Facilitators-Handbook-For-Permaculture

80 Facilitator’s Handbook for Permaculture Workshops

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Presentation : Waste management

Method : Facilitator presentation

Tools : Images of safe and unsafe waste disposal, IDEP waste factsheet

References : PC Book MOD 3 - Houses, Water, and Waste Management

Objective : Participant understand more about waste disposal options

Wastes are continually increasing in our environment. Awareness about environmentally

sound solutions to reducing and disposing of wastes is of major importance. Good

systems for disposal are a major component of Sustainable Community Design.

Ask the participants to think about how much waste material they saw in their environment

when they were children. Then ask them to think about how much waste they see in

their environments now. Finally, ask them to imagine, if nothing changes, how much

waste will be in their environment when their children have children.

The best options for waste management are:

• Reduce – The amount of waste that is bought and created.


• Reuse – Waste items such as plastic bags, bottle, boxes, and jars instead of
  using or buying new items.


• Recycle – Instead of throwing waste away or burning it.

Some wastes cannot be recycled, and some communities do not have access to recycling

facilities. Some safer waste disposal methods for un-recyclable wastes, and the reasons

they are safer:

• Small scale burying – Less build up of toxicity in the soil.


• Safe, fast burning in controlled environments – This will greatly reduce
  the amount of toxic smoke, gas, and chemicals released into the air compared to
  standard burning practices, which are EXTREMELY dangerous for people’s health
  (especially children). Note: Description on this method is available in PC Book
  MOD 3 - Houses, Water, and Waste Management.

Unsafe waste disposal methods and the reasons they are unsafe:

• Burning – Toxic smoke, gases, and chemicals enter the atmosphere, harming
  people and the general environment, and adding to global warming.


• Unchecked dumping – As rubbish decomposes, toxic materials enter the soil.
  This causes contamination of the soil and can affect plants, animals, and people
  nearby. It is also very ugly.


• Dumping into waterways – As rubbish slowly decomposes it releases
  chemicals that can cause chemical imbalance in the water and a build up of
  materials that can harm water bacteria and microorganisms. It can also harm
  and kill water creatures in rivers and oceans, and is also very ugly.

See PC Book MOD 3 - Houses, Water, and Waste Management for more details.