We all live in a generation where we breathe in the freedom to talk about the various toxicities of our lives, whether it be toxic culture, toxic habits, or toxic friends. But how did we leave behind the most toxic thing in our lives, which we created? Ahh, it’s not our toxic ex, but our toxic waste!
Humans are known to produce enormous amounts of waste. Isn’t that already toxic enough for the environment? So how is that waste any different from “toxic waste?” Toxic waste refers to any unwanted material that can cause harm through all sorts of direct or indirect contact. Since the Industrial Revolution, toxic waste has become more of a general concern, causing serious global issues. Although not all waste is toxic, that doesn’t mean that non-toxic waste can do no harm. Any material or waste is toxic if it causes harm or death when inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin.
Toxic chemicals that are the by-products of hazardous or toxic waste are known to be produced by a wide range of activities, that includes manufacturing, water treatment systems, automotive garages, construction, hospitals, and other industries. The waste generated can be in the form of liquid, solid, or sludge, and may contain heavy metals, chemicals, radiation, and other materials. It’s not just the industries, but almost every household produces toxic waste. It can be in the form of items such as used computer equipment, solar panels, batteries, leftover paints, or pesticides. The toxic waste produced by households are the most overlooked toxic and hazardous waste that are improperly disposed of.
Developing or developed nation, quite doesn’t really matter, unless the chances are that the companies of the country are disposing literally tons of toxic waste every day. Well, the sad part doesn’t end here, as when the waste is not disposed properly, it ends everywhere. Anything, from a small piece of torn chips packet to radioactive waste, if not checked properly, can leave a major damaging impact on our ecosystem. When those chemical, radioactive or medical waste is not disposed of in a manner, and ends up contaminating ground, streams, or even air, harms all sorts of living organisms in the environment. Some toxic chemicals persist in the environment for years and accumulate over time. These toxic substances are later absorbed by humans or wildlife when they eat fish or other prey.
The n number of toxic waste is known to be produced by electronic goods made up of hundreds of different materials and containing toxic substances such as lead, mercury, and arsenic. Once they are disposed of in a landfill, these toxic materials seep out and contaminate the environment. However, there are technologies invented that are believed to be environment pro. Like, operating Solar panel power plants do not emit greenhouse gasses or cause air pollution, they have positive, indirect effects on the environment.
Something that is environment friendly, at times has its darker side being exposed as more toxic to the environment. Solar panels claim to be environment friendly but cannot be replaced with all other resources in use, especially when it comes to generating electricity for 7 billion people in a sustainable, economical manner. For e.g., converting almost every household as environment pro by planting solar panels, or converting into solar panel cars. It may turn out to be a shock, but solar panel produce 300 times more toxic waste than high level nuclear waste. One of the reasons is that it is cheaper to make new solar panels from raw material, than to recycle them, which ultimately gets discarded into landfills. And since most of the manufacturers and companies are profit-oriented, they would better consider paying certain taxes for their contribution in greenhouse gasses, rather than going environment friendly.
Many of these toxic problems of toxic waste are interlinked with our private consumption. To reduce our consumption’s negative environmental impact, we ‘must’ change how and what we consume. Stating the classic, “It’s more about our needs, than our wants”, is where our focus should be. Although there are alternatives to sustainable energy resources, we leave our logic behind while making certain decisions. We want renewable energy for the whole world, at low cost, low environmental impact, in less time, with profits for the companies, with economic growth, easy to use for consumers, and which is available always and everywhere. But it’s important to prioritize our needs. Rather than hoping on one energy resource one can look out for other renewable resources available, combined. Not discarding the products which cannot be recycled, but putting that to upcycle, might create less impact of the toxic waste. There are ways that we have a chance of moving towards a sustainable world with minimal impact on nature and people.
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