Waste Management

Ever since abandoning the nomadic lifestyle, mankind has been fighting with the disposal problems caused by everyday life's wastes. Today, humans are looking for ecological solutions, which are also economically viable. This book presents the history of this dilemma and the technical solutions available on the market today. The first part provides an overview of the history of mankind and their waste. The tendencies in Europe and the current legislations for Switzerland and Europe are explained. A look beyond the borders of Europe to other continents shows that there the local residents are presently fighting with the same problems as Europe did at the beginning of the 20th century. The second part deals more closely with waste definition, the technical possibilities to recycle waste and the processes to treat non-recyclable waste in a manner, that it can be safely brought back into the environment. The book discusses municipal as well as industrial wastes. Also special areas such as hazardous wastes, sewage sludges, landfill and contaminated site problems or biogenic wastes are highlighted.