Recent studies into the historical timeline of mankind’s waste management habits have brought to light some incredible, near-unbelievable information, namely with regard to the crude, unhygienic nature of yesteryear’s practices. In this regard, unsanitary refuse routines have been around since time immemorial, which means that this issue didn’t arise due to a 21st century problem. This waste management has quite literally been plaguing mankind for hundreds of years.
The Timeline
Our modern garbage problem, which entails over 1 billion tonnes of worldwide waste per year, didn’t just appear out of thin air. It began thousands of years ago. Here are the following dates:
- 6,500 BC: Archaeological studies discovered that ancient Native Americans produced on average over 5 kg of waste per day per person.
- 1388: Due to the effects of the Bubonic Plague, an epidemic that killed over 100 million people, the English Parliament decided to ban the dispersal of refuse into public waterways and communal ditches.
- 1400: Refuse, waste, and rubbish accumulates to such a large extent outside the Paris gates that it begins to interfere with city defences.
- 1842: After rampant cholera outbreaks, a scientific report finally links disease and infection to filthy environmental conditions, which effectively gives birth to the Age of Sanitation.
- 1900: Localised communities start developing “Piggeries” to feed cooked garbage to swine.
- 1950s: People begin to recycle aluminium cans and municipal governments start implementing solid waste management codifications and laws.
As you can see, humans have never really been pushed to the precipice with regard to garbage issues, which is why many of the actions we’ve taken as a people have been largely reactionary and intransigent. Simply stated, mankind has long avoided making any seismic changes until a disease outbreak occurs or health crisis strikes, often focusing on quick and easy fixes instead of long-lasting solutions. However, since we are on pace to reach 4 billion tonnes of worldwide waste production by 2100, it’s time to start making some wholesome changes as a global community.
Fortunately, you don’t have to look too far or wide to find an effective solution for your current waste management needs. All you need to do is reserve a reputable skip hire in Hendon.
How Can a Skip Hire Help?
In an effort to reinforce the EU Landfill Directive of 2001, a few privately-owned firms have started providing safe, secure, and environmentally-friendly skip services for homeowners and businesses all over the UK. This development has led to a quantifiable decrease in unregulated dumpsites, unauthorised processing plants, polluted waterways, and precarious trash-burning routines. Although much progress has been made, there is still a long way to go.
Even though the UK has been able to reduce its annual garbage production by more than 12% since the EU Landfill Directive came about, many people are still blissfully unaware of their unsanitary refuse practices, which is why there’s still plenty of room for improvement across the country.
So the next time you need to facilitate spring-cleaning or get rid of antiquated electronics in a safe manner, you should call on a local skip service to help you take care of your rubbish issue. In this regard, the most renowned firms can also provide portable toilets, scaffolding equipment, building materials, and storage containers as well, so make sure you partner with a company that has a far-reaching suite of services beyond just facilitating skip rentals.