Numbers will show you how much the world has gone to the dumps. An average American would have about .75 tons of trash every year, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Most of the world’s waste came from industrialized countries. These countries have waste management laws, especially for hazardous wastes, but still experience problems with dumpsites and waste disposal.

Solving waste management problems do not have to take you anywhere else, you could start solving trash problems at home. Small contributions like this could go a long way. About 25 percent of our wastes are yard trimmings or food scraps. Although, a lot of people are learning to recycle and reuse plastic, metal, glass and other similar items, biodegradable stuff are nearly not recycled at all.

A great way to recycle food scrap is having a compost bin or by vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is another way of composting. Worms are used in the process to produce vermicompost, a rich soil which is a great way to fertilize a garden. There are different kinds of worms used in vermicomposting, like the red worms, white worms, and earthworms. These worms would produce vermicast which are worm castings or worm humus. Worms used in vermicomposting can be available from vermicompost enthusiasts or from a supplier.

Worms can be eat a lot of your food scraps and wastes, like vegetables, fruits, coffee grounds, tea, and even eggshells. However, avoid feeding them with bones, dairy products, spicy food, oily food and animal manure. Beddings for vermicompost bins can also be made out of household materials like newspaper and cardboard.

Different type of containers could work, as long as they would protect the worms from too warm or cold weather conditions. Worms are comfortable in temperatures ranging from 55 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. Most commonly used bins are those made of wood or plastic. A 12-inch deep compost bin can accommodate about a pound or 1,000 worms. Odour does not have to be a problem. A vermicompost bin which is done properly will not give out any smell.

There are many benefits associated with vermicompost. The vermicast is 10 to 20 higher in nutrients compared with other organic material used to enrich soil. It can also improve the soil’s water holding capacity. Enriching the soil could enhance plant growth and the crops yielded. If you have a vegetable patch, this would be a great way to reduce food waste and increase productivity from your patch using chemical-free fertilizers.

In the United States, there are states like Illinois, who are banning landscape waste in landfills. Vermicomposting is a great way to address disposal of these kinds of waste. Aside from that, there are some who would use vermicomposting as another source of income. They would sell vermicast, it is often times called “Black Gold” because of its high nutrient content. Others would supply worms to fishermen or become a local supplier.

Using vermicomposting as a waste management method for food scraps and other biodegradable materials at home is surely a win-win solution. You get to reduce waste and benefit from it, whether it is short term or in the long run.

The numbers are increasing. The United Nations Development Programme estimates that there are five million people who die each year because of diseases related to inappropriate waste disposal. It is the developed countries who are generating more wastes. About .75 tons of trash is being produced annually by an individual in the United States, that is according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency or US EPA. It can be reduced through waste management.

Home waste management is not just about less trash, it is about protecting and saving the environment. You could start by monitoring what you actually throw and how much waste is hauled from your home. Monitoring what you dispose would help you deal with them using other methods. Waste management could be summed in three important words: reduce, reuse, recycle.

- Reducing wastes. Buying food in packs will add to your waste, try buying food loose like vegetables and fruits. You could also get your home appliances regularly maintained or repaired. This would give your appliances longer life and avoid throwing away equipments.

- Reusing items. Appliances or home equipment that are not being used can be donated to charity. You could also use a cotton bag for shopping, this would reduce paper or plastic bags that you will be taking home. There are different methods on how you can reuse or repurpose old items in the house. There are different websites that can give you different ideas. Also buy reusable items rather than disposable items. You could get water bottles or a coffee mug instead of frequently buying plastic water bottles or disposable coffee cups.

- Recycling. You could start having a composting bed at home. This would be great for the environment and for your garden, too. Vermiculture or worm farming is also another way to recycle your waste and even earn extra income. Look for recycling centers near your home to bring items that you would like be recycled.

Another source of household wastes is food waste. How do you reduce your food wastes? Then start by buying food that you would really consume and need. There are studies showing that about 74% of people will be making purchase decisions after entering the grocery store, which is why you need a shopping list.

But before you start shopping, check your household supplies first and identify which food should be consumed immediately. Be a smart shopper, think about what will happen to the food, its containers and packages before you go ahead and buy. Food could be stored in the refrigerator for longer life and fruit and vegetable peelings could go to your compost bin.

Another waste management concern is about hazardous materials found in our home. The United States government categorized about 500 hazardous wastes and how it should be disposed. These hazardous materials are very much present in our home like house cleaners, paint and pesticides. And hazardous wastes are not disposed just like any other trash. We could start using organic and chemical free cleaners. For paints, make sure that we are buying enough and not too much. For example, in Minnesota hazardous waste sites, in 1998, about 4 million pounds of excess paint was collected.

You are not only saving the environment, you are also making your home safer for your children.

Archeological evidence said that humans had a way of managing their waste even before landfills and incinerators were developed. In many archeological sites, dumping pits were discovered where early people were believed to throw in their waste. In the course of history, waste regulations were enacted. This suggests that waste management is not a modern principle but in fact a natural response to existence.

Humans naturally know what to do with their waste as evidenced by the instituted waste management systems in the pre-modern and modern forms. However, along with global industrialization and population explosion, waste production blew out of proportion, endangering the environment and threatening humans and other living things. With the environmental issues raised here and there, there seems to be a need to remind humans of the importance of waste management.

Education and awareness campaigns play a great part here. Not all people after all are aware that the one piece of waste material they are sending to landfills or incinerators constitutes a greater threat to the environment. Presently, calls to recycle and waste reduction are widely active. And various projects and campaigns are launched everyday, adding more noise to the earlier advocacies on proper waste management.

The good news is that a good number of the population is increasingly becoming aware of the importance of waste management and is getting involved. However, more need to be tapped. There are still who remain passive. This segment of the population probably knows that proper waste management benefits the Earth and consequently everyone and everything living in it. But only vaguely. The finer and more intricate details are probably not known to them.

Waste does a lot of things. When brought to the landfills, they emit greenhouse gas in the form of methane. Although methane can be used to make energy, it is generally hazardous to health. Wastes buried in landfills also tend to leach chemicals that can contaminate groundwater. Wastes can be incinerated, though. The problem with incinerators, however, is that they also produce greenhouse gas and other forms of toxin such as dioxin. Dioxin is found to cause cancer. Whether waste is brought to a landfill or incinerator, it seems like it is a potential source of pollution and threat to health.

Although indirectly, waste causes resource depletion. This is due to the common buying pattern: buy, throw, and then buy again. As the waste piles up high, the demand for more products also rises, almost exhausting the natural resources. This has a spiral effect, mainly involving threats to biodiversity, deforestation, pollution, and other environmental problems.

Waste management can be part of the solution in two ways: one is through waste reduction, and two through recycling. Consistent waste reduction and recycling activities mean there will be less waste materials to be sent to landfills and incinerators. As such, the emission of greenhouse gas and other forms of pollutant will be reduced by a large percentage. Reusing and recycling of used items will also result in less production of new products. And this helps in the conservation of natural resources.

There is a great need in understanding the importance of waste management because unless it is acknowledged by all people, waste management efforts will not progress to further heights.