Dispose the right way -let's make 2019 cleaner

What's your 2019 resolution? Have you ever thought of how your resolution can affect your environment? The issue of waste disposal is universal. Most people dispose their dirt the wrong way because they either don't know what could be the outcome or they simply don't care. With this article, please learn why you should not dispose your wastes wrongly and how you can dispose the right way.

Why should we care about the way we dispose our wastes?

See garbage affecting both plants and animals in the environment

I'll give two scenarios with two options to choose from each. After each scenario, I'll explain the outcome of the option you choose to follow then you'll rethink and do the right thing. Let's get started

Walking on the road

You're walking on the road, you just finished consuming a snack and the waste bin is far from you. Here are some options too choose from: (1) You throw it to the ground and leave it there (it's easier to do so) or (2) You discipline yourself and hold it till you get to the waste bin (requires self control and the dirt might cause inconvenience but you've been able to dispose the right way). Let's examine the outcome of both options

When you throw it away in the street, here's a few of the possible outcomes:

It remains in your street, littering your environment. It makes your environment look ugly
An animal might think it's food and eat it. The dirt, along with other toxic microbes/elements attached to it from the street, would cause illness on that animal. Who knows if the illness could be transmitted to your pets and other domestic animals. Who knows if the illness can be transmitted to you?
The dirt would find its way to the sea, blocking sunlight from reaching aquatic plants, making the sea look ugly or even poisoning some aquatic animals that think its food.
Remember that a major cause of flood in a city is blocked drainage. Guess what's blocking the drainage...

Read Flooding across the world today; ways to prevent flooding and case study

The list of negative outcomes are endless. Let's now check out some positive outcomes that might happen if we decide to dispose it the right way (taking it to the waste bin)

If it's recyclable or reusable, you're reducing the amount of natural resources used to produce new ones when dispose it correctly
If it is organic, it can be used as a source of manure, bio fuel or even feed when handled properly by people who need it
You're helping both plants and animals from being suffocated and/or poisoned
You're helping your environment to be clean and safe by just disposing correctly

Notice how the results of discipline and laziness are just words and opposite? Let's look at the next scenario

Facing a large amount of garbage

You have some wastes at home, they're becoming too much that you think the best option will be to burn them (ease of packing stress). Well, the sad truth is that a lot of people (especially in developing countries) still burn their wastes because they feel that it is the easiest way of saying bye to a large quantity of dirt.

What could possibly go wrong when we burn then?

Let's start with our fellow humans. Humans, just like other organisms, require/breathe in oxygen in respiration. Normally, there's about 20% oxygen in the air. Burning would increase the amount of toxic gases in the air and reduce the amount of oxygen therefore rendering the air unbreathable for we and the humans around us.
Some of the gases released into the atmosphere are greenhouse gases (they stay in the atmosphere, store heat and are the major cause of global warming today). When we burn, we're adding to the heat of the earth.
Talking about rain, you must've heard of acid rain but very few people realise where it goes to. You see, when the rain comes to the ground, our plants take in both the water and whatever toxic element it carries as well. These plants feed us. Do you see how we're poisoning our selves?

What could possibly go wrong when we burn our wastes?

Instead of burning dirt, why not dispose it properly so you can avoid these things? Do I really need to state the outcomes of disposing it correctly instead of burning? I don't think so.

Like i always said, telling people to stop doing bad is not good enough. It's good you also tell them what to do to replace the bad they've been doing. Only so is it complete. How can we dispose the right way?

How do we dispose the right way?

Well, I remember when I typed that the issue of waste disposal is universal. I am not so sure that the solution to waste disposal is universal (can be applied same way everywhere). The technology and zeal to dispose correctly are different from region to region. One thing is constant though, 'We're in this together'. If I dispose correctly but all my friends don't, am making no or very low impact on the environment.

We can only do this when we do it together. The government and other zealous people can support as well;

Making waste bins more available
Creating factories that either recycle or only produce recyclable alternatives to non-recyclable products
Creating awareness campaigns like my colleagues and I did. Read about our campaign 'Environmental issues awareness and plastic pollution campaign'
Make laws to stop burning illegally.
Show people more ways they can reuse their wastes or even sell them to people that can reuse them.

May I request that you consider your environment and the Earth at large in your new year resolution? Just start acting and help others act right as well. My 2019 resolution is 'consistency'. I'll keep doing what is right and showing people the way to do what is right as well.

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