Waste reduction starts from home. It is a simple process that requires one individual in the house hold to take the initiative to segregate his waste into organic, recyclable, hazardous and electronic. The effort entails placing four small bins in which the categories of waste mentioned above are disposed off respectively. Your recyclables can all be mixed, in one container, but caution should be taken to discard organic waste, hazardous waste and e waste separately in different waste containers.
Most people use a bin liner to dispose off their waste as this insures that the process is not messy. In order to start reducing waste at source, bin liners should not be used to dispose of organic waste, this process only adds to ever growing challenge of managing waste. Organic waste can be disposed of without using a bin liner straight into the dustbin, and the dustbin can be cleaned after it has been emptied. This simple process will save you money and reduce your houses carbon footprint. Similarly when disposing paper wastes make sure that only the necessary paper waste is being disposed off. Paper can be used as rough paper for kids to scribble on or as a note pad elongating the life of the paper and again saving you money. Before disposing your electronic waste make sure that it is in a condition that it cannot be used or repaired. If you have no uses of it donate it to a library or to someone who needs it. When disposing hazardous waste such as batteries, insure that all life of the battery has been utilized, and buy batteries that are rechargeable.
An average Indian family generates about .5 kgs of waste on a daily basis. This waste is 60% organic, 20% recyclable and 20% inert in nature. Most households do not segregate their waste at home, as a result when the waste is disposed off it is mixed and contaminated requiring segregation to be done manually. Indian waste also contains a high level of moisture, mostly due to the large organic content and eating habits of the people. It is well know that the Indian waste management sector is unorganized in nature adding to the ever growing challenge of managing waste in India. Most individuals involved in the field have little knowledge of proper waste management practises and the collection process does not allow them to store waste in different compartments in their carts. It is also well know and documented that most organic waste in India is not treated and finds its way to the landfill site, hence it becomes imperative that we take steps to reduce waste generation of waste from our homes.
In our next article we will discuss how to convert your organic waste into compost at home.
Residental Waste Management
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