The increasing number of people and growing demand for goods and services in our society is rapidly changing the way we live, and in turn, changing our environment. We are now experiencing more pollution and waste than ever before – not only in our towns and cities but also in rural areas where development has become less concentrated.

There are a lot of industrial wastes that are not safe for the environment. As one of the leading asbestos surveys & removal services, we have witnessed the amount of irreversible damage that improper waste disposal has caused. From pollution to global warming, there are a lot of horrible things happening to our planet because of our negligence. So, we need to take a serious look at our approach to waste disposal. 

The need for sustainable waste disposal

We have all seen the devastating images of rainforests burning in South America or plastic waste littering our oceans. It’s a problem we’re all aware of, but it’s hard to know what to do about it.

The climate emergency and biodiversity crisis are two sides of the same coin, and they are both man-made. But we can’t be too prescriptive when it comes to what companies and individuals should do to heal the environment.

All we know is that sustainable waste management is a pressing issue for the environment. We have limited resources and our planet needs to be protected.

The main aim of sustainable waste management is to reduce the consumption of natural resources, reuse the resources that have already been taken, and generate as little amount of waste as possible.

This can be achieved through sustainable disposal methods, such as recycling and reusing materials on-site or sending them to an off-site landfill. And while these methods are more expensive than illegally dumping the materials, they are better for human health and the environment. Therefore, they need your attention!

4 ways to dispose of your industrial waste sustainably

Segregation

The first step in sustainable waste disposal is segregation. This means separating different types of waste from each other, so they can be managed properly. 

That’s why it is important to know what kind of waste you are dealing with, so you can dispose of it correctly and reduce your environmental impact. If you hire a contractor to manage your industrial waste, they will typically collect all your waste, segregate it at an off-site location and then send each type to its proper destination. 

For instance, asbestos waste is now classed as hazardous waste and must be disposed of in accordance with government regulations. Once a popular building material, asbestos has been linked to serious health conditions, such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. So, the primary concern when disposing of asbestos waste is that it must be done in a safe manner so that the health of humans, animals, and the environment aren’t put at risk.

When you work with asbestos removal specialists at Asbestos Gone, you can rest assured that your waste is properly segregated and taken care of by experts who know how to handle asbestos. 

Besides, by hiring a contractor, you will no longer be responsible for handling your own waste, which will reduce your liability risk. 

Recycling

If you are a business owner, you have a legal duty to dispose of your commercial waste responsibly. This means you must take all reasonable steps to prevent pollution, harm to human health or injury to living organisms.

The most common waste disposal option is to consider recycling. Recycling can be a sustainable alternative to simply throwing away your waste and can often reduce your costs as well.

A good example of this is in the construction industry. It is now commonplace to rely on concrete blocks in construction, but this comes at a huge cost to the environment. Concrete production is not only extremely energy-intensive but also highly polluting, and blocks tend to be used once and then thrown away.

If you are looking for an environmentally friendly way to dispose of your industrial waste, then consider reusing it as an aggregate in concrete blocks. This can reduce the environmental impact of construction waste by up to 30%.

In fact, the United Kingdom manages to recycle roughly 90% of all construction waste every year. So, sustainable disposal of waste isn’t impossible to achieve.

Composting

If you cannot find a way to reuse or recycle the waste, you should consider composting. Composting is an environmentally friendly alternative to burning or burying waste in landfills. It is a natural process that can reduce the amount of waste you send to landfills.

Composting has three main benefits:

• It reduces the amount of greenhouse gases produced as a result of transportation and landfilling of waste.

• It produces rich humus that can be used on land as a natural fertilizer and soil conditioner, reducing the use of chemical fertilizers in agricultural production.

• It improves soil structure, aeration and water retention, which contributes to the growth of healthy plants.

Composting is the last sustainable step in disposing of your industrial waste. So, it is crucial for businesses not to skip over this. 

Landfills

You’d be forgiven for thinking that “industrial waste” is the kind of thing that’s only produced by the most environmentally unfriendly corporations. But you might be surprised to learn that every business, from a restaurant to a clothing store, produces some form of industrial waste. The only difference is that not all of it is hazardous. 

If your industrial waste is not hazardous, then it can be sent to a municipal solid waste landfill. However, not all landfills are created equal. So, you will want to make sure that there are no regulations or local laws that prevent you from using a particular landfill before you sign a contract with them. 

For example, some landfills require that demolition debris be separated from other types of construction materials. Make sure you know the finer print before you begin your sustainable waste disposal journey.