Know What is Industrial Waste and Examples

The following discussion contains an explanation of what industrial waste is, types of industrial waste, industrial waste management and its legal aspects.

In the industrial process to produce products in the form of goods, there will be a component of waste called industrial waste.

The waste must be handled properly so as not to cause harmful after effects such as polluting the surrounding environment. In order to better understand the intricacies of industrial waste, the following is a complete explanation.

Definition of Industrial Waste

Industrial waste is the result of waste generated from every kind of industrial activity. The types of industrial waste are very diverse, depending on what products are produced. For example, in the textile industry, there is not only waste in the form of scraps of material but also waste water from fabric dyes.

As for the food industry, the majority of the waste generated is in the form of organic waste, leftovers from food processing.

Types of Industrial Waste

Because the existing industries are very diverse, broadly speaking, industrial waste is divided into four groups, namely:

1. Liquid Waste

Liquid waste is waste in the form of liquid and produced by industrial processes. For example, tempe waste, preservative liquid, clothing dye residue, food washing water to oil spills in the ocean. Water treatment companies really help to manage this liquid waste.

2. Solid Waste

In industry, solid waste is generated not only in solid form but also in sludge or slurry. For example, the rest of the plastic waste, the rest of the clothes, pieces of wood material, iron, to the rest of the pulp.

3. Waste Gas

Gas waste is industrial waste in the form of gas molecules. Because it cannot be seen with the naked eye, this type of waste can have a bad effect on living things if not handled properly.

Gas molecules become waste when present in excessive amounts beyond healthy air standards. For example, excess methane gas, carbon monoxide to hydrogen peroxide.

4. Hazardous Waste

The last category of waste from industrial processes is hazardous and toxic (B3) waste. B3 waste is included in its own category because the content of toxic compounds in it is high enough that special handling is needed.

Several industries that produce B3 waste include the pulp, lubricating oil, pharmaceutical and cement processing industries.

Industrial Waste Management

Industrial waste management is very different, depending on the type. The following management steps must be known.

1. Liquid Waste

The main principle in liquid waste management is to keep the liquid released clean, by eliminating the pollutants in it. There are three ways to manage this type of waste, namely physically, chemically and biologically.

In physical management, all impurities are separated from the liquid. The trick is to go through the stages of deposition, floatation, absorption and filtering.

Meanwhile, in the chemical wastewater treatment process, there are several methods that are often applied. Starting from the method of ozonation, oxidation, coagulation to ion exchange. The selection of the method must adjust to the type of pollutant to be removed.

The last method is biological treatment, which uses living biota in the form of microorganisms to decompose pollutants in waste. There are three choices of methods that can be used, namely aerobic, anaerobic and facultative processing.

2. Solid Waste

Solid waste from industrial waste can be managed in various ways to be more environmentally friendly. Solid waste consists of two types, namely organic waste and inorganic waste. In its management, organic waste is generally stockpiled in the hope that it can be decomposed by microorganisms so that it can fertilize the soil.

However, landfilling of organic waste cannot be done haphazardly. Usually the sanitary landfill method is applied to prevent pollution.

In a sanitary landfill, waste is placed in a hole that has been previously lined with clay and plastic to prevent water seeping into the soil. Then, the methane gas produced can be used for electricity.

Furthermore, solid waste can also be directly managed by means of combustion by means of incineration. Although it is very effective in reducing the amount of waste, the high production costs mean that not all industries can have these tools.

Meanwhile, inorganic waste such as plastic or used cables can be recycled into new goods with higher selling values.

3. Waste Gas

Unlike the previous two types of waste, gaseous waste cannot be seen directly so it is quite dangerous for living things.

One way to manage this waste is to reduce the amount of gas discharged, by desulfurization method using a wet filter. Industry can also switch to using more environmentally friendly fuels.

In addition, waste gas can be managed using the gas phase method, which can disguise the unpleasant odor emitted. There is also a solid phase method, which uses a solid adsorbent such as activated charcoal to absorb unpleasant odors.

4. Hazardous Waste

Before being managed, B3 waste must be considered how to store it. This type of waste should not be mixed with other types of waste. Not only that, industries that produce B3 waste must have a permit from the local government to carry out storage.

In the management process, there are three methods that are generally used, namely physical, chemical and biological. In the way of physical management, it is not only the separation of waste components but also gas cleaning.

When managed by chemical means, the processes involved include solidification, reduction, absorption, electrolysis, ion exchange, sedimentation and neutralization.

The next B3 waste management is biological and includes bioremediation and phytoremediation processes. Both of these methods involve living things such as plants and microorganisms to reduce toxic compounds in B3. This method is also more cost-effective when compared to being managed physically or chemically.

To protect the environment from pollution, the Indonesian government has issued several regulations regarding waste management. For example, in law number 32 of 2009 on environmental management (UU PPLH). Even in Article 140 of the Environmental Protection Law, it is stated that those who dispose of waste into the environment without a permit are required to pay a fine of Rp. 3 billion.

UU PLH number 32 is only one of the regulations that must be implemented by industry players if they want the production process to run without any disturbance. Several other regulations also regulate waste management for certain industries in particular. Derivative regulations are also owned by local governments so it is necessary to know before establishing an industry.

In managing industries with water solution indonesia, it is necessary to do good research to find out how to properly manage it to the impact of environmental pollution. Not only is adequate equipment required, but the presence of professionals who have knowledge of waste management is also very important.