Question

If all the waste we generate is biodegradable, will this have no impact on the environment?

Answer 1

Wastes are classified as materials that are unwanted that need to be discard. they can be broadly divided into- biodegradable waste and non-biodegradable waste. Biodegradable wastes are those that can be decomposed by decomposers present in the soil and thus cause less harm to the environment. These include fruits and vegetable peels, waste paper, dead plants and animals. Non-biodegradable wastes are those that cannot be decomposed and can thus lead to environmental pollution. They include plastics, polystyrene, paints, toxic substances, etc.

Complete answer: For a very long time it was believed that biodegradable wastes include breaking down of organic matter into simpler compounds that can be taken up by plants and microbes and thus don’t cause any environmental pollution. But recently it has been found out that biodegradable wastes also play a role in environmental pollution. Biodegradable wastes that remain stagnant give out foul odour which disturbs the surrounding environment. The most harmful effect of biodegradable waste is that in the process of converting the organic compounds into simpler forms the decomposers also produce many gases as by products such as carbon dioxide, methane, etc. these are some of the most prominent greenhouse gases and can be a contributing factor to global warming. The decomposition of biodegradable wastes also produces ammonia which if accumulated in large amounts can lead to soil toxicity. Hence it is clear that even if all the wastes generated are biodegradable it will still cause harmful effects on the environment.

Note:
Thus considering the current global scenario of environmental pollution care must be taken on the kinds of waste that are being generated by us. Biodegradable wastes are less harmful compared to non-biodegradable ones but even they contribute to environmental pollution. So their degradation should be monitored so that the ill effects caused by them is minimum.