The extensive waste management strike in Toronto left citizens under piles of garbage and a sea of anger. The strike was a result of the waste management Labor unions requesting a wage increase to match other municipal workers. Their request was denied, resulting in a collective refusal to work. Such immediate and severe action finally caused Toronto officials to sit up and take notice.

Its affect
Other than the layers of garbage bags lining the streets, the strike also resulted in a 25% increase in sales of waste-removal products. Furthermore, it has generally forced residents to think carefully about how to dispose of their waste making environmentally friendly recycling a necessary option for those desperate to clean out their garbage.

Though the strike has left many to believe it is creating a mess out of the once beautiful city, there are some benefits to be gained. It is beginning to force residents to think of creative ways to minimize garbage as well as to recycle regularly and consider composting. By improving your method of waste control, you can help to reduce the already overflowing landfills and reduce environmental damage until they make the garbage removal.

How to improve your waste disposal
Bags are available to buy and each one stores between 30-40 bags of regular rubbish. Including recyclable items such as milk cartons, newspapers, glass bottles and plastics is an unnecessary waste for rhino bags. Such bags sell for between $20 and $40. They can be purchased from store and can be dropped off and picked up at your convenience.

Composting
As composting is an organic process it reduces waste using waste to feed your soil. Garden organics such as leaves, grass clippings as well as food waste such as vegetable peels, coffee grounds and egg shells can be composted to create organic materials that can then be used in the garden. Even materials such as human and animal hair and newspapers can be composted effectively.

In order to compost you will need to purchase a solid green bin. First, start with a thick layer of twigs or coarse mulch at the base for drainage. Then layer on your kitchen organics and green garden organics. Cover with a layer of brown garden organics ensuring no food waste is left exposed. Moisten and repeat the process. In eight weeks the compost will be ready to use. To ensure it does not smell make sure it is not too wet and air can circulate through the layers. A common cause is putting in too much food waste and not enough dry waste. In such cases, fork in dry mulch such as leaves or twigs. Turn the compost to also get more air in.

Recycling
The Blue Bin recycling program can be used to dispose of both paper and recyclable materials such as alcohol beverage containers, paper and foam polystyrene. This includes foam protective packaging, foam meat trays, foam takeout food containers, foam plates, foam egg cartons and foam coffee cups. Please note such items must be rinsed to ensure no residue remains.

Cities manage waste in different ways, the biggest variation being that between first and third world countries. In the western world, waste is typically manage quite effectively with all waste being disposed of a and treated properly where applicable. However, the way waste is handled largely depends on its nature. That is to say, some waste is potentially dangerous and needs to be dealt with in a different way, separately from everything else.

Today, all of the world’s largest cities have complex sewage systems. However, in poorer countries, the sewage systems may well not reached the poorer suburbs which have to deal with waste manually.

Sewers have been around since ancient times and were indeed very famous in ancient Rome. During classical times, Rome had a population of about a million inhabitants, by far the biggest city in the world at the time. At that time, Rome also had one of the most advanced sewerage systems ever seen.

In many European cities, waste management dramatically declined and indeed it was only 150 years ago in cities like London for example, that proper waste management actually started to take off. In fact, the infamous period of 1858 in London known as ‘The Great Stink’ was one of the driving forces behind the modern rise of proper waste management systems.

During this period, it was a very hot summer and all of the city’s waste was disgorged into the Thames and the whole of London became absolutely unbearable. Shortly afterwards, it was decided that major work needed to be done to construct proper sewer systems and deal with the problem with drastic actions.

Today cities still manage waist with these types of sewage systems but other types of waste such as the source that we throw in are beings, is obviously dealt with in of rather different way. All of this is often sent into landfill sites. Landfill sites slowly degrade over the decades but only so extent are some things are not biodegradable. Landfill sites also have the major disadvantage of taking up an enormous and ever growing amount of space.

However, things are changing with various other methods of waste disposal coming in. When gathering all of the junk removal that you have accumulated, separate the items under the categories compost, reuse, recycle. Incineration is also a popular alternative and can also convert waste materials into something useful such as electrical power or heat.

Recycling is also becoming very popular in some countries. Around half of the waste that we produce on a daily basis in our households is perfectly capable of being recycled. This includes any paper or cardboard based products, tins, aluminium or glass. Indeed, in some countries it has already become law to recycle certain materials and place them in separate bins for the rubbish collections.

As the population of the world continues to skyrocket as does the population of the world’s cities, it becomes ever more essential to introduce more effective forms of waste management and upgrade to more environmentally friendly alternatives. However, while progress is being made, demand continues to grow at an alarming rate.

Residential solid waste, also called urban solid waste and municipal solid waste, is refuse that normally comes from households. It is either in solid or semisolid form. There are five general categories of solid waste that include:

1)    Biodegradable waste: food waste and kitchen waste
2)    Recyclable material: paper, glass, bottles, cans, metals, and certain plastics.
3)    Stagnant waste: construction waste, dirt, rocks, and debris.
4)    Assorted waste: waste clothing, waste plastics,etc.
5)    Household hazardous waste: toxic waste such as paints, chemicals, light bulbs, spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries,etc.

