What are the main types of waste?
The waste can be classified into many types, each of them carrying its own different environmental problem: organic waste, recyclable waste, non recyclable waste, toxic waste, nuclear toxic waste and space waste. The organic waste is more easily resorbed by nature, but the speed and the geographical concentration of its production due to urbanization generate pollution of rivers, lakes, proliferation of disease vectors and environmental degradation of towns. The recyclable waste is composed of residuals that can be reprocessed, used again by humans, like plastics and metals; the problem regarding recyclable waste is that the separation of such material is not culturally diffused and there is not enough social organization to use them; so the recyclable waste is mixed to other wastes increasing the volume of waste depositories even more. The non recyclable waste is formed of residuals that technology cannot yet recycle, like ceramics, photographic paper, mirrors, cigarettes, plasticized papers, etc; this kind of waste in the future may become recyclable waste and should be separated. The toxic waste includes industrial chemical residuals that are harmful for life and the environment, like contaminated medical waste and the domestic waste containing insecticides and medicines; the toxic waste is one of the major environmental problems since it puts the life of humans and other living beings in danger. The nuclear toxic waste is made of materials that release invisible dangerous radiation for many years; nuclear toxic waste is produced in the extraction of nuclear minerals (like uranium), by nuclear reactors and nuclear plants, in hospitals where Nuclear Medicine is performed and in research centers; although the nuclear waste is often put into armored receptacles the risk of accidents is permanent. Space waste is the waste produced by the activity of humans in space from the second half of the 20th century; it consists of non operating satellites, rocket piece and other equipments that remain orbiting the earth or other celestial bodies or even travelling across space. Environmental Issues: organic waste recyclable waste non recyclable waste toxic waste nuclear toxic waste
