Learning unit 6: Waste
6.1 Introduction
The importance of waste management cannot be over emphasized, because if waste
and byproducts are not controlled and managed, they are potentially dangerous to both
the environment and to the population
6. 2 Outcomes
Outcomes as they are in page 12 of your study guide
6.3 Management of waste
Types of waste include health care waste from health care activities, waste from
industrial and mining production, energy production, waste from domestic activities,
referred to as general waste. Waste comes in different forms either in solid, liquid, gas.
Health care waste be blood and blood products, sharps (syringes and needles) as well
as anatomical waste.
Landon (2006: 75) describes the waste hierarchy from waste reduction to waste
disposal, please refer to this resource for a detailed discussion on this .This learning
unit aims to bring forth the importance of waste management in relation to
environmental health, locally and around the globe. The World Health Organization
(WHO) has several guiding documents to guide policy makers, health professionals in
managing waste and reducing the risk of exposure.
In South Africa, this is under the stewardship of the Department of Environmental Affairs
and tourism as well as the Department of health, especially in relation to health care
waste management. If we look around our neighborhood, every effort is made to
manage waste but a lot still has to be done. In most towns, there are people who are
employed to keep the streets clean and big containers for general waste disposal are
available. Municipalities also have dedicated days on which they collect domestic
waste from households to designated dumping sites.
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6.1 Introduction
The importance of waste management cannot be over emphasized, because if waste
and byproducts are not controlled and managed, they are potentially dangerous to both
the environment and to the population
6. 2 Outcomes
Outcomes as they are in page 12 of your study guide
6.3 Management of waste
Types of waste include health care waste from health care activities, waste from
industrial and mining production, energy production, waste from domestic activities,
referred to as general waste. Waste comes in different forms either in solid, liquid, gas.
Health care waste be blood and blood products, sharps (syringes and needles) as well
as anatomical waste.
Landon (2006: 75) describes the waste hierarchy from waste reduction to waste
disposal, please refer to this resource for a detailed discussion on this .This learning
unit aims to bring forth the importance of waste management in relation to
environmental health, locally and around the globe. The World Health Organization
(WHO) has several guiding documents to guide policy makers, health professionals in
managing waste and reducing the risk of exposure.
In South Africa, this is under the stewardship of the Department of Environmental Affairs
and tourism as well as the Department of health, especially in relation to health care
waste management. If we look around our neighborhood, every effort is made to
manage waste but a lot still has to be done. In most towns, there are people who are
employed to keep the streets clean and big containers for general waste disposal are
available. Municipalities also have dedicated days on which they collect domestic
waste from households to designated dumping sites.
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