Cities and towns generally contracts out solid waste removal services. They will submit bids, assess each bid, and recommend a company. The waste company will bill the city or town. These companies are privately owned so if a person has a lot of waste after a project such as home renovation, they can hire a waste removal company to remove the refuse.

Because of environmental regulations and a growing demand for a cleaner environment, waste companies are now performing the following services:

Recycling Programs: Curbside recycling is usually available to all residential customers. Customers will separate their recyclables according to paper and plastics for curbside pick up. Depending on the contract, this is normally done every two weeks. There can be special recycling programs such as Christmas tree recycling. The trees are then made into mulch. Other special programs a town or city can offer are Spring and Fall Clean Ups. They are designed to encourage residents to get rid of large amounts of garbage.

Hazardous Materials: Every year, millions of people accumulate such hazardous waste products as  batteries, paints and stains, cleansers and polishes, motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides and herbicides,etc. These are dangerous to the environment, people, and animals. A junk removal service is trained to remove these products safely and responsibly. They will sort and categorize the hazardous materials before storing them in containment units. The contracted hazardous waste hauler packs the items in drums and sends them to hazardous waste incinerator or other treatment facility for proper disposal. Some materials, such as used motor oil, lead-acid batteries and antifreeze, are recycled.

Compost Services: Many cities and towns offer a compost service. They will provide compost bins for people to place such items as kitchen food waste, newspaper, and other items that can be composted. A contracted waste removal company will pick up the compost left on residential curb sides.

Energy Recovery Plants: Plants that convert waste to energy are popping up all over the country. These plants burn waste to heat water which produces steam in much the same way power plants burn coal, oil, natural gas, or wood. The steam can cause a turbine to produce electricity. Waste removal companies that have energy recovery plants in their area will make use of these services.

Special Handling Waste Removal Services: Cities and towns will have a contracted service to remove large items such as tires, air conditioners, household appliances, and construction debris. Tires are sent to a recycling or recovery facility and household appliances, after chlorofluorocarbon gas removal, are taken to recycling stations.

Individual Contracted Waste Removal Services: There are situations where a person has too much waste to be removed by a city or town removal service. They will then enlist the services of a private company. They are trained and certified to dispose of waste, compost, and recycle residential goods. For a nominal fee, a company will come to your home and remove all of your excess trash.

Because of growing environmental concerns, most companies dispose of waste in ways that will have the least environmental impact. You will feel good knowing that you are doing your part to protect and conserve the environment.

Because of global warming, pollution, diminishing forests, and a limited supply of natural resources, people are becoming more aware of the importance of protecting the environment. Waste in the environment affects the air, water, land, animals, plants, and humans. When we use the environment as a waste dump, we take away land from wildlife, pollute the environment, and deplete natural resources. One way people are doing their part to protect the environment is adopting the Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle Waste Program. The 3R program reduces the amount of garbage going into landfills thereby protecting and conserving our environment.

Reduce: People reduce by purchasing items that are durable and last a long time. By purchasing long lasting products with very little packaging, you will decrease the amount of waste entering a landfill. Other ways of reducing waste include:
* Buy products that do not require a lot of energy and resources to manufacture. Look for products that contain environmentally friendly packaging.
* Reduce car use by riding your bicycle, carpooling with friends, walking, or taking the bus.
* Composting is a great way to dispose of kitchen waste. It is healthy for the soil and less waste will go into the landfill.
* Turn off lights that you are not using and use energy efficient light bulbs.
* Turn off the taps when brushing your teeth.

Reducing will help with conservation efforts and decrease landfill waste and energy use. Reducing results in less pollution and a cleaner environment. It also helps conserve natural resources.

Reuse: You can reduce waste by reusing products. Reusing methods include repairing damaged items, donating items to a worthy cause, or finding another way to use them. Some reusing tips include:
* Use cloth grocery bags instead of plastic bags. They can be used repeatedly.
* Use reusable lunch bags.
* Metal cans and plastic containers can be used for storing items.
* Donate old clothes, furniture, and toys to a charity.
* Use silverware and dishes instead of plastic utensils and plates.
* Store food in reusable plastic containers.

Another way to reuse is to hire a junk removal service. Except for hazardous materials, junk removal companies will come and remove just about any type of waste. This includes furniture, appliances, electronics, and construction refuse. Many junk removal businesses donate items to charities, repair items, and recycle.

Recycling: This process involves making new products out of old products. This means potential landfill waste becomes a new product. You can protect the environment by buying products that contain recycled materials. Many of the things we use every day are recycled. Recycled products include: paper towels, toilet paper, paper bags, beverage bottles and cans, milk cartons, and much more. Most products have the recycle label on the package.

Many towns and cities have recycling programs. Some places even have mandatory recycling programs. Junk removal companies are actively involved in reusing and recycling. These companies are very aware of the public’s concern for the environment so they make reusing and recycling a big part of their business. Make sure you ask a junk removing company how much they recycle. You will feel good knowing that not all of the junk you are getting rid of will end up in a land fill.

Reducing, reusing, and recycling helps lessen our impact on the environment and benefits the community. With the help of environmentally conscious companies such as junk removal companies, we are decreasing the amount of waste going into landfills. By participating in the 3R program, you will feel good knowing that you are doing your part to leave a healthier planet for your children.