Waste
In nature, what is a waste material from one organism serves as a raw material or food for another. Birds use a broken twig or fallen leaf to make a nest. Microorganisms and worms in the soil turn dead plants and animals into humus, which is plant food.
Faecal waste in water basins serves as food for aquatic microorganisms.
With the development of human civilization, things are changing. Today, people are using more and more energy and materials. This leads to the release of ever-increasing amounts of waste, polluting the air, water and soil. In modern society, about 80% of waste is the result of agricultural, industrial and mining activities. The remaining 20% is household waste. Concerns about the growing amount of waste are growing due to the fact that many materials and products have a short life cycle. This is especially true for the packaging of many products that people buy every day.
There are four basic principles for good waste management and several methods for waste treatment.
In recent years, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) represents a major challenge, only because of its hazardous and precious components, but also because of the rapidly increasing quantity of such waste. From 9 million tonnes in 2005, to 12 million tonnes of WEEE in 2020 in the EU alone. It is expected that WEEE will be a companion of future economic growth. In Western Europe, the amount of such waste generated per person (21 kg) is about twice the average for Central Europe, and nearly three times that in South Eastern Europe and Eastern Europe. A significant share of WEEE does not enter official collection schemes, even when such schemes are in place. Instead, waste electrical and electronic equipment is often of interest to private individuals who collect it and distribute it in unregulated ways in and outside Europe.
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