Reduce, Reuse & Recycle

The waste products made by glass plastic, aluminum paper are being recycled by every state authority to conserve the natural sources and to reduce the landfill space on earth; this act also tends to save the energy wasted while making a new product from the raw material. According to recycle revolution,

“The energy saved by processing the recycling of used waste material 2005 was enough to power 9 million homes.”

Reprocessing of discarded material basically involves five steps. . In developing countries there are bins allocated for discarding the recyclable products which in turn facilitates the authorities in segregating recyclable products .while in underdeveloped countries the waste material is heaped in the same bin without the specific discrimination of recyclable material and no recyclable material.

Collection:

The first step involved in the reprocessing is the collection of recyclable products. The process of collecting material varies by the communities the recyclable material in developed communities is cast into allocated recyclable bins. While in other communities, it is done by the curbside pickup, drop-off centers.  Paper, aluminum, plastic  material stamped 1 or 2 having ethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastics and  glass bottles and jars are mostly collected by the haulers.

Segregation of material:

After collection, the material is then shifted to material recovery facility (MRF) where the material is passed through a V screen separator. The material is segregated on the classification of it type: like glass is separated by the color and the plastic by its type. Aluminum products are segregated on the basis of its steel type or on the basis of its bimetallic counterparts.

The MRF sorted materials are then sent to reclaims to process them into valuable resources. The plastic material is then pushed into the grinders where they are cleaned and turned into flakes. The flakes are sometimes transferred to the manufacturers directly and often they are melted to their respective polymer types and then reformed to their pellet formed before sending to manufacturers. The glass is crushed in reclaimed into small pieces called as cullet. The cullet is often shifted to manufacturers to blend with the virgin material to make the new product .often the cullet is melted in a furnace and new glass material is directly made from the molten glass. While aluminum in reclaimed is melted at the high temperature of 2800 degree Fahrenheit the molten aluminum is then cooled down again to take the shape of ingot which is shipped to manufacturers for further processing.

Remanufacturing:

The glass, plastic, and aluminum after the processing in reclaimed are sent to manufacturers. Where they are mixed with the virgin material and a new product is manufactured from the processed material .glass and aluminum is made back into their original products like bottles, cans, jars etc. but plastic due to its variety of polymers is recycled into different products. Soda bottles are made of PET plastic materials and the recycled pet bottles are likely to be remanufactured into beverage containers.

Purchasing:

Now the products are sent to market for the consumers to purchase. It depends on you to buy products that can be recycled in order to close the loop.  By purchasing the recyclable product the demand and benefits of recycling remain sustained before buying any product make sure that the product contains the post-consumer waste .You may find the post-consumer percentage printed o the label of the product.

Written By : Zarnigar Ayub Khan

Air Pollution – Its Nature, Sources, And Effects

Surrounding of all the living being and ecosystem is air. The air around us makes our life sphere .we breath in oxygen present in the air that is required for proper functioning of various organs of our body. The quality of air is more essentially vital for our survival on Earth. The air around us contains several invisible and odorless gases. The air around us comprises 71% nitrogen, 21%oxygen, 1% of argon, carbon dioxide, and other gases along with the essential amount of water vapors in it. Research calculation declares that human adults’ breath in 10-20 cubic meters of air daily and the children breathes in twice of the amount air due to the fact that in the little age their respiratory system is in developing phase.

Why the quality of air is getting degraded:

The quality of air is very important in the respect of human and living beings life on earth.  The air ought to be pure and upgraded to keep the living cycle of organisms and human being on earth sustained and health full, but to utter disappointment; the quality of air is getting degraded with the passage of time. The reason of this destruction is human and his unhampered race in the field of industrialization and technology. The quality of air gets degraded when unwanted lethal air and chemical substances get an introduction into the air.

