Having proper waste management in your country is crucial for both humans and the environment. Poor waste management may lead to damaged environments and ecosystems. This damage will come right back to us humans, in the form of air pollution, water contamination, and increased risk to outbreaks of diseases. Knowing this information, it is obvious that we must resort to disposing our waste properly; the question is, how exactly can we do that?

Reducing is the most simple and obvious way of avoiding poor waste management. The act of reducing means to simply decrease the amount of waste you are producing. There are many ways to decrease the amount of waste produced. One way is to use reusable items. These can be cups, straws, eating utensils, bags, etc. When reusable items like these are used, there would be no need to worry about the waste of these items. We can also donate unwanted clothes and furniture to local non-profit organizations. There are a variety of options to reduce our waste, so be creative! Recycling, the action of “converting waste materials into new materials and objects” (Wikipedia), is also another way of avoiding poor waste management. Many objects are recyclable, such as paper, metal, plastic, glass, and even electronics. If everyone throws their waste away to the correct bin with the corresponding type of waste and recycling recyclable objects, it will significantly decrease the amount of damage done to the earth.

Samsung, a huge South Korean electronics company, is one of the many companies in my country (South Korea) that have focused their efforts to execute proper waste management. The way the company did this was by minimizing their use of materials as most as possible. They also collect products that have been used completely by customers, and reuse the materials in those products to create new products. However, Samsung mentions in their website that “Above all, the best way to conserve resources is by making quality, long-lasting products.” This business model definitely will help the environment, as there will be less waste produced if the products were not thrown away as often and were reused by the company. 

Samsung became so successful in their plan for waste management that they have reflected impressive statistics in resource efficiency. By 2019, their cumulative take-back of global e-waste was 4,030,000 tons, use of recycled plastic 245,000 tons, waste recycling rate 95%, and water use intensity 67 tons/100 million KRW.

Every one of us should be mindful of the waste we produce. Not only that, we should also be mindful of the products we buy and how they may turn into potential waste. If any of us are business owners, we should definitely consider recycling and disposing electronics properly (for electronic businesses). With the cooperation of all of us, it is possible to drastically reduce the damage being done to the earth and prevent the damage circling back to us in various forms of pollution and disease.

Sources:

1. https://www.wm.com/location/california/north-county/oceanside/residential/tips.jsp

2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recycling

3. https://globaltrashsolutions.com/blog/how-businesses-waste-management-policies-affect-the-environment/

4. https://www.samsung.com/ca/aboutsamsung/sustainability/environment/resource-efficiency/

5. https://www.samsung.com/levant/aboutsamsung/sustainability/environment/eco-conscious-products/