03 Aug BESTSELLING WASTE MANAGEMENT KEYNOTE SPEAKER: WHAT’S THE FUTURE OF SANITATION?
Today’s top waste management keynote speakers and futurists are abuzz with possibility. Make no mistake: Huge shifts are coming to the space in the wake of new technology developments, workplace trends and innovations. But what do you need to know about where the field is heading? No sweat: Let’s put our waste management keynote speakers and consulting futurists hat on and talk about different types of waste management and how they may evolve.
- Landfills – Dumping of waste into designated areas and burying it under layers of soil. The most common waste disposal method.
- Incineration – Burning waste at high temperatures to reduce its volume and landfill use. Some energy recovery is also done.
- Recycling – Processing used materials like paper, glass, metals, plastics to turn them into new products and reduce throwaway, according to top waste management keynote speakers and futurists.
- Composting – Decomposing organic waste like food scraps and yard trimmings to produce nutrient-rich soil compost.
- Waste-to-Energy – Converting non-recyclable waste into electricity, heat or fuel through processes like incineration, pyrolysis, gasification.
- Biological treatment – Using microorganisms to break down organic waste through methods like anaerobic digestion. Produces biogas.
- Sewage treatment – Treating wastewater and sewage through physical, chemical and biological processes to remove contaminants like waste management keynote speakers and futurists point out.
- Hazardous waste management – Special handling, treatment and disposal methods for toxic, radioactive, flammable or biohazardous waste.
- Electronic waste recycling – Dismantling and processing e-waste components like electronics, batteries and lightbulbs which contain hazardous materials.
- Litter abatement – Education, clean-up initiatives and penalties to reduce trash and litter in public spaces.
What we hear from waste management keynote speakers and futurists is that an integrated management system deploys a combination of these approaches tailored to the waste stream and local context. The hierarchy prioritizes waste prevention first followed by reuse, recycling, recovery and finally disposal.
