Classification of Waste

The waste generated by industry and society needs to be classified in order to apply the correct
form of management. There are different classifications, depending on their origin, composition,
danger, etc.

1. “Domestic Waste”: Household-generated waste as a result of domestic activities. Similar

waste generated in the service sector and in some industries, are also considered to be
domestic.
2. “Industrial Waste”: Waste resulting from the processes of manufacture, processing,
utilization, consumption, cleaning or maintenance generated by industrial activity, excluding
emissions into the atmosphere.

In general, the wastes maybe categorized as follows:

 Solid wastes:

The solid wastes are the useless and unwanted substances discarded by human society. These include
urban wastes, industrial wastes, agricultural wastes, biomedical wastes and radioactive wastes. The
term refuse is also used for solid waste.

 Liquid wastes:

Wastes generated from washing, flushing or manufacturing processes of industries are called liquid
wastes. Such a waste is called sewage. The most common practice is to discharge it on the ground,
rivers and other water bodies, often without any treatment.

 Gaseous wastes:

These wastes are released in the form of gases from automobiles, factories, burning of fossil fuels etc.
and get mixed in the atmosphere. These gases include carbon monoxide, CO2, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen
dioxide, ozone, methane, etc.

Kinds of Waste Disposal

1. Solid Rubbish (Non-biodegradable)

Solid rubbish can include a variety of items found in your household along with commercial and
industrial locations.
Solid rubbish is commonly broken down into the following types:

Plastic waste – This consists of bags, containers, jars, bottles and many other products that can be
found in your household. Plastic is not biodegradable, but many types of plastic can be recycled.
Plastic should not be mix in with your regular waste, it should be sorted and placed in your recycling
bin.
Paper/card waste – This includes packaging materials, newspapers, cardboards and other products.
Paper can easily be recycled and reused so make sure to place them in your recycling bin or take them
to your closest Brisbane recycling depot.

Tins and metals – This can be found in various forms throughout your home. Most metals can be
recycled. Consider taking these items to a scrap yard or your closest Brisbane recycling depot to
dispose of this waste type properly.

Ceramics and glass – These items can easily be recycled. Look for special glass recycling bins and
bottle banks to dispose them correctly.

2. Organic Waste (Biodegradable)

Organic waste is another common household. All food waste, garden waste, manure and rotten
meat are classified as organic waste. Over time, organic waste is turned into manure by
microorganisms. However, this does not mean that you can dispose them anywhere.

Organic waste in landfills causes the production of methane, so it must never be simply discarded
with general waste. Instead, look to get a green bin from the Brisbane council, or hire a green skin
bin or garden bag for proper waste disposal.

3. Recyclable Rubbish

Recyclable rubbish includes all waste items that can be converted into products that can be used
again. Solid items such as paper, metals, furniture and organic waste can all be recycled.

Instead of throwing these items in with regular waste, which then ends up in landfills, place them
in your yellow recycling bin or take them to your local Brisbane recycling depot.

If you’re unsure whether an item is recyclable or not, look at the packaging or the diagrams on
the lid of your yellow recycling bin. Most products will explicitly state whether they are recyclable or
not.

4. Hazardous wastes:

Many chemical, biological, explosive or radioactive wastes, which are highly reactive and toxic,
pose a severe danger to human, plants or animal life and are called hazardous wastes. They are highly
toxic in nature. Hazardous wastes, when improperly handled, can cause substantial harm to human
health and to the environment. Hazardous wastes may be in the form of solids, liquids, sludge’s or
gases.

They are generated primarily by chemical production, manufacturing and other industrial
activities. The important hazardous wastes are lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, many drugs
leather, pesticides, dye, rubber and effluents from different industries. They may cause danger during
inadequate storage, transportation, treatment or disposal operations. The hazardous waste materials
may be toxic, reactive, ignitable, explosive, corrosive, infectious or radioactive.
 Solid Waste Management
What Is Solid Waste Management?
Solid Waste Management is defined as the discipline associated with control of generation,
storage, collection, transport or transfer, processing and disposal of solid waste materials in a way
that best addresses the range of public health, conservation, economics, aesthetic, engineering and
other environmental considerations.
In its scope, solid waste management includes planning, administrative, financial,
engineering and legal functions. Solutions might include complex inter-disciplinary relations among
fields such as public health, city and regional planning, political science, geography, sociology,
economics, communication and conservation, demography, engineering and material sciences.
Solid waste management practices can differ for residential and industrial producers, for
urban and rural areas, and for developed and developing nations. The administration of non-
hazardous waste in metropolitan areas is the job of local government authorities. On the other
hand, the management of hazardous waste materials is typically the job of the generator, subject to
local, national and even international authorities.
Objectives of Waste Management
The primary goal of solid waste management is reducing and eliminating adverse impacts of
waste materials on human health and environment to support economic development and superior
quality of life.
6 Functional Elements of the Waste Management System
There are six functional components of the waste management system as outlined below:
1. Waste generation refers to activities involved in identifying materials which are no longer
usable and are either gathered for systematic disposal or thrown away.
2. Onsite handling, storage, and processing are the activities at the point of waste generation
which facilitate easier collection. For example, waste bins are placed at the sites which
generate sufficient waste.
3. Waste collection, a crucial phase of waste management, includes activities such as placing
waste collection bins, collecting waste from those bins and accumulating trash in the
location where the collection vehicles are emptied. Although the collection phase involves
transportation, this is typically not the main stage of waste transportation.
4. Waste transfer and transport are the activities involved in moving waste from the local
waste collection locations to the regional waste disposal site in large waste transport
vehicles.
5. Waste processing and recovery refer to the facilities, equipment, and techniques employed
both to recover reusable or recyclable materials from the waste stream and to improve the
effectiveness of other functional elements of waste management.
6. Disposal is the final stage of waste management. It involves the activities aimed at the
systematic disposal of waste materials in locations such as landfills or waste-to-energy
facilities.