Throughout history, human activity has been the main source of pollution on the planet. This has led to the contamination of our environments and the alteration of the ecological balance of the planet. Environmental pollution poses a risk to the health of all living beings on the planet.
The planet continually reminds us, and more and more frequently, that if we upset its balance, the consequences are devastating through droughts, mega-fires, floods, loss of biodiversity, and increasingly fierce natural disasters. Climate change is already a reality and thousands of people, animals, and plants are suffering its effects.
The World Health Organization states that most citizens live in areas where environmental pollution is present, exceeding the limits established as healthy. Many substances negatively impact not only human health but also the health of thousands of animal and plant species whose habitats are altered by the effects of pollution.
Pollution is nothing more than an incentive that causes the climate crisis to advance unchecked. We refer to environmental pollution as the entry of harmful chemical substances into a given environment. This phenomenon affects the balance of the environment and makes it an unsafe environment.

Environmental contamination

The environment and its ecosystems suffer directly from the harmful effects. Environmental pollution is a negative alteration of the natural state of the living beings that inhabit the planet. The causes of this type of pollution depend on several agents that vary according to the ecosystem they affect.
However, to understand the causes of environmental pollution we must first learn to differentiate the different types of pollution according to their origin. These can be:

• Natural: caused by phenomena such as forest fires, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, or earthquakes.
• Artificial: caused by human activity (polluting effects: industrial activity, chemicals, etc.). Such as by the interruption of the natural cycles of the ecosystem, the misuse of natural resources, or poor waste management.

Therefore, we can assume that environmental pollution occurs as a consequence of two important factors: the increase in human population and the uncontrollable advance of industrial development. Both cause an imbalance in the environment in the face of different physical, chemical, or biological pollutants:

• Chemical pollutants: These come from the chemical industry, where toxic products such as acids, organic solvents, plastics, petroleum derivatives, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides are generated.
• Physical agents: They come from actions caused by human activity such as noise, radioactivity, heat, and electromagnetic energy.
• Biological pollutants: caused by the decomposition and fermentation of organic waste such as excrement, sawdust from the forestry industry, paper, factory waste, or sewage.

What can we do to mitigate the environmental impact?

One of the best ways to mitigate the impact of waste on the environment is to look for smart, technology-focused solutions for the waste management industry. These innovative processes help streamline collections, monitor waste levels and make it easier for individuals and businesses to increase their recycling rates and help the environment.
Smart waste management refers to any system that uses technology to make waste collection more efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly. Most of these systems are equipped with the Internet of Things (IoT), a monitoring technology that collects and tracks real-time data, to help optimize waste collection and spur future innovation. These technologies address a number of different issues affecting the waste management industry and have in common the desire to reduce pollution, streamline the waste collection system, and protect our environment.
Many of the new technologies that are making waves in the world of solid waste management are aimed at businesses. This is because businesses generally produce more waste than individual households. Helping businesses make sustainable waste management easier and more cost-effective will encourage recycling.

Most Innovative Waste Technology Systems:

Technology provides better ways to collect, sort, and use waste, and new tools and methods are always emerging. As these advances become more common, waste management will continue to become more sustainable.
The first step toward creating efficient and sustainable waste management systems is to learn why current ones are not working. The following technologies combine IoT data analysis with modern solutions to help identify challenges and improve as they progress.
-Smart Wastebaskets:
When left to their own devices, people don’t always bother to sort their waste into the proper trash or recycling garbage cans. To help reduce improper recycling sorting, Polish company Bin-e designed a smart trash garbage can that uses artificial intelligence-based object recognition to automatically sort recyclables into separate compartments. After sorting, the machine compresses the waste and monitors how full each garbage can is.

Smart garbage cans remove human error from the initial sorting process, making material processing faster and easier for recycling facilities. This can reduce waste management costs by up to 80% and dramatically improve employee efficiency.

• Waste level sensors:
  Households and businesses across the country rely on routine waste collection services to dispose of their garbage. Weekly services have been around for decades, but they are not always the most efficient option.
  To help minimize unnecessary trips to and from landfills, businesses and communities can install waste-level sensors in dumpsters or trash containers of any size. These devices collect and store data on fill levels, allowing collection services to predict how often dumpsters should be emptied. This also helps prevent public dumpsters from overflowing and contaminating the surrounding area.
• Recycling robots:
  Recycling centers play a crucial role in reducing the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and waterways each year. However, a reduced workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic has left many centers struggling to keep up with demand. Fortunately, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven recycling robots can help pick up some of the slack.
  These robots are designed to accurately identify and sort recyclable materials, increasing efficiency and reducing the need for human workers. This not only saves recycling centers money over time but also helps divert materials that would otherwise end up in landfills.
• Weighing mechanisms for garbage trucks:
  Like waste level sensors, weighing mechanisms installed on garbage trucks can help predict fill levels and reduce collection trips. They do this by measuring and storing the weight of waste containers and then using the data to predict fill levels over time. Cities can use this technology to more accurately predict how often they need to send out their trucks and reduce annual collection costs.
• Classification of waste with IA:
  Errors in waste sorting can lead to improper disposal and missed opportunities to recycle or reuse materials. Less than 1% of waste is monitored, making these errors likely. However, manual monitoring is inefficient and costly. Artificial intelligence provides a solution.
  AI applications such as machine vision can help automated systems differentiate between different types of waste. They can then sort it more effectively and provide feedback on areas’ disposal practices. Companies can make sure they are recycling as much as they can and avoid environmentally hazardous mistakes.
  -Automatic drainage pipes:
  As populations grow in urban areas, so does the need for waste management solutions that can accommodate increasing amounts of garbage. Some cities are taking on this challenge by installing pneumatic waste disposal containers that connect to a series of subway pipes. Trash travels through the pipes to a waste collection plant where it can be sorted or hauled away. This system eliminates the need for traditional waste collection, reduces energy costs, and increases overall efficiency.
• Solar-powered trash compactors:
  In an effort to increase collection efficiency and reduce trips to and from the landfill, manufacturer Ecube Labs created a solar-powered trash compactor that can hold up to five times more trash than traditional dumpsters. These machines compress trash as it accumulates to increase dumpster capacity and collect and transmit data on filling and collection times to help streamline the collection process
• Plasma gasification:
  Waste-to-energy processes prevent waste from ending up in landfills and create relatively green energy sources. One of the newest and most promising techniques is plasma gasification. In this process, plasma heats waste to extreme temperatures and converts it into usable gases such as hydrogen.
• Fleet management systems:
  The technology also provides a way forward for areas that still use a traditional garbage collection system. Fleet management technology, which is common in the logistics sector, can improve garbage collection. These systems use a network of sensors and GPS data to optimize vehicle routes.
  Following the same route every day is convenient, but not always efficient. Changes in traffic, weather and the amount of waste can make different routes more or less practical. Fleet management systems allow drivers to adjust their routes to save time and reduce emissions.

Waste management doesn’t have to be wasteful. Thanks to these technologies, the world is becoming a more environmentally friendly place. As more people adopt these technologies, additional research and development will be funded. As a result, the impact of technology on waste management will grow exponentially. If used well, it can help us reuse old electronics, recycle more and more of our plastics, and reduce the number of vehicles on our roads. In the future, technological advances are likely to have an even greater impact on recycling rates and efficiency, leading to a greener, healthier planet for us all.