Managing Non-Biodegradable Waste
Non-biodegradable waste, such as plastic, requires specific management strategies to minimize environmental harm. Burning it in open air causes air pollution, while burying it can lead to soil and water contamination over long periods.
Best Practice: Recycling and Reuse
The most effective method for managing non-biodegradable waste like plastic is to recycle and reuse it. This approach:
- Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills.
- Conserves natural resources by creating new products from old materials.
- Decreases the energy required compared to producing items from raw materials.
- Minimizes pollution associated with waste disposal.
Evaluating Other Options
- Burning in open air: Releases harmful pollutants like dioxins and greenhouse gases, contributing to air pollution and health problems.
- Burying in soil (Landfilling): Non-biodegradable materials persist for hundreds or thousands of years, potentially leaching harmful chemicals into the soil and groundwater.
- Mixing with compost: Plastic does not decompose in a compost environment. Adding it contaminates the compost, making it unsuitable for use and requiring further separation.
Therefore, recycling and reusing plastic waste is the environmentally responsible and sustainable choice.
Important Questions from Ecology and Environment
Which one of the following cities is associated with Biosaftey protocol to the Convention on Biological Diversity (2000) ?
The following six (6) items consist of two statements, Statement I and Statement II. Examine these two statements carefully and select the answer using the code given below.
Statement I: Phytoplankton produce most of the organic carbon in the ocean.
Statement II: Algae are produced in the cold water biome.
Which one of the following is the correct sequence about various levels of organization of Biosphere?
In India, Project Tiger started in ________.
The process of wastewater treatment is commonly called ______ treatment.
