Nowadays, there is a rapid increase in the population of the planet. And this leads to an increase in the volume of consumed resources. As a result, mankind has faced a new problem associated with an increase in the amount of various kinds of waste. Not all discarded objects and substances can be disposed of. Most of the waste is transported to landfills, which over time can lead to an environmental disaster.
What is waste
According to the law, waste is all objects, materials and substances formed as a result of production or operation, as well as goods that have lost their consumer value, are unsuitable for further use and must be disposed of or destroyed. Hazardous waste is substances and objects whose physical, biological and chemical properties are harmful to living things and require special treatment and disposal.
Classification of waste by hazard class
Depending on the level of exposure to the human body, all household and industrial waste is divided into groups. For different objects pollution (solid objects, liquid substances, hazardous fumes, etc.), separate hazard classes are defined. The legislation of the Russian Federation established 5 classes of human waste and production processes:
- 1st class - emergency waste. The level of negative impact on living things of such objects is very high. The accumulation of waste of class 1 gradually leads to the destruction of the environment, which cannot be corrected.
- Class 2 - highly hazardous waste. The degree of environmental impact is indicated as high. This group of waste greatly violates the ecosystem, the recovery period of which is more than 30 years after eliminating the effects of the destructive factor.
- Grade 3 - moderately hazardous waste and substances. The level of destruction is estimated as average, and the period of recovery of the external environment can last at least 10 years.
- Grade 4 - low hazardous waste. The degree of impact on the environment is characterized as low, it will take at least 3 years after the elimination of the harmful factor to restore the ecological balance.
- Grade 5 - non - hazardous waste. Items and substances of this group affect the ecology to a low degree, practically without violating its components.
Waste 4, 5 hazard class are the most harmless to human health.
What relates to grade 5
In Russia, the following wastes are classified as hazard class 5:
- eggshell;
- natural wood shavings and sawdust;
- wooden packaging;
- pieces of cardboard, paper, corrugated cardboard;
- straw and wood ash;
- unusable ceramics;
- crushed stone that has lost consumer value;
- broken building bricks;
- gypsum waste;
- used abrasive wheels;
- boiler scale;
- solid waste cement;
- cast iron, steel scrap, unusable residues of ferrous metals and aluminum;
- steel shavings;
- iron barrels;
- plastic products;
- polyethylene waste - film, bags;
- bulky housing waste;
- large household garbage of various enterprises and organizations;
- food waste from restaurants, cafes ;
- garbage after cleaning large areas and premises of the wholesale and retail trade;
- waste and defective electric lamps;
- waste of insulated cables and wires;
- garbage after cleaning educational, cultural and sports facilities.
All wastes of the 5th hazard class, the list of which is indicated above, are familiar to everyone. All of them are in fact the products of human life .
Features of waste storage
Waste of hazard class 5 is carried out in accordance with regulatory requirements. So, for temporary storage of garbage special sites should be designed. Important requirements for such places:
- they should be located on the windiest side of the building;
- there should be a canopy above the site that will protect the waste from precipitation;
- the surface of the territory should have a resistant coating (for example, cement);
- along the perimeter of the territory there must necessarily be a network of storm drains with special treatment facilities.
It is forbidden to connect the storm drains of the territory with the city rain sewer or to discharge polluted waters into the nearest water bodies.
Waste management at the district, city or oblast level is regulated by local authorities, provided that regional regulations do not contradict federal laws.
Waste Transportation
Waste of hazard class 5 is carried out by licensed enterprises. The timing and frequency of export from temporary storage areas is regulated by the accumulation limits established by the relevant project.
Waste can only be transported by means of transport specially designed for this purpose, which must have a specific designation. Wastes of classes 5 and 4 are transported to landfills. They can be there until the processing company takes them for recycling.
Utilization of household and industrial waste
The use of waste of hazard class 5 is a serious task, the solution of which should be addressed not only by processing enterprises, but by the whole state. Recycling industrial and household waste is important not only for the preservation of the environment. This process has industrial value. So, during the burning or fermentation of organic substances, energy and raw materials are generated for the production of composts, building materials, etc.
In Russia, waste of the 5th hazard class, the list of which is indicated above, is recycled by individual enterprises. They have a special license for the transportation and disposal of such substances and objects. The only type of material that does not require permission to process is plastic. In this case, it is enough to obtain a certificate on the belonging of the waste to a certain class. Such a document is issued by an accredited laboratory after identification of the waste.
World garbage disposal practice
Many countries prefer to use incinerators. They not only allow you to destroy waste, but also make it possible to convert heat into useful energy. The greatest effect from the disposal of class 5 waste can be obtained by using integrated technology - processing of one type of material and burning of other types of garbage . World experts in this field argue that in the near future the processing of class 5 waste with the production of electric and thermal energy will be the main method of disposal. They suggest that states should create waste incinerators, which will be sorted and disposed of hazard class 5 waste for subsequent processing. That is, entire processing systems will be created, in the structure of which specialized plants for the disposal of certain types of raw materials - glass, paper, wood, metal, etc. will work.
The issue of disposal in countries with limited territory is especially relevant. For example, in Sweden it is forbidden to dispose of waste. In this country, garbage is used as a source of raw materials and fuel. Therefore, the disposal of hazard class 5 waste in landfills is not even considered there. Local authorities consider household and industrial waste to be a cost-effective resource for making good money. Sweden now uses processing technologies to provide heat and energy to entire cities.
Why you need to recycle waste hazard class 5
The list of wastes of this group was compiled by experts after careful research and analysis. Thus, their safety is proven and documented by certain organizations. Despite this, the disposal of waste class 5 is necessary. Although objects and substances of this group do not cause significant harm to nature and man, they pose a completely different threat.
The fact is that the amount of such waste is constantly growing every day. Used things, expired products, different containers and packaging - all this very soon falls into the landfill. Therefore, the disposal of hazard class 5 wastes is considered a problem of the whole modern society and requires competent organization in order to prevent global environmental disasters in the future.
Waste smuggling
It would seem that the disposal of safe waste is not a priority issue that should be addressed by the state. But in fact, this process requires close monitoring of the highest state structures. The fact is that some enterprises are trying to dispose of waste 4, 5 hazard class together. Recycling class 5 waste is much cheaper than items and substances of group 4. And many organizations take advantage of this. State control authorities closely monitor compliance with the requirements of laws and may be fined in case of violations. Therefore, it is better to adhere to environmental safety rules and correctly distribute waste of hazard class 5. The list of such substances and materials must be known to enterprises of all directions.