ECOLOGICAL WASTE

MANAGEMENT
 INTRODUCTION
• We humans depend on many things from our
environment to satisfy our various needs and in the
process of our development we generate a produce
lot of things which are actually of no use to us and
we simply discard them.
• Objects which are no longer of any use to ‘us’ are
called WASTE
 We often buy packet foods, bottle drinks,
canned goods, vegetables etc.

• What we exactly do after having it? We throw

away our waste/scraps in the dustbin. We
discard a lot of things such as newspaper,
plastics, cardboard wrappings, broken objects
etc.
 Why do we waste things?
• It’s no more useful
(example; an umbrella that does not keep you dry)
• It’s unwanted
• (example; Oils, waste tires,
packet foods and
hazardous waste etc.)
• It’s defective
• (example; furniture and toys)
• It’s old and worthless
• (example; a rotten foods, expired milk or goods)
 Classification of solid waste
• A. COMPOSTABLE WASTES. Compostable wastes are biodegradable wastes
such as food waste, garden waste, animal waste and human waste.

• Examples are:

Fruit and vegetable peelings

• Leftover foods
• Vegetable trims
• Fish/fowl/meat/animal entrails
• Soft shells
• Seeds
• Leaves
• Flowers
• Twigs
• Branches
 B. RECYCLABLE WASTES. Recyclable materials refer to any waste material
retrieved from the waste stream and free from contamination that can still
be converted into suitable beneficial use. These may be transformed into
new products in such a manner that the original products may lose their
identity

Examples are:
· Newspaper
· Ferrous scrap metal
· Non-ferrous scrap metal
· Corrugated cardboard
· Aluminum
· Glass
· Office paper
· Tin cans
 C. RESIDUAL WASTES. Residual wastes are solid waste
materials that are non-compostable and non-recyclable.
It should be disposed ecologically through a long-term
disposal facility or sanitary landfill.
• Examples are:

• Sanitary napkins
• Disposable diapers
• Worn-out rugs
 D. SPECIAL WASTES. Special wastes refer to
household hazardous wastes

• Examples are:
• Paints
• Thinners
• Household batteries
• Lead-acid batteries
• Spray Canisters
Series of processes right of
these waste undergo
WASTE COLLECTIO SEGREGATION
N

DISPOSAL TRANSPORTATION
ORIGIN FROM WASTE CAN BE COLLECTED

• Domestic waste

• Industrial waste

• Biomedical waste

• Agricultural waste

• Nuclear waste

• Mineral waste
 Classification of waste
According to the kind/form of waste

SOLID LIQUID GAS

On the basis of amount of moisture
 According to their effect on life & environment

HAZARDOUS NON-HAZARDOUS
DANGER/RISK

TOXIC &
HARMFUL

INFLAMMABL
E

REACTIVE

CORROSIVE

EXPLOSIVE
 According to their properties

Bio-degradable Non-biodegradable
• In which special category of waste will these old
television, and similar products like computers,
VCR, VHS, stereos, fax machines fall under ?
• It falls under a special category of waste called
the ‘E-WASTE’ or WASTE ELECTRONIC/ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT (WEEE).
• It is a name given for electronic products
nearing the end of their useful lives.
• E waste is can be hazardous waste because
many electronic devices contain chemicals
such as mercury, lead etc.
•  Recovering the parts within the devices that
still have value, and providing manufacturers
with recycled metals that can be used to make
new products.
 HEALTH HAZARDS CAUSED BY WASTE

Why we need to study about ‘wastes’??

• Because when left uncared these wastes accumulate and cause

serious health hazards.
• Many terrestrial animals eat plastic from dumping
sites.
• Many aquatic animals die every year because of plastic bag
liter.
Apart from causing these health hazards they
even add to different types of pollution.
 DECOMPOSITION TIME/LENGTH OF WASTE
TYPES OF WASTE TIME TO DECOMPOSE
PAPER TOWELS 2-4WEEKS
BANANA PEEL 3-4WEEKS
PAPER BAG 1 MONTH
ORANGE PEEL 6 MONTHS
MILK CARTOONS 5 YEARS
CIGARETTE BUTTS 10-12 YEARS
RUBBER BOOT SOLE 50-80 YEARS
PLASTIC BAG 200-1000 YEARS
 WASTE AVOIDANCE AND THE THREE R’s OF
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
• AVOIDANCE
• Eliminate household toxic waste from the garbage stream
• Avoid products that are made from non-renewable resources
• Select products made from recyclable materials.
• REDUCE*
• Reduce the amount of unnecessary packaging.
• Adopt practices that reduce waste toxicity.

• REUSE*
• Consider reusable products.
• Reuse bags, containers, and other items
• Sell or donate goods instead of throwing them out.

• RECYCLE*
• Choose recyclable products and containers and recycle them.
• Select products made from recyclable materials.