Improper Industrial Waste Disposal:

Short-Term Gain or Long-Term Pain

Culiat, Matthew D.
15-54628
BS Chemical Engineering Student, Batangas State University Main II
Batangas City, Philippines

ABSTRACT
Industrial waste is the useless end product from activity in the industry which includes
any substance during an industrial process, for example, manufacturing and power plants,
factories, and mining business among many other industries. Waste management (also known as
proper waste disposal) is a necessary activity to manage the wastes produced from industries.
This study will center around the correct modern waste disposal, the issues that it would convey
to every individual and solutions to avoid the negative impact of such wastes.
Keywords: Industrial waste, waste management, treatment, storage
INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
Without a doubt, industries are a The principal issue in this study is
fundamental aspect of the development of how improper waste disposal of many
the economy of any nation. It is a firsthand industries in the Philippines adds to the
source of better gross domestic product, waste problem of the country. According to
higher individual salary and greater income a conducted waste assessment and brand
per capita. These noteworthy benefits from audit by the Global Alliance for Incinerator
agricultural, technological, medical Alternatives (GAIA) and Mother Earth
industries among others come with an Foundation (MEF), multinational companies
inevitable drawback: industrial wastes. such as Unilever, Nestlé, Procter & Gamble,
Colgate-Palmolive, and PT Torabika Eka
Improper waste disposal can cause
Semesta are among the main sources of
enormous problems to the environment.
plastic wastes whereas they have the
These problems include land, water and air
capacity to contribute to lessen the growing
pollution. These contaminations can last for
problem of improper waste disposal of the
a really long time if not disposed properly.
country. Such pollutants impact the health of
These pollutions can make notable damage
the people as well as the environment.
to the environment particularly to humans
which may prove to be unworthy of the AREAS OF CONSIDERATION
supposedly positive impact the process from
Based on the problem state before,
which the waste originated.
the following are the areas of consideration:
Regardless of the order of Republic
Individuals. An individual’s life is
Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste
invaluably precious. Hence, it must be
Management Act of 2001, the Philippines is
considered that improper disposal of such
amongst the nations with the greatest
wastes will inevitably impact the individual
number of plastic squanders being dumped
– directly or indirectly.
into its bodies of water. The nation creates
about 2.7 million metric tons (MT) of plastic Community. A community is the
waste and around five hundred thousand MT sum of individuals living in an area. Hence,
of plastic-waste spillage every year, the voice of the community can have a great
according to the Ocean Conservancy.
impact towards the management of waste
problems.
Environment. The environment is
certainly the most affected by the wastes
produced by different industries. Hence,
appropriate trade of proper disposal and raw
materials from nature must be observed by
establishing a just balance.
Industries. The industries are the
chief source of industrial wastes. Hence, it is
necessary for industries to consistently abide
by the law governing their production and
manufacturing.
Government. The government can
rightly be observed as the link between
individuals, communities, environment and
industries. Hence, the government must
constantly abide by the law and enforce the
law without bias.
PROPOSED SOLUTION
Industrial waste disposal could be a
humongous task to overcome. It is an
imperative that one be mindful of the current
scenario of every factor to consider and the
status of the wastes generated by the
industries.
Meticulous planning comes after
awareness. Preparation by carefully
analyzing the net impact of an action results
in less waste generation.
Next comes the practical application
by improving the efficiency of equipment,
yield percentage, minimizing the use of
hazardous chemicals, abiding by the rule of
laws, exploring sustainable ways of
production of valuable productions while
minimizing the waste produced and using
the waste generated as a valuable product.
However, this requires dedication
and discipline to maintain the desired
growth while minimizing the adverse effects
brought about by the improper waste
disposal.
ALTERNATIVE COURSES OF
ACTION
Since proper disposal of waste takes
time, energy and money, industries may
settle for improper waste disposal. It is
necessary to limit, if not eliminate, the
inappropriately disposed wastes by having
periodic reports on the waste disposal of
industries. A strict implementation of the
government allows the compliant industries
to continue on their operation while
noncompliant industries to halt their
production.
KEY CHALLENGES
The key challenges faced in this
study are the fact that industries are more
focused on maximizing their profit with
little to none consideration on the indirect or
uncountable impact of their actions and the
technologies available to minimize the
threats from the wastes generated by
different industries. Another key challenge
is the growing population of industries
leading to increased waste generation.
KEY LESSONS LEARNED
Prevention is better than cure –
improper waste disposal may be economical
to a specific industry for a little time but will
certainly be a downside for all in the long
run. The impact of proper disposal will be
beneficial to every factor – from an
individual to the government. Most of the
impact disposal of wastes have is
unquantifiable yet necessary to consider and
to ponder upon.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended for each
individual to abide by the rules of law as
they will certainly work in industries in the
future. It is also recommended for industries
to invest in skilled engineers with
uncompromising attitude to supervise the
industries’ waste disposal. Another
recommendation is to raise the
environmental standard to lessen the waste
generated by the industries.
REFERENCES
2018 World Environment Day: Philippines
wages war vs plastic waste. (n.d.).
Retrieved from
http://environews.ph/waste/2018-
world-environment-day-philippines-
wages-war-vs-plastic-waste/
Philippines (Marilao) - Industrial Waste
Contamination. (n.d.). Retrieved
from
https://www.pureearth.org/project/m
arilao-industrial-waste-
contamination/