Effects of air contamination on life on earth:

Theses harmful chemicals have negative and natural effects on the health of human beings, animals and botanical live on the Earth. The noxious material released from the human-made vehicles and industries emit the smoke and poisonous gases that react with natural gases in the air and make the venom compounds like Chloro Floro Carbon and greenhouse gases. Such gases disrupts  the natural processes in the atmosphere to get them collapsed causing effects like a rise in temperature, extreme dryness of land , unseal rainfall , tsunami , earthquakes, etc. Besides, all that the polluted air causes many respiratory ailments in human beings like asthma, lungs cancer. A report states that more than 22’600 adults were recorded dead in 2005 due air soilure in Pakistan Urban areas. 80’000 patients are reported to be admitted to hospitals due to outdoor pollution every year. Furthermore, 5 million cases of lower respiratory in children under the age of 5 are recorded every year alone in Pakistan.

How to control the air quality:

The serious issue of the air contamination raises a call throughout the world to cogitate on to the cause and find the possible way out to avert the serious cause. The states are making laws against the excess burning of natural resources, deforestation and making successful plans to promote and practice more and more recycling of products.

Contribution of common man for the cause:

Besides the efforts made by the states, the individual beings are also expected to make their little efforts in averting the serious cause at the lower scale. Tobacco products should be avoided they should not be smoked out as it smoke has adverse effects on the air and also on the living being around.  More plants should be planted indoor and outdoor   to reduce the carbon dioxide level in the air. To remove indoor air contamination manages proper air flow by keeping the windows open. Avoid space heater and air refresher that emits carbon dioxide and other deadly gases should not be used.

Factories and plants should be planted outside the residential areas to keep the surrounding air clean. By reducing the air contamination, we will be able to reduce much other pollution around us as all the contamination causes in the environment are interlinked with each other in some ways. by uprooting one, other will be uprooted automatically.

Written By : Zarniagar Ayub Khan

 

Water Pollution & Our Environment

Water pollution has created a lot of problems for us. Many diseases are water borne and caused serious illnesses among the people. About 60 percent of Pakistan is lacking pure drinking water. Water pollution means the contamination of water bodies, for instance, rivers, lakes, oceans, groundwater, and aquifers. Water pollution is increasing day by day due to sewage leaching and industrial wastage disposal in rivers and lakes. Water pollution occurs when contaminants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to eradicate harmful and dangerous compounds.

Main Causes of water pollution:

The main cause of water pollution is the disposal of untreated liquid municipal waste into water bodies, like rivers, canal, lakes, and ponds. The leakage of sewer lines and pollutes the water resources. Industrial waste water highly contaminates the water and causes water pollution. Nowadays, the most important parameter of water pollution is the high decline in the water harvesting. Water is polluted by the poor sanitation and sewerage system and consequently

Effects of water pollution:

The most harmful effect of water pollution is the drinking water contamination, which ultimately causes the serious diseases. The drastic pollution of water bodies, for instance, rivers, canals, drains, barrages and lakes and ponds. The other effect is the sub-soil water pollution which ultimately leads to the poor quality water for irrigation and drinking purposes as well. The water bodies and oceans are enriched with different varieties of aquatic life. Polluted water ensures the death and extinction of aquatic life. If we apply polluted irrigation water containing heavy metals and contaminants, the irrigated crops are damaged and fail to grow. Heavy metal contamination has become a serious issue in these days and it is an alarming threat to the human beings. Polluted water is the only one reason for enhanced rate of water borne diseases.

Remedies to lessen water pollution:

There is a need to for the installation of polluted water treatment plants. The industrial and municipal effluents should be treated before disposal to oceans water bodies like rivers, lakes, and the canals. There should be an adequate collection of disposable materials, recycling, reduce and reuse of these items. In industrial sector, there should be the application of “Clean Technology” so that public could not get harm from the wastage of industries and smoke from chimneys. Sewage line should be segregated and separate from the drinking water supply line to abstain the mixing of both supplies. We should install filter plants for consumption of clean drinking water. Finally, create awareness of 3R’s formula, which is, Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse. The water bodies and oceans are enriched with different varieties of aquatic life. Polluted water ensures the death and extinction of aquatic life. We should not throw garbage or waste into the oceans and water resources. The menace of water pollution is increasing day by day due sewage leaching and industrial wastage disposal in rivers and lakes. There should be rules to check the water quality for irrigation and drinking purpose. Poor quality irrigation water leads to uptake and accumulation of heavy metals in the crops and vegetables. The cereals and vegetable are sold in the market which causes diseases.

