Waste Management

The Effects Of Improper Disposal Of Waste On The

Environment
1. Waste is materials that are no longer needed.

2. Waste consists of many such as industrial waste, household waste and agricultural waste.

3. The waste found in a rubbish bin may consist of plastic, glass, paper, chemical
waste, organic waste and metal.

4. Waste cause pollution.’

5. Waste that is not disposed properly can bring about many bad effects.

6. Toxic waste from factories and industries that include empty paint cans and containers
used to store chemicals can cause soil and water pollution.
7. Toxic waste must be treated and changed into harmless substances before they
are disposed.
8. Toxic waste items also come from our houses such as
- lead-acid batteries
- disposable batteries
- paint containers

9. Therefore, these wastes need to be disposed of properly.

Improper waste disposal

10. Examples of improper ways of disposing waste are shown in figure above.
 HARMFUL EFFECTS OF IMPROPER WASTE
DISPOSAL
1. It can cause pollution of the environment.

2. Open burning of rubbish and agricultural waste can cause haze.

3. Improper disposal of waste will make our environment dirty and untidy.

4. A dirty environment is unhealthy

5. When waste is not disposed of properly, it can cause.

- air pollution
- water pollution
- sickness and diseases due to rats, flies and cockroaches
- acid rain
- flash flood

Air Pollution

1. Air pollution is caused by open burning, forest fires, and the release of smoke from
factories and motor vehicles.

2. Open burning of rubbish gives off a lot of smoke.

3. Smoke from the open burning of rubbish and forest can cause haze.

Smoke and harmful gases produced by

factories and motor vehicles.
Water Pollution

1. The rivers and seas have been used as dumping grounds for all kinds of waste materials.

2. We throw rubbish into the drains that lead to the rivers.

3. Factories dispose of their waste materials into rivers.

4. These waste materials contain toxic and poisonous substances.

Disposal of waste materials into the rivers.

5. The rivers and seas can become polluted.

6. The poisonous waste material can kill fish.

7. Since we also depend on our rivers and seas for food, our health can be affected if we eat
fish from polluted waters.

8. The oil not only pollutes the seas and the oceans but pollutes the beaches too.

9. This can destroy the habitat of water organisms.

Oil from a ship spills into the sea

Sickness and Diseases

1. The rubbish that we throw away can be harmful to the environment.

2. Improper disposal of rubbish makes our environment dirty and unpleasant.

3. Some rubbish will not decay when buried.

4. Some rubbish will give off poisonous gases when it decays.

5. Rubbish dumps are places where rats and flies breed.

6. These animals can carry germs from the rubbish and spread sickness and diseases to us.

7. For examples, bacteria carried by flies can cause typhoid.

Rats and flies are attracted to rubbish

8. The flies carry bacteria from infected faeces to food.

9. Rubbish such as plastic bottles, cans, flower pots and old tyres can collect water.

10. The Aedes aegypti mosquito breeds in the water collected in these containers
found among the rubbish.

11. The mosquito carries the virus that cause dengue fever.
Acid Rain

1. Factories and motor vehicles release smoke and gases that can cause acid rain.

2. Acid rain can kill plants.

Acid rain

4. It can pollute the rivers and kill fish.

5. Acid rain can make iron rust easily.

6. This can destroy buildings and bridges.

Flash Floods

1. The improper disposal of waste materials into the drains and rivers can block the rivers.

2. It prevents the flow of river water.

3. The water cannot flow down the rivers.

4. It causes the water to overflow into the land causing flash floods.

5. This can cause flash floods during heavy rains.

6. Flash food can destroy homes and property.

Flash floods destroy property

PROPER WAYS OF WASTE DISPOSAL
1. To prevent water pollution, we must not allow rubbish or waste water to enter the
drains, canals and rivers.

2. Waste water from factories must be treated.

3. Harmful substances must be removed before the waste water is discharged into
the drains.

4. Waste water must be treated in a sewage treatment plant before it is safe to be

discharged into the sea.

5. All rubbish must be burned in incinerators.

6. We should reduce the number of cars on the roads.

7. Factories should be fitted with long chimneys.

8. These chimneys should be fitted with cleaning devices to remove harmful substances
from smoke.

SOME WASTE CAN DECAY

1. Some waste can decay, while others do not.

2. Some microorganisms cause waste to decay.

3. Organic waste such as leftover food, vegetables, meat, paper and wood can decay.

4. They will be recycled by nature.

5. Biodegradable waste undergoes disintegration into simpler substances

through decompose microorganisms.

6. These microorganisms feed on the dead matter and break them down into simple forms.

7. During the decaying process, nutrients are returned back to the soil and will be
absorbed by plants.

8. Waste can be divided into two groups:

- able to decay or biodegradable
- do not decay or non-biodegradable
 9. Examples of biodegradable waste are vegetables, meat, papers, wood, and plants.

10. Examples of non-biodegradable waste are glass, plastic bottle, tin can and rubber.

11. Disposing of non-biodegradable waste is a problem

.
12. Non-biodegradable waste cannot decay when buried.

13. The decaying of waste has its advantages and disadvantages

.
14. Waste that does not decay will accumulate around us.