Pollution & 4R

8/6/2019 Pollution & 4R

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pollution-4r 1/22



Pollution can take many forms. The airwe breathe, the water we drink, the

ground where we grow our food, and

even the increasing noise we hear

every day—all contribute to healthproblems and a lower quality of life.





Example of Chemical water pollution

Seabed pollution



Air Pollution In China

WAn example of water pollution



Fertilizers / Nutrient Pollution

Oil, Gasoline and Additives

Mining

Sediment

Chemical and Industrial Processes

Plastics

Pesticides

Personal Care Products, Household Cleaning

Products, and Pharmaceuticals

SewageCarbon Dioxide

Heat

Noise







Increase in urbanization. – Construction uses up forestland. More constructions

means increase in demand for raw materials like timber. This leads to the

exploitation and destruction of forests. If there is more demand for water. Reservoirsare built leading to the loss of land.

Increase in agricultural land. As the human population grew there was a greater

demand for food. This caused more land allocated to agriculture. Forests were cut

down for this purpose.

Domestic waste. Every single day, tons and tons of domestic waste is dumpedranging from huge pieces of rubbish such as unused refrigerator to fish bones. If

all these wastes are not disposed of properly, the damage they can do to the

environment and humankind can be devastating.

Agricultural activities . Besides domestic waste, pesticides and herbicides used by

farmers to increase crop yields also pollute the land when they are washed into the

soil.

Industrial activities. Industrial activities also are a contributing factor to land

pollution. For example, in open cast mining, huge holes are dug in the ground and

these form dangerously deep mining pools. Heaps of mining waste are left behind

and these waste often contain several poisonous substances that will contaminate

the soil



Spread of disease: Drinking polluted water can cause cholera or typhoid

infections, along with diarrhea. – water & land

Harms the food chain: Toxins within water can harm aquatic organisms,

thus breaking a link in the food chain.- water

Flooding: The erosion of soil into waterways causes flooding, especiallywith heavy rainfall - water

Heart or lung disorders are under additional risk especially for the old ones.

– air pollution

Have harmful effects on natural ecosystems- All three







You can practice reduction by selecting products that do not have to be added to

landfills or the waste stream in general

In some cases, you are able to fully preventing the extra production of rubbish. Such as

try not to use plastic bags. You can also try not to buy product that contains a lot of

packaging and wrappings. Make smart decision when you are shopping . This is the best

way to reduce the amount of rubbish.

4R is how you can make a difference by REDUCING the waste that you, your home,school or business generates.

This REDUCES the load on local governments handling waste as well as preventing

garbage from being dumped in sensitive environments, blocking drains and spreading

disease.



Many items found around the home can be used for different purposes. So before you

throw those items away, think about how they can be reused. Below are some

suggestions of how to reuse those everyday bits and pieces

Carrier bags and twist ties

Envelopes

Jars and pots

Newspaper, cardboard and bubble wrap

Old clothesPackaging

Scrap paper

Tires

Used wood



Carrier bags and twist ties. Carrier bags can be reused in the shops or as bin bags around the house.

Paper bags make useful wrapping paper and twist ties can be used to secure loose items together, such as

computer wires.

Envelopes By sticking labels over the address you can reuse envelopes. Alternatively, old envelopes can be

used as scrap paper to make notes on.

Jars and pots. By cleaning glass jars and small pots, you can use them as small containers to store odds and

ends.

Newspaper, cardboard and bubble wrap Make useful packing material when moving house or to store

items.

Old clothes – can be made into other textile items such as cushion covers or teapot cozies.

Packaging Such as foil and egg cartons can be donated to schools and nurseries, where they can be use in

art and craft projects.

Scrap paper Can be used to make notes and sketches. Don’t forget to recycle it when you no longer need it.

Tires Old tires can be given to your local petrol station where they will be recycled. Or you could make a

tire-swing by tying a strong rope around a tire and attaching it to a tree.

Used wood Can be used in woodcrafts for making objects such as a spice rack or a bird table. Alternatively

it could be used as firewood



Old Electrical Equipment Donate old electrical equipment to schools or community centers so

that others can reuse them.

Donate Old Clothes and Books Other people can reuse your unwanted clothes and books whenyou donate them to charity shops.

Car-boot Sale Have a car-boot sale and get rid of some unwanted items. Other people may find a

use for them, plus it gives you the opportunity to earn some extra cash.

Rechargeable Batteries Rechargeable batteries can be reused many times before they need

throwing away, opposed to regular batteries that create unnecessary waste.

Build a Compost Bin You can reuse many waste items, such as eggshells and old tea bags, using a

compost bin. This waste then degrades and turns into compost that can be used to help your

garden grow.

Grass Cycling After mowing your lawn, instead of throwing the grass cuttings away, leave them in

your garden. The nutrients from the cuttings go back into the soil and act as a fertilizer


http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/pollution-4r 17/22Taken and adapted from Wikipedia

Recycling is processing used materials (waste) into new products

To prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh

raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and

water pollution (from landfilling)

It can be done by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower

greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production.

Recycling is a key component of modern waste reduction and is the third

component of the "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink" waste hierarchy.

There are some ISO standards relating to recycling such as ISO 15270:2008 for

plastics waste and ISO 14001:2004 for environmental management control of

recycling practice

Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles,and electronics. Although similar in effect, the composting or other reuse of

biodegradable waste – such as food or garden waste – is not typically considered

recycling.





What you done to the box? Just throw it away ?

Some of us might just dump the box into rubbish bin !

So, please think before youthrow, you might make a

difference



Able to save the environment, and maintain the balance

ecosystems

Helps in extending the depleting of natural resources

Local authorities are able to cut down cost of rubbish managing

We can have a cleaner and a more wonderful environment

Prevent dangerous diseases, such as dengue, malaria and etc.



The good news is that you can make a

DIFFERENCE simply by practicing the4R’s, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

With some simple steps and changes in lifestyleyou can help preserve our natural resources,

reduce pollution and make the world a better

place to live in for yourself and future generation.

Your future generation depends on you.

Taken and adapted from : Back to Clean Up Sri Lanka

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Clean-Up-Sri-Lanka/125865554130335

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Clean-Up-Sri-Lanka/125865554130335



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Pollution & 4R