Get to Know the Very Bottom of Environment Pollution

Environmental pollution is detrimental not only to humans but also to animals and plants. While on the one hand, it damages human respiratory, cardiovascular and neurological systems simultaneously, it also impacts nature, plants, rivers, seas, forests, animals etc. thereby affecting the ecosystem as a whole. Hence, by controlling and curbing environment pollution, we can save nature, wildlife and human life.

Types of Environment Pollution:

Air Pollution:

Air pollution is caused by exhaust fumes from vehicles, the burning of fossil fuels, radiation spills and even nuclear accidents. It is quite harmful for the human body, causing illnesses like asthma, allergies etc.

 

Land pollution:

Land pollution is caused by illegal dumping in natural habitats, use of pesticides, oil spills on land, debris from unsustainable mining and litter found on the road. All these factors lead to the gradual degradation of the Earth’s surface.

Noise Pollution:

Noise Pollution includes noise from vehicles or airplanes, noise from construction/ demolition or noise from human activities. Therefore, noise pollution refers to any loud sound harmful or irritating to humans and animals.

 

Water Pollution:

Water pollution is a result of sewage running into lakes/ streams, industrial waste spills, radiation spills, biological contamination or illegal dumping of substances within water bodies causing contamination of these water bodies.

Effects of Environmental Pollution:

Environmental pollution may lead to many hazardous circumstances. A few of them are mentioned below:

Degradation of Environment:

The first and foremost impact of environment pollution is about the gradual deterioration of the environment. Since pollution causes an increase in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, the resulting smog can obstruct sunlight from reaching the earth, thereby preventing plants in the process of photosynthesis. Further harmful gases like Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide may lead to acid rain.

Effect on Human Health:

Environmental pollution may trigger harmful effects on humans. For instance, the decrease in the quality of air leads to respiratory problems like asthma or lung cancer. Many other illnesses like chest pain, congestion, throat inflammation, cardiovascular disease are also a result of air pollution. Similarly, water pollution may lead to skin related problems like skin irritations and rashes. Further, noise pollution may cause hearing loss, stress and sleep disturbance.

 

Rise in Global Warming:

Environmental pollution is the leading cause of global warming due to the emission of greenhouse gases like CO2. The rise in emissions of these gases may be attributed to the mushroom growth of new industries, increasing number of new vehicles and trees being cut to make way for new homes. Hence, this rise in CO2 leads to gradual melting of polar ice caps, raising sea level and posing hazards for the people living near coastal areas.

Depletion of Ozone Layer:

The ozone layer, that is the thin shield in the sky, preventing ultra violet rays from reaching the earth, is depleting due to chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) released into the atmosphere.

Infertility of Land:

The continuous and harmful use of insecticides and pesticides results in soil infertility causing plants to not grow properly. Further, different chemicals produced from industrial waste are released into the flowing water damaging the soil quality.

Biomass Can Be Source Of Power Generation

The wooden plants and the crop residues that have no timber value are the tremendous sources of biomass energy that can be utilized as fuel as well as gas production. By burning crop residue and wooden plants, steam is generated which is used for producing steam through with boilers and electricity in steam turbines. The resources of biomass energy include residues of crops and plants left in the field after harvest.  These include rice straw, wheat, corn stovers, cotton sticks and, and crop waste generated by processing industries such as bagasse and rice husk.

