Maharashtra Board Class 11 Agriculture Science and Technology Chapter 13 Waste Management PDF Download

13. Waste Management

Already you know the food and also the waste that we generate.

The prime object is to understand the waste and the volume generated.

13.1 Scenario

Waste management is the study of knowing waste generation, collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal and monitoring waste material. Food supply and waste management are the emerging challenges for the policy makers and industries in the processing food supply. The global population is expected to grow 9 billion and demand for food is about 77% by 2050. Over the same period, food production will be under threat from climate change, competing land uses, and erosion and diminishing supplies of clean water. The food which we consume has to undergo a series of food processing operations soon after harvesting at the farm industry level.

The agro-food industry generate huge amount of waste material annually around the globe from a variety of sources. Food is a basic need of human beings, while food waste has been identified a major crucial challenge faced by human community today.

Over 4.2 million tons of food waste is dispersed to landfill in Australia each year. 2.7 million tons of this is from households and around 1.5 million tons of this is from commercial and industrial sector, costing around $10.5 billion in waste disposal charges and waste product. The largest single contributor in the commercial and industrial sector is food service activities (e.g. - cafes, restaurants, fast food outlets), which generate 661,000 tons of food waste per year, followed by manufacturing (312,000 tons) and food retail (179,000 tons).

Most waste in food manufacturing is unavoidable, and almost 90% is already recovered as animal feed, compost or bio-energy. Presently, around 21,000 people die every day due to hunger related causes and globally one in nine people go to bed each night hungry. Nevertheless, approximately one third of all the food produced goes to landfill as waste. The vast amount of food ending up as waste is not only a humanitarian problem but also serious economic, nutritional and environmental pollution problem.

13.1.1 World Situation

At global statistics, according to the British Institute of Mechanical Engineers (IME) half of the food produced is wasted worldwide at different stages. The global volume of the food wastage has been reported to around 1.3 billion tons. The total volume of water used each year to produce food that is lost or wasted i.e. equivalent to the annual flow of Russian's Volga river or three times the Lake Geneva. Similarly, 1.4 billion hectares of land 28% of the world's agriculture area is used annually to produce food that is lost or wasted. About $165 billion worth of food waste enters landfills each year.

World Environmental Problems

Population growth contributes to GHG (Green House Gas) emission through its effect on deforestation as land is grabbed for enhancing food production (Lambin and Moyfroidt, 2011). As the world's population grows and becomes more affluent, waste production rises and might double by 2025. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), food wastage currently represents the single largest type of waste entering landfills. Wasted food leads to over utilization of water and fossil fuels and to increase greenhouse gas emission i.e. methane and carbon di oxide arising from degradation of food in landfills.

Therefore, the environmental impact of food waste is two fold.

1. It is associated with the depletion of natural resources used for its production (e.g. soil water).

2. It relates to the costs associated with waste disposal.

There is a growing awareness needed to minimize the amount of food waste at the end of the food supply chain- an issue particularly relevant in high-income countries where more than 40% of the food losses occur at retail and consumer level.

3. Globally per capita food waste by consumers amounts to 95-115 kg/year in Europe and North America compared to 6-11 kg/year in South or South East Asia and Sub-Saharian Africa.

4. Food waste reduction at the consumption level represents indeed a large target for medium and high income countries, where evidence shows that the main source of the problem is the domestic setting.

Teacher's Note

In India, many families throw away good rice and vegetables. We should teach children to eat what they take on their plates.

Exam Trick

Remember: Half of all food in the world gets wasted. That is like cooking two meals but eating only one. Landfill = trash dump.

Points to Remember

Waste management means collecting and throwing waste properly.
Food waste causes big problems for our planet.
Many people die from hunger while food is wasted.
We must reduce food waste in our homes and schools.

13.1.2 Indian Condition

In India, according to UN Development Program, 40% of the food produced is wasted at pre and post-harvest stages. According to Government of India's resources, about Rs. 58,000 crore worth of food is wasted every year. About 25% of fresh water used to produce the food is ultimately wasted. On the other hand millions of people still don't have access to drinking water. About 300 million of barrels of oil are used to produce the food that is ultimately wasted. As a result, a large quantity of food is wasted and being thrown away around the world, on the other hand, a child dies every five seconds because of hunger. In terms of food waste, agricultural produce, meat poultry and milk, India ranks seventh, with the Russian Federation at the top in the list. India's major land is under agriculture hence, there is highest wastage of cereals, pulses, fruits and vegetables.

Meat accounts for just four percent of the food wastage but contributes 20% of the economic loss of the wastage. Wastage of fruits and vegetables is 70% of the total produce, but translated into only 40% of the economic losses. Also, rice crop emits methane, a potent global warming gas, because of the decomposition of organic matter in submerged paddy fields. Food loss and waste costs the world about $940 billion a year.

However, the utilization or disposal of food waste is difficult due to its inadequate biological stability, potentially pathogenic nature, high water content, potential for rapid autoxidation, microbial decomposition through high level of enzymatic activity. The world population will reach to 9.6 billion by 2050.

Teacher's Note

In India, Rs. 58,000 crore of food is wasted every year. This money could feed many hungry people. Your home wastes food too.

Exam Trick

Remember: India is 7th in food waste. We waste rice, lentils, fruits and vegetables the most. Easy to remember = farm food waste is biggest in India.

Points to Remember

India wastes 40% of its food after growing and harvesting it.
Poor people die from hunger while rich people throw away food.
Water used to grow wasted food could have helped thirsty people.
Methane gas from rice fields causes global warming.

13.2 Types of Waste

13.2.1 Solid Waste (Organic And Inorganic)

Sources- domestic waste, factory waste, waste from oil industry, e-waste, agricultural waste, food processing waste, variety of plastic based waste, packaging material (industry and domestic waste), etc. Out of the total solid waste generated, 44% is wet organic.

13.2.2 Wet Waste

Kitchen waste (food waste, cooked and uncooked food, egg shells, meat and bones, fish, fruit and vegetable inedible portion, etc.

Flower, fruit and vegetable waste

Garden, tree, leaves, branches, straw, trash waste

Sanitary waste (drainage waste)

Food industry waste (raw materials and finished goods)

Food waste (left over, stale, spoiled food)

Wet garbage and industry (sewage) waste

Teacher's Note

Wet waste is like food scraps and leaves. They can turn into compost. Your kitchen waste can become soil for plants.

Exam Trick

Remember: Wet = food and plants. Wet waste = kitchen and garden trash. Easy = what is wet and smells is wet waste.

Points to Remember

Wet waste comes from kitchens and gardens.
Vegetable peels and leftover food are wet waste.
Wet waste rots quickly and smells bad.
Wet waste can be made into compost for plants.

This is a preview of the first 3 pages. To get the complete book, click below.