Waste Management

The generation and disposal of wastes in the world is a problem that continues to grow with the development of industrialized nations and growing population. Waste disposal is an intrinsic part of any developing or industrial society. Every time a householder shops at the store or open market, he contributes to the mountain of waste. It is possible to quote figures which show that the production of waste amounts to millions of tonnes.
Waste can be divided into many different types. The most common methods of classification is by their physical, chemical and biological characteristics. One important classification is by their consistency. Solid wastes are waste materials that contain less than 70% water. This class includes such materials as household garbage, some industrial wastes, some mining wastes, and oilfield wastes such as drill cuttings. Liquid wastes are usually wastewater that contain less than 1% solid. Such wastes may contain high concentrations of dissolved salts and metals. Sludge is a class of waste between liquid and solid. They usually contain between 3% and 25% solid, while the rest of the material is water dissolved materials. The problem of proper waste disposal in Nigeria could be blamed on various factors we face in the nation. Waste disposal is capital and economically intensive. This requires huge capital outlay. Many state governments spend a good percentage of their funds on domestic waste management. For examples, Lagos State Government spends between 20% – 25% of its funds on waste management. But what this amounts could accomplish is dwarfed by the population it caters for. Lagos state, for instance, has a projected population of 12 million and 18 million persons. It is estimated that the average individual in such mega cities as Lagos generates an average of 0.115kg of waste daily. It is that the funds available or at least earmarked for domestic waste management is grossly inadequate, to fund the public agencies and other private...