COVID-19 AS A TRIGGER FOR THE GENERATION OF ORGANIC WASTE
Author: @madridbg, through Power Point 2010, using public domain images.
Welcome dear readers, it has become familiar in my publications to address the scientific topic from the chemical point of view as well as the effects of climate change on our planet, without forgetting the educational perspectives that we have assumed with the arrival of the current pandemic.
In this sense, in order to generate a greater conceptual diversification in my blog, in this installment we will be addressing the consequences that COVID-19 has generated in terms of waste generated by the community in general.
It is no secret that even a year after the beginning of the pandemic, the levels of contamination by emissions of polluting gases have decreased considerably, which in a way has improved environmental conditions and has helped the planet's carrying capacity to be restored little by little.
Fig. 2. Solid waste has become a major problem in these pandemic times. Author: RitaE
However, this improvement, which has awakened positive emotions in many people, has on the other hand awakened despair in others, especially in those who are in charge of solid waste treatment in large cities. Thus, the confinement produced by the COVID-19, has awakened an unsustainable growth of waste, which has given rise to this problem to worsen more and more.
Staying at home has increased online shopping, which in turn causes the increase of plastic materials, cardboard, glass, among others, which accumulate from our homes and end up generating visual, aesthetic and unhealthy pollution that ultimately end up affecting the general population.
This alteration that is visualized today represents a variation of the global dynamics of the materials generated, to the point of altering their composition, as well as the unusual production of waste. On the other hand, it is no secret that in many countries, long before the pandemic, poor management of solid waste was observed and with this excessive increase in equipment, facilities and the final disposal of the material will end up becoming a problem with serious alterations in our environment.
Fig. 3. At present, there are major failures in the solid material collection system. Author: Syahdan Cahya Nugraha
In our country, Venezuela, a large part of these materials are found in the streets of large cities, as well as in rural areas, due to the simple fact of not having the necessary logistics and material for the timely collection of these materials.
Therefore, it is necessary to implement from the public administration a strategy of sustainable management to ensure safe handling and proper disposal of these materials, in order to minimize the environmental damage that we can generate.
In this sense, I would like to know your opinion on this matter.
BIBLIOGRAPHY CONSULTED
[1] Sanchez. Post-pandemic challenges in solid waste management. CienciAmerica (2021) Vol. 10 (1)
ISSN-L 1390-9592 ISSN-L 1390-681X. Article: Online Access
[2] J. TARIFA / C. MENDIETA. THE ENVIRONMENT IN COMPANIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL COMPANIES. Article: Online Access
OF INTEREST
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Hello @madridbg!
Very informative and thoughtful post. The truth that this situation will bring serious consequences to the environment if measures are not taken in time, companies have only focused on meeting the needs of their customers and not looking for a way to manage the waste produced, from our homes we must work to marry the least possible impact. Greetings
Certainly the pandemic brought with it an increase in waste due to a higher volume of online shopping, just ordering food at home means using more disposable plastic products, something for which the collection companies were not prepared, especially in countries where this service is deficient.
Hello @madridbg , i think this issue can be address by the government by burning all this waste in an incinerator so as not to contaminate the environment or atmosphere .
Thanks for shearing.
Usually those who protect this sytem are those who are throughing those masks everywhere. It's interesting to see someone act like he/she is caring about others to not infect them, while wearing so much masks and poluing the envirement ! ☺