the teaching & learning process.

With the introduction of Web 2.0 application it is hoped that both teachers and pupils are able to work as a team even from their own homes to complete a project. On top of the school computer laboratory, the cITaKU Lab run by facilitator, En Fadly Hadi from the NCER team provides ICT knowledge to both the teachers and pupils.

The ICT Camp from 1 to 12 June, 2009 has benefitted the Yr 4 and 5 pupils. These pupils have learnt to create emails, surf the websites for information, create greeting cards and their own blogs. Hope, the S.K. Selama ICT Team which is participating in the Anak Perak UPSI ICT Competition will gain a lot of new experience as its members venture into this new project. We believe in, " Nothing Venture, Nothing Gain".

In addition, it will relaunch the recyling campaign in school in order that pupils will use the recycle bins correctly. With the cooperation from the Art and Living Skills teachers, the pupils will be able to create beautiful posters and make handicrafts from recycled objects.

Then, only will the ICT Project entitled,"Waste Disposal AffectsThe Environment" be effective in raising awareness among all pupils in the school to play their role in keeping the environment clean. Thanks for your cooperation in making this ICT Month a great success.

What The ICT Project Is All About

It is an environmental issue and the title of our project is "Waste Disposal Affects Our Environment"

What saddens the whole world is the disposal of rubbish in the wrong way. In all forms rubbish, garbage or waste is disposed off in different ways. However, it is the bad attitudes of human beings that had caused many problems to the environment. Thus, it had affected the health of human beings badly , destroyed marine life and the beauty of natural surroundings.

What gave me the idea to pick this topic for my group project was what I saw when passing through the jungle of Pondok Tanjong on the way to Taiping or back to Selama. These photos speak a thousand words. It is already shocking to the monkeys here which had found their habitat being destroyed and intruded now it is getting worse.

The so called 'generous ' human beings have been throwing plastic bags of 'food' or what nots for the monkeys, even matresses for the romantic monkeys to sleep on, I guess. What a shame, not only have human beings done enough destruction, now to make it worse, they have created an eye-sore in the area. Stretches of rubbish are strewn on both sides of the road despite the warning sign reminding them not to feed the monkeys or litter there and the condition has been like this for months and nobody cares to clear it.

Kids in the ICT Team have been given tasks to do and I hope they are learning fast.

S.K. Selama ICT Team

The Anak Perak Competition For LMS Schools In Conjunction With ICT Month 2009

Thank you for giving the kids this opportunity. As it is their first try, we are still going at snail's pace. However, with encouragement, determination, confidence and enthusiasm injected, we hope to meet the objectives and complete the project on time. This hols will be a busy time for us. Winning the competition is not important but the experience for the beginners is.

The members of the team are:

Teacher : Mdm Oon Lay Wah

Pupils:

 

Ameer Firdaus b. Ahmad Fauzi, 12

Khairul Ikhwan b. Saufi, 12

Aliff Iqbal b. Mazufil Hanim, 12