What are the different types of solid waste and how are they identified? What are the different approaches to solid waste management?
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Solid waste describes any unwanted products that are solid in nature and that have been discarded in the society . Any materials that are considered to have a negative value are wastes with the solid materials being considered to be the solid wastes . Some of the solid wastes could be hazardous to the environment and humans and it is therefore important that these wastes are disposed in a proper way [ Ro b 122 ] . Solid wastes are categorized into three types based on their source . The municipal solid waste is type of waste that is generated from commercial and residential complexes and has over the years been increasing due to changing lifestyle and food habits and rising urbanization . The other type of waste is the hazardous waste that contains toxic substances and comes from hospital and industrial waste . This type of waste could be toxic to the environment , animals , and humans . Finally , the third category of solid waste is hospital waste that is often generated through research activities , treatment , diagnosis , and immunization of humans and animals [ DKS13 ] . According to Friis ( 2012 ) , solid waste management is concerned with the disposal of solid waste in four major approaches landfilling , recycling , combustion , and composting . Landfilling involves having a field where waste is buried . Recycling is concerned with the reuse of waste that could have otherwise become waste . Combustion of solid waste involves the destroying of waste in high – temperature to convert this waste into ash . Finally , composting is the decomposition of organic waste materials to increase fertility in soils [ Ro b 122 ] .