Waste Segregation: A Handy

Tool In Waste Managment

By : Vivek Kapadia
(160420717018)

In trod u ction
Waste generation is an integral part of ecological
cycle. Every element of ecosystem directly or
indirectly produces waste. With the advancement in
human activities, inventions and discoveries, the
quantum of waste generation has gone high. It has
not only increased in volume but also has become
more and more complex in composition which cannot
be decomposed completely through natural
processes. Hence waste management becomes an
important responsibility of all the stakeholders
generating waste and authorities managing human
habitat and environment.

What is Waste? Definition and types

Wastes are materials which are discarded after use at the
end of their intended life-span
Waste can be categorized in various ways depending on their
source of generation, physical state and composition etc
Here we are classifying waste based on their source of
generation.

The waste can also be classified on the bases of their physical state and
composition into
liquid waste
solid waste

Liquid waste
For waste to be considered non-liquid it must meet the following requirements:
A solids content of at least 20%and liberate no free liquids when
transported;or
No free liquids when tested in accordance with the US EPA paint filter liquids
test (US EPA method 9095A 1996)and liberate no free liquids when
transported

S olid W aste
Solid wastes are all the wastes arising from human and animal activities that
are normally solid and are discarded as useless or unwanted
Solid waste includes all types of waste in municipal waste category arising from
human and animal activity and all residential, commercial and institutional
buildings.Various categories of wastes discussed in the following sections can be
defined as follows:
"Municipal solid waste"(MSW) includes commercial and residential wastes
generated in municipal or notified areas in either solid or semi-solid form
excluding industrial hazardous wastes but including treated bio-medical wastes.
MSW also includes construction and demolition waste which is often mixed with
the domestic waste. This waste has high potential for reuse and recycling and
so need to be handled separately.

Value Chain
Of
Waste
Management

Status of Urban Solid Waste

Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000 recommends the process for
managing the domestic solid waste through segregation, collection, storage, transportation,
processing and disposal; and makes it obligatory on part of the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to
execute the same. In following section been assessed the state of urban solid waste from its
generation to final disposal.
In Gujarat waste charcterization

metal; 0%
plastic rubber & synthetic; 21%
organic waste; 41%
glass & ceramic; 5%
inert(stone ebries, ash,fine earth); 23%
paper & cardboard; 10%

In typical Indian city waste charcterization

plastic & rubber; 4% metal; 3%

textile; 6%
waste; 40%
glass & ceramic;organic
5%
inert; 15%
paper & cardboard; 27%

Due to the changing lifestyles, there has been shift in waste composition
specially paper, plastic and metal content has increased and organic content
has reduced. Current composition of organic waste, plastic waste, moisture
content and calorific value compares well with the composition of high
income countries; whereas for composition of paper and card board, glass &
ceramic waste constituents, it fits with middle income countries.
Understanding of waste characteristics/composition is essential
requirement for the determination of appropriate treatment and disposal
methods. Each type of waste requires different treatment before final
disposal.

Waste Generation
Gujarat cities on an average generate 345 gm/capita/day of waste as
against the all India average of 500 gm/capita/day
Total solid waste generated from all the urban areas in Gujarat amounts to
8566.54 tons per day. Seven Municipal Corporations contribute almost 72 percent
of the total Solid waste from Urban Areas. Analysing the same across different
regions of the Gujarat, it is observed that maximum generation is through urban
centers of Central Gujarat which is of an order of 53 percent followed by
Saurashtra and North Gujarat.
Source: Survey of ULBs by PAS, 2008-2009

Reasons For Inadequacy & Inefficiency In Services

Apathy of Municipal Authorities

Absence of Community Participation

Waste Management Hierarchy

Prevent the production of waste, or reduce the amount generated.
Reduce the toxicity or negative impacts of the waste that is
generated.
Reuse in their current forms the materials recovered from the waste
stream.
Recycle, compost, or recover materials for use as direct or indirect
inputs to new products.
Recover energy by incineration, anaerobic digestion, or similar
processes.
Reduce the volume of waste prior to disposal.
Dispose of residual solid waste in an environmentally sound manner,
generally in landfills.

Waste Segregation
There are certain wastes / garbage items are kept aside to be sold to
Kabadiwala or the Person who Buy old items. These can newspaper,
used bottles, magazines, carry bags, old books, Oil cans, Glass, Paper
Etc. This is one form of Segregation of waste, which is done at almost
all households.
Segregation our waste is essential as the amount of waste being
generated today caused immense problem. There are certain items are
not Bio Degradable but can be reused or recycled in fact it is believed
that a larger portion of the waste can be recycled, a part of can be
converted to compost, and only a smaller portion of it is real waste
that has no use and has to be discarded.

Household waste should be separated daily into different dustbins for the
different categories of waste such as Wet & Dry Waste which should be disposed
of separately.
Wet wastes, which consist of leftover foodstuff, vegetables, peels etc. should be
put in a compost pit and compost can be used as manure in the garden.
Dry waste consisting of cans, aluminum foils, plastics, metal, glass and paper could
be recycled.
One should also keep a dustbin for toxic wastes such as medicines, batteries, dried
paints, old bulbs and dried shoe polish.

Segregation of Waste
Waste Can be segregated as:-

Bio Degradable Waste: - Bio Degradable waste includes organic waste, e.g. kitchen
waste, vegetables, fruits, flowers, leaves from the garden and paper.
Non Bio Degradable Waste:- Non Biodegradables can be further segregated into: A - Recyclable Waste- Plastics, Paper, Glass, Metal Etc.
B- Toxic Waste:- - Old Medicine, paints, Chemicals, bulbs, Spray Cans, fertilizer
and pesticide containers, batteries, shoe polish.
C- Soiled: - Hospital waste such as cloth soiled with blood and other body
fluids. Toxic & soiled waste must be disposed of with utmost care.

Colour Scheme For Waste Segregation

Organic is Green,
Glass is Yellow,
Paper is White,
Metal is Grey,
Plastic is Blue,
Hazard is Red!

Advantages of Waste segregation

1.This practice is highly lucrative
2. Keeps the environment clean and fresh
3. Saves theEarth and conserves energy
4. Reduces environmental pollution
5. Waste segregation will help you earn money
6. Creates employment

Disadvantages of Waste Management

1. The process is not always cost-effective
2. The resultant product has a short life
3. The sites are often dangerous
4. The practices are not done uniformally
5. Waste management can cause more problems

Conclusion
Thus, considering the pros and cons of waste management, we can only
realize that the ultimate goal of waste management relies in waste
minimization and curbing only. However, the aspects of recycling and
processing wastes cannot be omitted since they attribute an environmental
flavour to our area of study. It also makes the whole process to be
economically viable and increase the sustenance of the process thereby
making it less susceptible to the legal frameworks and conventions of each
country. The energy flow from the producers to the consumers must be
retained as it is in the original ecosystems and the recycling should work in
tandem with the generalities of nature.

Refrences
Manual on municipal solid waste management_ MoUD_GOI_200
0.pdf
http://www.iitk.ac.in/3inetwork/html/reports/IIR2006/Solid_Was
te.pdf
Advantages and Disadvantages of Waste Management WiseStep
5 easy ways to segregate waste at home ,www.jaagore.com
Waste1Segregation.pdf ,www.mygov.in
What
is the importance of segregation of wastes? | Reference.com
www.reference.com
Segregation, edugreen.teri.res.in

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