Biological Waste Management

Abstract

Biological waste management is an important aspect of environmental sustainability that requires proper disposal and treatment of biological waste produced from different sources. Biological waste is waste that comes from biological processes including wastes from plants, animals, hospitals, household, and municipal solid waste (MSW). Biological waste management involves the collection of waste from waste-producing sources, transport, processing, disposal, or recycling. The biological waste management technologies include composting, incineration, landfill, anaerobic digestion, and bioconversion to produce biofuels, i.e., bioethanol, biodiesel, biogas, etc. Urbanization, industrialization, changing lifestyles, and consumption patterns of the public have resulted in increased production of biological waste worldwide. Production of biological waste is affecting soil health and biodiversity, crop productivity in case of discharge of industrial liquid waste into the fields, and human health, and contributes to global warming and climate change. Furthermore, every year, approximately one-third of the food produced is lost from the food chain as waste, resulting in increasing hunger, economic loss, inflation, and inequality among people. Hence, biological waste needs proper treatment to conserve the environment, and the bioconversion of waste to produce renewable sources of energy like biogas, biodiesel, and bioethanol will result in the reduction of emission of greenhouse gases.