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Additionally, wastes are such items which people are require to discard, for example by lay because of their hazardous properties. Many items can be considered as waste e.g., household rubbish, sewage sludge, wastes from manufacturing activities, packaging items, discarded cars, old televisions, garden waste, old paint containers etc. Thus all our daily activities can give rise to a large variety of different wastes arising from different sources.

Over 1.8 billion tonnes of waste are generated each year in Europe. This equals to 3.5 tonnes per person. This is mainly made up of waste coming from households, commercial activities (e.g., shops, restaurants, hospitals etc.), industry (e.g, pharmaceutical companies, clothes manufacturers etc.), agriculture (e.g., slurry), construction and demolition projects, mining and quarrying activities and from the generation of energy. With such vast quantities of waste being produced, it is of vital importance that it is managed in such a way that it does not cause any harm to either human health or to the environment.

There are a number of different options available for the treatment and management of waste including prevention, minimisation, re-use, recycling, energy recovery and disposal. Under EU policy, landfilling is seen as the last resort and should only be used when all the other options have been exhausted , i.e., only material that cannot be prevented, re-used, recycled or otherwise treated should be landfilled.

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

Waste collected from residences, commercial buildings, institutions such as hospitals and schools, and light industrial operations is most often categorized as municipal solid waste. MSW consists primarily of paper, containers and packaging, food wastes, yard trimmings, and other inorganic wastes. Municipal solid waste can also include industrial sludge, classified as hazardous or non-hazardous, resulting from a wide array of mining, construction, and manufacturing processes.

In 2006, Americans generated more than 250 million tons of trash. Nearly 33 percent, 82 million tons of materials, was recycled; the energy equivalent of more than 10 billion gallons of gasoline. More than 30 million tons (12.5 percent) were combusted through an energy recovery process, and approximately 138 million tons (55 percent) of materials were discarded in landfills. Municipal waste, when properly managed, does not pose an immediate threat to human health or the environment.

Hazardous Waste

Waste material that is flammable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic ? which can be in the form of a solid, liquid, or gas ? is defined as hazardous waste. Although the term often evokes an image of items marked with skull and crossbones, many hazardous wastes include products used every day, including paint, used oil from cars, batteries, shoe polish, and even laundry detergent. In addition, many of the items that we rely upon generate hazardous waste during the process of their production.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reported that 279 million tons of hazardous wastes were generated in 1996; ninety-six percent of which was industrial process water by-product waste. In 1997 the EPA made a rule change that separated industrial wastewater from hazardous waste reporting. This change can clearly be seen in current reporting numbers; in 2005 the EPA reported hazardous waste generation of just under 38.5 million tons.

Businesses that generate hazardous wastes are required by legislation to manage them from generation to disposal. The waste is often treated to change its biological, chemical, or physical characteristics in order to make it less hazardous or to reduce its overall volume. Some hazardous materials can be recycled if it is environmentally safe to do so, although it can be expensive. Any leftover waste is then safely disposed of to further neutralize any adverse affects to human health or the environment. Today, many industries are attempting to reduce their generation of hazardous waste by modifying their manufacturing processes or by replacing hazardous materials with less hazardous or non-hazardous substitutes.

E-Waste

A new and growing segment of our waste stream is termed ?e-waste.' Although not clearly defined, e-waste applies to much of the electronic equipment used by businesses and individual consumers that are nearing the end of their usefulness. This includes, but is not limited to, computers, fax machines, copiers, and televisions.

A factor that complicates disposal of these items is that certain components contain hazardous materials. The cathode ray tubes in computer monitors and televisions are an example. As such, many old electronics sit idle due to the uncertainty of how to manage them.

Yet, many of these products can be reused, refurbished, or recycled. There are a number of options to reuse equipment that can still function ? from selling it to someone who can use it or giving it as a charitable donation. Many non-working items can be refurbished in order to recover them into working condition. Finally, any components that cannot be repaired can often be recycled.

Although there no federal regulation for e-waste, some states have taken various approaches toward its management. Many states, including Massachusetts , Florida , and New York , have streamlined their regulations to increase the level of recycling. On the other hand, in 1993 California passed the Electronic Waste Recycling Act; yet, they also regulate cathode ray tubes as hazardous waste, banning them from regular trash disposal.