In today’s society disposing of waste could not be easier. With bins in public, homes and pretty much everywhere, getting rid of food or plastic is simple. But what was it like 1,000 years ago? When was the first bin implemented into society? Being taught to dispose of the litter as children, questioning what happens and where the waste goes is a mystery to many still. The following article highlights the brief history of waste disposal and management.
Our business here at Greenleaf Clearance revolves around safe and effective waste management and disposal. Maybe you need a house clearance West Sussex? our expert team will have your clearance needs sorted in no time! We ensure all waste we collect is either recycled, upcycled, sold on or disposed of correctly. Take a look at some of our other blogs here.
The Start
The majority of waste in today’s society is completely different compared to waste hundreds or even thousands of years ago. With plastics, cardboard and electronic components not existing until recently, our ancestors had to worry about disposing of cotton, wood and metal mainly. These methods of disposal back then would have been very basic, with most of the waste naturally degrading into the environment.
It is also important to mention the knowledge of the earlier humans, who had no idea about global warming or the environmental impacts of their discarded belongings. The Romans were one of the most educated civilisations at the time due to their sewage systems to carry human and food waste away from habitation and living areas; this signifies they had some idea of the negatives around leaving waste as it is.
Impact On Waste Management Due To Population Growth
With waste management systems only becoming prominent in society during the late 18th century England, the public had to find their own ways of disposal. As the population of humans grew exponentially annually, more and more waste started to pile up, leaving streets unhygienic and unsanitary. As we have evolved as a species we can now create materials such as plastics and metals that provide infinite benefits to our needs but damage the environment due to their extremely long degrading time. With efforts towards efficient waste management being picked up and carried away on horse and cart to be incinerated during the industrial revolution, to now having wheelie bins emptied every week sending the waste to landfill sites.
Unfortunately, landfill sites are still in use, despite being one of the first practises used by earlier humans at a much smaller scale for general waste. However, the birth of recycling was a revolutionary change to how materials are disposed of. Products could now be re-used and promoted by companies and governments. This helped reduce the amount of waste and materials being incinerated or sent underground to degrade.
The Future Of Waste Management
Predicting the future of waste management is hard to do, as technology progresses at a rapid rate who knows what will happen? As we transition towards creating a greener world and environment it is a guarantee that waste management will need to improve. As more and more companies start producing reusable packaging and materials, more can be recycled and less discarded as waste.
Potentially, biodegradable plastics could be implemented, maybe a waste disposal tax, or robots that can separate waste. We hope more individuals start realising the severity of improper waste disposal, not only for the environment but for physical health and wellbeing.
Contact Us – Greenleaf Clearance
Are you in need of disposal/clearance services? If you are, Greenleaf is more than capable of meeting your needs and delivering excellent results and service. Our qualified, experienced team can cover areas around the South of England with ten vans on standby. If you are looking for a house clearance West Sussex or a scrap metal dealer in Surrey, our expert team would be more than happy to assist. No job is too big for us! If you would like to read some of our customer reviews or check out our website click here! To get in touch with our team or call us either submit a contact form or give us a call on 07884 082 197. We can’t wait to hear from you!