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Syllabus

Waste and Its Categories

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Topics

  • Types of Waste
  • Categories of Waste
  • Disposal Techniques

Categories of Waste:

  1. Solid waste: Solid waste refers to any unwanted or discarded solid material generated from human activities in homes, industries, businesses, or other establishments. It includes items such as household garbage, industrial by-products, construction debris, and agricultural waste that are no longer useful or needed. 
  2. Wet waste: Wet waste refers to any organic waste containing moisture or liquid content that is generated from households, kitchens, wastewater plants, or other sources. It includes materials such as leftover food, curries, juices, fruit peels, and rotten vegetables. 
  3. Dry waste: Dry waste refers to waste materials that do not contain moisture or liquid content and are not easily biodegradable. It includes items such as plastics, glass bottles, paper, metals, and packaging materials.
  4. Biodegradable waste: Biodegradable waste refers to any organic material that can be broken down naturally by microorganisms like bacteria and fungi into simpler substances such as carbon dioxide, water, methane, or organic molecules. Examples include food scraps, plant waste, paper, and manure.
  5. Non-biodegradable waste: Non-biodegradable waste refers to materials that cannot be broken down naturally into simpler substances like carbon dioxide, water, or methane by microorganisms. These materials persist in the environment for a long time. Examples include plastics, glass, metals, and synthetic chemicals.

Types of Waste:

  1. Municipal waste Municipal waste refers to waste generated from homes, schools, offices, factories, and other public places. It consists of everyday items that are discarded, such as unwanted food, clothes, wires, paints, glasses, and other household materials. Municipal waste is primarily collected from residential areas but also includes waste from commercial and institutional sources.
  2. Domestic waste: Domestic waste refers to household-generated materials that are no longer needed and require disposal. It includes items like food waste, paper, plastic bags, glass, fruit peels, vegetable scraps, and sheet metal objects.
  3. Commercial waste: Commercial waste refers to waste generated from businesses, trading activities, factories, schools, and other commercial establishments. It includes materials discarded during daily operations, such as paper, packaging, plastics, and other unused items. 
  4. Industrial waste: Industrial waste refers to materials discarded by industries that are no longer useful in the manufacturing process. It includes chemicals, pigments, ashes, metals, and other by-products.
  5. Hazardous waste: Hazardous waste refers to dangerous materials that pose risks to health or the environment. It includes chemicals from industries, radioactive substances, explosives, and infectious materials. 
  6. Biomedical waste: Biomedical waste refers to waste generated from medical facilities such as hospitals, clinics, medical colleges, and research centers. It includes materials like used syringes, bandages, gloves, medicines, and laboratory waste.
  7. Radioactive waste: Radioactive waste refers to materials that emit harmful radiation and are generated from sources like atomic energy plants, uranium mines, nuclear research facilities, and weapons testing sites. Examples include Strontium-10, Cerium-141, Barium-140, and heavy water.

Disposal Techniques:

  1. Burial Pits/Landfills: Burial pits, also known as landfills, are a method of disposing of daily waste by burying it in the ground. This method helps contain and manage large amounts of waste while minimising the foul smell it produces. Landfills are a common and practical alternative to dustbins for solid waste disposal.
  2. Incineration: Incineration involves burning waste at high temperatures to convert it into ash and gaseous products. This process reduces the volume of waste by 20-30%, making it a better alternative to traditional disposal methods. It is particularly useful for managing non-biodegradable and hazardous waste.
  3. Recycling: Recycling is the process of reusing discarded materials by converting them into new products. It forms an important part of the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” approach. Recycling helps reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, conserves resources, and minimises environmental pollution.
  4. Composting: Composting is the natural decomposition of organic waste by microorganisms when kept in a pit for a long period. The resulting nutrient-rich compost serves as an excellent manure for plants, enhancing soil fertility and promoting sustainable waste management.
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