Waste Management is our Responsibility – an Open Speech
Hello Students, Colleagues, and respected others, welcome to this seminar on the occasion of World Environment Day. It feels so good to see such a large number of enthusiastic audiences. I am glad that we all are gathered here to share our views on environmental-related topics. I chose ‘waste management’ as my topic for today’s discussion.
Waste is an issue for all of us. We all create it and that means we are all responsible for what happens to it. Waste needs to be dealt with in the safest way possible. Hong Kongers generate about 15,000 tons of waste daily. If this mountain of waste is disposed of properly, then we have little to worry about. Managing waste is, in itself, a great deed that one can do to directly contribute to the society and the mother earth. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Litter is strewn all over the country — in car parks, empty lots, back lanes, drains, rivers — practically everywhere. the sights are all so familiar, the stench is overpowering, yet we display our indifference. One should monitor their activities and the amount of waste produced because of those activities. The crux of the problem is attitude.
In response to this, the government has begun a recycling campaign as a long-term measure to ensure the efficient management of waste. Recycling involves the separation of rubbish – metal, glass, plastic, and paper. the waste is then taken to collection centers which turn the waste materials into reusable products. Recycling is an efficient method of reducing waste without polluting the environment. It also cuts down the use of raw materials and energy required to produce new products. Amongst all, the companies or the industries specifically the ones that manufacture should opt for the processes or techniques that control the waste production.
Manufacturing companies should encourage the consumers or customers to bring their own reusable for packaging and also the public should be given priority to choose reusable products. Other waste disposal methods come with attendant risks to health and the environment. One of the most common methods of waste disposal is landfills where waste is dumped and left to decompose. While landfills are convenient and cheap, they release toxic gases. Landfill gas can kill vegetation. Methane, a greenhouse gas, is released when landfill waste decomposes and this also contributes to global warming. Besides, decaying waste also attracts pests such as rats and carrion-eating birds. To understand it more precisely, I would say that waste management is the process of treating solid wastes. It also offers a variety of solutions for recycling items that don’t belong to trash or are completely discarded and of no use.
In order to make our surroundings and environment healthy one should manage the waste properly. Waste materials can be burned in incinerators. When waste is burned, carbon dioxide and other hazardous air pollutants are released into the atmosphere. Thus, although this method is a convenient and quick way of getting rid of waste, it has its disadvantages as well. To conclude my discussion, I would just like to tell you all that it is our responsibility to closely adhere to each and every rule of government to control the waste and exercise waste management in an efficient way.
Now that we all realize the environmental degradation that ensues from the country’s waste, let us be more responsible citizens. The more waste we generate, the more we have to dispose of and the more waste we dispose of, the more money we will have to pay. We have no choice but to heed the government’s call to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Helping to eliminate waste will add to the environment’s health and prosperity. We as citizens of the country owe this responsibility of ensuring the proper execution of waste management. Thank you!
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