The Hidden Cost of Improper Waste Disposal

Understanding Improper Waste Disposal and Its Consequences

Now you may read the title and be thinking...'What do you mean by improper waste disposal'?

Well, in a nutshell, improper waste disposal is any time that you chuck rubbish away, without using the proper techniques. This could be anything from: Littering, Burning, Dumping or Fly-Tipping!

You may not know this, but even by throwing a tiny bit of litter on the floor, you are having a big impact on the environment around you...and not in a positive way! 

The fly-tippers out there may think that they are tipping for free when they dump their waste illegally, but the hidden costs to the environment & public can be extremely costly!

It is not just illegal fly-tippers & burners that can cause issues though...landfills, oil spills, chemical leaks, any form of improper waste disposal be this on purpose or accidental, can be extremely detrimental to the environment around them if not managed correctly. 

In this blog, we will be diving deeper into the world of improper waste disposal and the real hidden costs behind this. The penalties for being caught, the short term effects, the long term casualties & the environmental impacts that it has!

It won't be pretty. 

2. Environmental and Economic Cost of Improper Waste Disposal

What is the actual impact of improper waste disposal? What hidden costs of improper waste disposal do we not see? 
Let's find out:

Environmental Impact

Ecosystems and Biodiversity: When waste is disposed of illegally or improperly, it disrupts ecosystems. For instance, plastic in oceans harming sea-life, (We have all seen the pictures of birds or turtles stuck in a plastic 6 pack holder).

It isn't just marine life that is affected by our pollution & improper waste disposal management though. Land wildlife can ingest or become entangled in waste, which can lead to serious injury or death!

Birds, Cats, Dogs they all have a risk of injury due to OUR improper waste management.

Climate Change: We all hear about climate change...not as much these days, as it looks like the trend has died down, which we believe it shouldn't have!

Climate change is still very much real and landfills which are a common place for improperly managed waste, can emit potent greenhouse gases such as methane that damages the climate! (No, it isn't the cows farting that is impacting the ozone layer), its the layers and layers of improper waste stinking & rotting away on landfills. 

Pollution of Air, Water, and Soil: Again, we go back to landfills (they are taking one hell of a beating so far) and rightly so...all of us at Busy Bins detest landfills. When waste is improperly burned or dumped, it releases toxins into the environment. 

Burning waste, especially plastic can release harmful chemicals into the air which greatly affects the air quality...to think back in the day, you would have been burning all the waste no matter what it is!

When waste is improperly dumped or burned, it releases toxins into the environment. 

Economic Impact

Cleanup and Restoration Costs: Fly tippers cost governments IE US, money! Any illegally dumped waste needs cleaning up, and the people who dumped it aren't going to come back and help are they. This means that taxpayers will have to contribute to the bill. 

When it comes to larger spills, for instance the BP oil spills back in 2010....This created worldwide outrage & the film Deepwater Horizon, which shows the tragedy. The amount of damage caused to the marine life due to this spillage was devastating & the clean up ran into millions & millions of dollars.

BP got fined & had to pay criminal damages, clean up fines & settlements up to 60 BILLION DOLLARS!

Healthcare Costs: In populations that have an issue with improper disposal of waste management, healthcare costs can spiral. Respiratory illnesses are common place due to air pollution, you will also find waterborne diseases from contaminated waste.

These all add to growing healthcare costs if waste isn't disposed of correctly. 

3. Health Risks Associated with Poor Waste Management Practices

There are plenty of health risks that come with poor waste management practices. Health risks that can pose a serious threat to life...this is why disposing of waste properly is so important.

Water Contamination: When hazardous chemicals from waste gets into groundwater, rivers or lakes this contaminates drinking water. Fresh, water sources are crucial for our health, but unfortunately, some major companies & governments take liberties when it comes to the waste management of this. 

The most recent scandal being in Flint, Michigan. This scandal claimed that all the fresh, glacier water was being transferred to the GM Motors warehouses to clean their engines, and the dirty water was being transferred to the residents of Flint.

The dirty water was so bad that when GM Motors was receiving the same water as the residents of Flint, the water was actually that contaminated it was eroding the engines! GM Motors demanded to get the fresh water and the governor agreed. 

Still this didn't stop the government from letting the residents drink it!

If you haven't seen the Netflix documentary on it, we suggest you watch it. It is called: Flint Town.

This is just one of a number of water contamination's happening across the world...just look at the dirt and waste within the Thames!

Respiratory Diseases: Open dumping & burning of waste releases harmful gases into the atmosphere. Long term exposure to this can lead to respiratory diseases...not just a chesty cough, but asthma, bronchitis or even lung cancer! 

Exposure to Hazardous Waste: This is one waste that everyone should really stay clear of, however some workers who work in unregulated waste disposal sites can become especially vulnerable to these dangers.

There may even be some materials now that we think are safe but actually aren't! Picture back in the day when asbestos was the go to insulation material, just to then realise how harmful it is. We believe this is the same with micro-plastics, but that is a blog for another day!

4. The Long-Term Effects of Landfill Waste Mismanagement

Can't beat another opportunity to dog out landfills!

We all know long term that landfills are definitely not the answer, especially if they are improperly managed. It is not just an eyesore on the landscape & emits a very distinct stench, but carries a lot of health hazards! 

Here are just a few: 

Pollution and Climate Change: Landfills are far from healthy to the environment and planet. Improper management of these landfills, release greenhouse gases like methane, which is 25 times more potent then carbon dioxide in trapping heat into the atmosphere. 

Impact on Nearby Communities: We drive past a local landfill every day on our way to work and the mere sight and amount of waste is shocking to see. People who live close to landfills may experience higher rates of health problems. 

The harmful chemicals being released into the air and soil can be devastating. 

The Financial Burden on Local Governments: On landfills, waste needs managing correctly and a lot of waste at that! Governments are often forces to allocate a lot of money and resources to landfills to help: Clean up toxic sites, landfill maintenance plans & ways to reduce the pollution of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. 

 It is estimated that billions of pounds are spent annually on managing closed or failing landfills!

Conclusion

Let’s face it—waste isn’t going anywhere unless we do something about it. We need to embrace more sustainable solutions like recycling, composting, and smarter waste management, to ensure that we are all tidying up our planet and working towards a better solution that we all can benefit from. 

We know now, that it isn't just your fly tippers & the occasional litter bug that are only classed as improper environmental waste management disposal methods...major companies and monopolies can be guilty of not taking responsibility of their duty of care when it comes to proper and LEGAL waste disposal!

It is not just the cost of the planet that can be affected by improper waste management, it is human health, wildlife health, trees & ecosystems that can fail and crumble if we don't start becoming more stringent with proper waste management.