Waste management

Question 1

What did RA 9003 define solid waste management (SWM) as?

Answer 1

The discipline concerned with the control of the generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing, and disposal of solid waste in the interest of protecting public health and the environment

Question 2

What are the six elements/steps of solid waste management

Answer 2

Generation
Storage
Collection
Transport
Processing
Disposal

Question 3

What is Generation is SWM?

Answer 3

The amount and characteristics of solid waste generated are dependent on what products there are

Question 4

What is the relationship of waste generation to the environment?

Answer 4

When waste generation increases, environmental and health risks also increase

Question 5

What is the best way to reduce waste generation?

Answer 5

The best strategy is to reduce at the source, or source reduction
Find ways to minimize our waste, whether it’s refusing to buy single-use products, buying in bulk, reusing items, or consuming fewer products

Question 6

How is storage related to waste management

Answer 6

Waste must be stored and it should be segregated by categories (compostables, dry paper, recyclables, and other waste)

Question 7

Why is storage necessary for waste management

Answer 7

Segregation smooths out the process of recovery and preservation of resources
Improper segregation can lead to some types of waste no longer being classified as recyclable

Question 8

How is collection related to waste management

Answer 8

The waste collection involves gathering these from the storage sources for transport to recycling facilities or disposal sites (Garbage collectors collecting wastes from our household)

Question 9

How is transport related to waste management

Answer 9

Waste is typically transported to a processing or disposal site
The steps of collection and transport can take up a significant portion of implementing a SWM system.

Question 10

How is processing related to solid waste management

Answer 10

Processing refers to the potential recovery of resources at recycling plants.
This step improves efficiency as it can divert some potion of recoverable waste away from the total waste to be disposed

Question 11

Where can the processing of waste happen

Answer 11

It can start at home where we recover reusable materials but it mostly happens in recycling/processing plants

Question 12

How is disposal related to solid waste management

Answer 12

appropriate disposal sites are considered and are decided upon through consideration of factors such as economy, availability of technology, and potential environmental impacts

Question 13

What are commonly available methods for solid waste disposal

Answer 13

Open Dumpsites
Sanitary Landfills
Controlled dumpsites
Incinerators
Recycle Parks

Question 14

What is an open dumpsite

Answer 14

It is one of the oldest methods for disposal
Cost-effective but highly unsanitary (Payatas Dumpsite)
Banned in most developed countries

Question 15

What is a sanitary landfill

Answer 15

It is the most acceptable way to dispose of trash
It has the highest cost compared to the other dumping methods

Question 16

What are controlled dumps

Answer 16

A compromise between open dumps and sanitary landfills
Fenced off the area and used cover material to bury waste

Question 17

What are incinerators

Answer 17

Burning waste can reduce waste volume but produces ash (pollution)
RA 8749 prohibited incinerators in the country

Question 18

What are recycling parks

Answer 18

Designed to divert as much waste as possible consciously
Involve the community in finding ways to repair, reuse, and recycle
Tries to remove the image of a dirty sector and frame SWM as a green job

Question 19

What is the solid waste management hierarchy

Answer 19

An inverted pyramid and promotes an integrated approach to waste management and wise use of resources

Question 20

What are the 6 aspects of the SWM hierarchy?

Answer 20

Avoidance/Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
Recovery
Treatment
Disposal/Landfill

Question 21

Why is avoiding the most important

Answer 21

Source reduction is the priority
When we reduce our consumption, we reduce the waste we produce
Avoid by refusing

Question 22

Why is reuse the second-best option

Answer 22

We can use materials again with no further processing (reusing bags, repairing equipment, selling/donating)
It keeps materials in the productive economy and decreases the need for the extraction of new materials

Question 23

Why is recycling the third-best option

Answer 23

Proces of collecting used goods for extracting and reprocessing raw materials
New goods are made
Reduces the need to extract raw materials, but energy is still used to produce new goods

Question 24

Why is recovery the fourth-best option

Answer 24

Recovery refers to composting biodegradable waste and using it as a soil conditioner
effective use of material since it recovers back healthier soils while reducing the remaining waste

Question 25

Why is Treating the fifth-best option

Answer 25

Treatment can refer to energy recovery or disinfection of waste Energy recovery uses waste-to-energy systems It can undergo incineration, pyrolysis, and bio-digesters (contribute to pollution)

Question 26

Why is disposing of the least favored option in the SWM hierarchy

Answer 26

The least preferred strategy: is unsustainable, and promotes a linear view of the waste stream (cradle-to-grave instead of cradle-to-cradle) When prior strategies are done effectively, the portion of the waste left in the end will be significantly smaller reducing negative impacts

Question 27

What is RA 8749

Answer 27

It bans incineration but exempts traditional small-scale methods of burning (siga) and traditional practices (agricultural, food, cremation, cultural) Local governments are also mandated to implement SWM (waste segregation, recycling, and composting)

Question 28

What is RA 9003

Answer 28

It is grounded on the principles of maximizing resource recovery, waste avoidance, and volume reduction Seeks strategies to strengthen integration of SWM into academic curricula

Question 29

What can be seen in RA 9003

Answer 29

Establishes SWM Boards on provincial, city, and municipal levels Open dumps are set for closure and phase-out and standards are set for storage, collection, and transport of waste Materials Recovery Facilities (MCF) are also established in every barangay

Question 30

RA 11898

Answer 30

Producers must produce products that are made according to internationally accepted principles of sustainable consumption and production and the circular economy.

Question 31

What is the focus of a circular economy

Answer 31

An economic model of creating value by extending product lifespan through improved design and servicing, and minimizing waste. It is seen as an almost closed "loop"

Question 32

What is a circular economy

Answer 32

Moving from cradle-to-grave (linear) to cradle-to-cradle (circular) Considers not only how the product is made but also used and by whom

Question 33

What are the two kinds of material flow

Answer 33

Biological and Technical: Combining contaminants, making materials unsalvageable