POTENTIAL:

It is observed and estimated that every year about 50 million tons of crop residue is produced from main crops comprising 6.88 million tons of bagasse (sugarcane). This bagasse is being utilized for power generation by the sugar industries and consequently, the rest forty-three million tons of waste of crop is available in the Punjab province. The net available resource potential of four crops i.e. (wheat, cotton, rice & corn) for biomass power generation is calculated to be approximately 10.94 million tons after excluding commercial usage domestic consumption

SUPPLY CHAIN MECHANISM:

There is tremendous variation in waste and residues of crops generation and their uses in different areas of the province depending on the cropping intensity, productivity and crops grown. The expense of crop residues enhance with quantity increase to be collected because of the very long distance by which these residues are to be transported. Hence, a systematic package of practices is needed to develop for management of biomass from field to collection site is important

JUSTIFICATION:

Energy production from biomass of crops is entirely an innovative step in the province of the Punjab province according to our conditions to improve the socio-economic circumstances via the best use of residues of crops, wastes, and reduction in losses of field, without compromising the sustainability of crops/livestock production, soil health and environment.Department of Agriculture recognized resource of biomass of crops potential in Punjab via a survey but lacking the expertise of estimating exact biomass energy potential, modeling to predict prices of crops biomass, suggesting supply chain process and to propose many sorts equipments and machinery, list of best manufacturers of plants specifications and expenses as well as costs of biomass energy of biomass power plants (Rs. per KWh).

FUTURE PERSPECTIVES:

Punjab Government, through Agriculture Department and with the collaboration of Energy Department, has decided to furnish generation of power units at specific places in Punjab as mega projects. The Energy Department will also assist Agriculture Department to guide and execute proposed activities of project and facilitate the private sector an investors to develop power generation of biomass units and finish the necessary formalities for this goal. The consultant services are needed for specifications and size of the power generation machinery, its installation, operate and maintenance and bankable feasibility study on assessing the supply and chain of the biomass fuel including implications of finance.

The purpose of this article is to get an inventory of the state of the art of combustion of biomass technology and for comparison of efficiencies, investment expenses and emissions. The main focus was on power plants with a capacity greater than other power sources in Pakistan with minimum investment costs.

By: M. Shoaib Aslam

How Environmental Pollution is Killing This Planet

Pollution is a phenomenon that renders water, air, land and other environmental elements unsafe and dirty to an extent that they become unusable. Pollution occurs when a contaminant is introduced into the original environment. It does not mean that a contaminant is always supposed to be a tangible object. Intangible things like sound, light and temperature can also become pollutants when they are being artificially made part of an environment.

Pure Earth, a nonprofit organization had estimated that around 200 million people all over the world are affected one way or the other through toxic pollution. There are many parts of the world that are considered highly polluted. In all these areas the health of the people is at severe stake.

Land pollution is a phenomenon that occurs due to industrial waste and garbage from the household. This garbage consists of packaging material, clippings of grass, clothes, batteries, newspapers and scrapped home appliances. Most of this garbage is gathered in the form of landfills. Only the remaining garbage is recycled.

Industrial or commercial waste constitutes a significant amount of the overall solid waste. Most of this waste is classified as non-hazardous like wood, concrete, glass and other construction material. The hazardous waste, on the other hand, includes all those solid, liquid or sludge waste that poses the danger or the health of human beings and can also harm the environment. Paints, oil, cans and fluorescent lights are all examples of this kind of the waste.

Water pollution occurs when foreign substances, mostly chemicals, are introduced into the water. Other than chemicals, water can also be polluted with swag, fertilizers, pesticides and other similar products. Water pollution has rendered most of the lakes and streams unclean.

The UN has reported that more than 780 million people in the world do not have clean water for drinking and 2.5 billion people in the world are deprived of proper sanitation. Marine pollution is also responsible for affecting life under the surface of the ocean.

The air that we human beings breathe consists of nitrogen, water vapor, oxygen and other gases. When certain elements that are not part of the air are added into it, the phenomenon becomes air pollution.A common type of air pollution occurs when gases like carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide are added to the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases are responsible for the warming up of our planet. More than 2 million people lose their lives due to air pollution every year.