No more time to waste

Through responsible waste management, farmers can avoid polluting the surrounding agroecosystem, says environmental specialist Alistair Galloway.

In society, waste disposal often follows the principle of 'out of sight, out of mind'. Once a used item has been placed in a rubbish bin, there's not much more thought about where that object will end up, how it will be disposed of, and if there will be any potential negative effects on people and the environment in the disposal process.

Irresponsible waste disposal can have numerous unintended consequences for both human and environmental health.

For example, a highly publicised stream of waste, plastics, is well known for its impact on flagship marine species such as whales, turtles and albatrosses.

Plastics can further break down into microplastics, which have been found in Antarctic ice, the Mariana Trench, drinking water and even human blood samples. Scientists are continuously uncovering the extent of waste pollution in our environment and its potential impact on our health. What we are certain of, however, is that we need to tackle waste sources before they become significant hazards to human and environmental health downstream.