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For better or worse, all human endeavours produce waste. This important market segment deals with either safely disposing of this waste (typically in the ground), converting it into other useful or harmless substances (sewage treatment or bio-gas production), and recycling. A typical profile is that > 65% of the total waste stream is biodegradable.
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Large contributors to this stream are: sewage, paper, food, and wood. Most of the remainder is: glass, plastic, textiles, and metal. A small percentage of the waste stream (typically < 1%) is highly toxic chemicals. The types of hazards encountered in handling these substances depends strongly on the type of waste involved. Biodegradable waste produces immediate gaseous hazards. Depending on the conditions where it is being treated or stored, large amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, and hydrogen sulphide can be produced leading to dangerous conditions. Solid inorganic waste like glass, plastic, and metal tend to be inert with most gaseous hazards being encountered downstream in conversion process such as melting them down for reuse. Toxic chemical waste streams are obvious contact hazards.
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