GROUP ACTIVITY

(Members: DIPANKAR DAS 20012, HAIMANTI SARKAR 20044, PARTHIB BANERJEE 20053,
ARPA BANIK 20076, PRIYANKA PRADHAN 20120, SAMPURNA BAG 20125)

QUESTION:- What types of wastes are produced in the institute? What

methods are used in solid waste management? Suggest suitable methods to
dispose of waste more effectively in the institute.

ANSWER :-
● Wastes are discarded as of no use or worthless. Waste consists of
various types of unwanted or unusable materials, which includes solid
waste (household trash or refuse items), wastewater, hazardous waste
and others. Among all these types of waste, solid and water wastes are
mainly produced in the institute such as -
Plastic
Paper
Wastage of huge amounts of water during daily sweeping of the floor.
In the mess, there is a lot of wastage of food, fruits and vegetables.
Daily wastage of chemicals, water and rubber gloves for doing experiments in the
lab.
Others like stationary items.

● There are different methods of solid waste management. The following

are some of the recognized methods:

(A) Composting Method: Due to a lack of adequate space for landfills, biodegradable
yard waste is allowed to decompose in a medium designed for the purpose. Only
biodegradable waste materials are used in composting.
It is a biological process in which micro-organisms, specifically fungi and bacteria,
convert degradable organic waste into substances like humus. This finished product,
which looks like soil, is high in carbon and nitrogen. Good quality environmentally
friendly manure is formed from the compost that is an excellent medium for growing
plants and can be used for agricultural purposes.
 ❖ Advantage: Composting is environmentally friendly as well as beneficial for
crops.

(B) Recovery and Recycling Method: Recycling or recovery of resources is the

process of taking useful but discarded items for the next use. Plastic bags, tins, glass
and containers are often recycled automatically since, in many situations, they are likely
to be scarce commodities. Traditionally, these items are processed and cleaned before
they are recycled. The process aims at reducing energy loss, consumption of new
material and reduction of landfills. The most developed countries follow a strong
tradition of recycling to lower volumes of waste.
 ❖ Advantage: Recycling is environmentally friendly.

(C) Vermicomposting: Ideal for biodegradable wastes from the institute. A tray or
vessel with a hole at one end in the bottom of the vessel is used, 1” thick layer of baby
metal or gravel at the bottom of the tray is layered. Then, above that lay an old gunny
bag or a piece of thick cloth, a layer of coconut husk upside down over it and above that
a 2” thick layer of dry leaves and dry cow dung (powdered) are layed. After that the
biodegradable waste is put over it. Then good quality earthworms are introduced on the
vessel. Then the vessel is kept closed. If the box is kept under bright sun earthworms
will go down and compost can be taken from the top. Compost can be dried and stored
for further usage. We Can Continue putting waste into the vessel and repeat the
process.

❖ Advantage: Eco friendly and low costly process.

(4) Waste to Energy: An efficient disposal system is essential to save ourselves

and the environment from non-recyclable items. This disposal technique
generates heat or electricity from waste materials. It can come in handy when
we need to dispose of the non-recyclable items by converting them into heat,
fuel or electricity.
 ❖ Advantage: Reduces the need for fossil fuel can help decrease carbon
emission.

● Some suitable methods to dispose of waste of the institute more effectively

is:

(A) Try to stop producing waste in the first place: The best way to manage our
waste is not to produce it in the first place! Cutting down on throw-away products and
buying only what we need prevents unnecessary waste. Reducing our waste is a much
better option environmentally and financially than recycling or any other waste disposal.

In Our Institute we can work with students to carry out an institute waste audit to find out
how much waste is produced, then classify the types of different waste and identify
waste ‘hot spots’ within the institute. Then we can develop an action plan on how to
tackle waste in your institute. And keep track of our progress by undertaking regular
measuring and monitoring.

(B) Reuse – think before you throw things away: Reusing, refilling, repairing or
refurbishing things will extend their life and reduce the need to buy new ones. We can
encourage pupils to use reusable bottles and flasks for drinks. This can easily be done
by installing water fountains around the institute and encouraging pupils to drink tap
water.

(C) Recycle – recycling old products into new ones saves raw materials and
energy: Recycling helps save energy and tackles climate change, and can save your
school money on rubbish collections.

We can make it easy to recycle by placing recycling bins in sensible areas, such as next
to printers and photocopiers, classrooms, and in the staff room! These areas can be
identified from a waste audit. Also we can use clear posters and signs to encourage
everyone to use recycling bins, and use them correctly.

(D) Swap or give it away: We can make it easy for pupils and their families to swap,
donate and exchange second hand uniforms/ Lab coats. We may run a ‘reuse fashion
show’, a ‘swap shop’, or a ‘give and take’ day to make it easy for parents and pupils to
do this.

(E) Think big: Successful institute waste initiatives are supported by the whole institute,
and indeed depend on everyone being aware and getting involved. Some of the leading
examples are driven by the efforts of pupils, with effective support from staff.

Pupil-led initiatives work well, with pupils taking charge of waste audits, monitoring and
publicity campaigns. Some go further and rate the waste performance of their teachers!
Also regularly announce and celebrate waste successes in institute assemblies, staff
meetings, newsletters and on the institute website.