Environmental impacts of poor management
Learn what organic waste is, how food and garden waste can be prevented or processed, which treatment method fits different situations, and what Indian waste rules require.
Methane emissions
Organic waste buried in a landfill or trapped in an unmanaged dump can decompose without oxygen and release methane. UNEP estimates that food loss and waste together cause about 8 to 10 percent of annual global greenhouse gas emissions. [3]
Leachate and water pollution
Water passing through decomposing waste can carry dissolved organic matter, nutrients, salts, and contaminants into soil, drains, streams, or groundwater.
Air pollution
Open burning creates smoke and harmful pollutants. Burning wet organic waste is inefficient and destroys nutrients that could be recovered.
Odour and nuisance
Putrefaction in closed, wet, and oxygen poor conditions produces strong odours and reduces community acceptance of waste facilities.
Pests and animals
Exposed food waste attracts flies, rodents, birds, stray animals, and wildlife. Torn bags and scattered waste spread contamination.
Drain blockage and flooding
Dumped waste can block drains. WHO notes that poor waste collection can contribute to flooding and standing water, which favour water related and vector borne disease risks. [4]
Loss of resources
Land, water, energy, labour, nutrients, and money used to produce food are also wasted when edible food is discarded.
Pressure on disposal sites
Wet waste is heavy and occupies collection, transport, and landfill capacity that should be reserved for true residual waste.