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Degradability refers to the ability of waste to be broken down through natural processes.
The time required for waste to decompose significantly affects its management strategies.

Definition: Biodegradable waste encompasses organic materials that can decompose into simpler molecules (water, carbon dioxide, methane) via natural processes.

Common examples of biodegradable waste include:
- Food scraps
- Rotten vegetables
- Grass clippings
- Other forms of yard waste
These materials can be composted and utilized to enrich agricultural soil.

Globally, food waste is a substantial contributor to waste production; approximately 1/3 of food produced is wasted.
Most waste occurs at the end of the supply chain, typically in households.

The United Nations estimates that wasted food generates 3.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide annually.
The impact on climate change is significant, especially when food waste decomposes in landfills.
In landfills, biodegradable waste undergoes anaerobic fermentation, producing methane and carbon dioxide, both of which contribute to the greenhouse effect, leading to global warming.
These gases, collectively known as landfill gas, have the potential to contaminate groundwater.

Composting also produces methane and carbon dioxide.
However, the process is aerated (aerobic fermentation), which results in less methane production but increased carbon dioxide release.
Comparison of Gases: Carbon dioxide has a lesser impact on global warming when compared to methane, making composting a preferred method of biodegradable waste management over landfilling.

Definition: Non-biodegradable waste is composed of materials like metal, glass, and plastic that do not decompose using natural processes.
Some items made from these materials can persist in the environment for thousands of years.

Glass Bottle: 1 million years
Plastic Beverage Bottles: 450 years
Disposable Diapers: 450 years
Aluminum Can: 80-200 years
Tin Can: 50 years
Leather: 50 years
Data Source: U.S. National Park Service; Mote Marine Lab, Sarasota, FL.

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch consists of regions in the North Pacific Ocean where floating plastic waste has accumulated over decades.
In 2018, it was estimated by The Ocean Cleanup that there were 80,000 metric tons of debris within this patch, consisting of 1.8 trillion plastic pieces.
Plastic waste can be ingested by marine animals, leading to its entry into the food chain.

Definition: Radioactive waste consists of materials that emit radiation and have the potential for harm.
Radioactive materials naturally decay over time, becoming less harmful. The decay process can range from hours to thousands of years, necessitating proper disposal methods.

High-level waste: Includes used nuclear fuel from reactors and waste resulting from the reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel; typically stored on-site where generated.
Transuranic waste: Lab-created radioactive elements with atomic numbers of 92 (uranium) or higher; produced through recycling spent nuclear fuel or during nuclear weapons production.

Tailings are the sandy waste produced during the mining of uranium or thorium.
These materials can be carried by wind and potentially contaminate the food chain.
Proper management is essential due to the radioactive elements they may contain.
Tailings are stored in designated tailings management facilities (TMFs), often submerged, to prevent oxidation, reduce radiation exposure, and minimize dust dispersal.

Definition: Low-level waste includes materials not classified as high-level waste or tailings, such as everyday items that have been in contact with radioactive substances.
This waste is disposed of in specialized facilities.
Storage involves burying the waste in concrete vaults sealed with soil to prevent leaks and exposure.

TENORM is naturally occurring radioactive material exposed through human activities like mining, drilling, and wastewater treatment.
The fracking process is a specific method that can mobilize TENORM, posing environmental challenges of its own.