Future Domestic Waste Production Scenarios and Options for Its Disposal Research Paper

Domestic Waste Production

The production and disposal of waste has a dramatic environmental impact. There are three main sectors of waste generation in the UK, including commercial and industrial, construction and demolition, and local authority collected or municipal waste (including household waste) (1). Household waste generation in the UK has decreased in recent years, while recycling behaviors have increased (1). Behaviors and drivers associated with waste generation among households are explored in the following discussion.

There are many sources from which waste can arise, including households, business, construction, agriculture, mining, and sewage (4). Strategies for dealing with these various types of waste can be conceptualized in a hierarchy that indicateds which methods of waste management should be considered given the environmental impact of each type of waste (4). This framework entails waste prevention through reducing use resources, then the reusing of products, and finally recycling of materials (4). This framework indicates that the smallest amount of waste possible should go to the landfill, and this waste should only be comprised of residual material (4). Research has indicated that the rate at which the UK consumes natural resources is unsustainable and has a detrimental effect on climate change (2).

Of primary interest in the present investigation is local authority waste, including household waste. Local authority waste is defined as household waste and business waste that is collected by the local authority, while household waste is defined as waste generated directly from households (1). Statistical information regarding houselhold waste is generally most comprehensive due to the fact that the government is generally responsible for managing this type of waste (3). Total household waste in England for 2009/2012 was 23,666 tonnes, of which 9,398 tonnes, or 39.7% was recycled (1). Household waste accounted for 89% of the total local authority collected waste in 2009/10 (1). Of the amount of household waste that was recycled, there was a significant increase in composting, or green recycling, from 1.6% in 1997/98, to 15.7% in 2009/10 (1). In regards to regional differences, the highest rate of recycling in England in 2009/10 was observed in the East of England at a rate of 46.1, while the lowest recycling rate was seen in London, at a rate of 31.8% (1).

In general, waste production within the UK has been on the decline steadily, reaching a total of 288.6mt in the year 2008 (1). The largest contributor to this waste production was the construction and demolition sector (1), In regards to local authority collected waste, 32.5 mt was collected in the UK in 2009, which was either landfilled (49%) or had value recovered (42%) (1). Of local authority collected waste in England, 23.7mt was accounted for by household waste, which was either recycled (39%) or landfilled (47%) (1). With the decline in waste generation, an increase in conscious household activities has increased, as 40% of household waste since 2003….....