How to manage your waste at home?
Waste is constantly generated in apartments, complexes and buildings. Like cleaning and hoovering, putting trash out is also considered a chore in daily routine. However, people living in apartments are finding themselves with high level of trash, owing to the increase in whole range of wrappers of food, product packages, food waste and other materials which they want to get rid of.
Managing domestic waste has become a necessity. Methods for reducing waste, reusing waste and recycling and composting waste are best options for managing your home waste. Following are some steps for best management of your home waste.
Reduce Trash When You Shop
Reducing household waste is a difficult task but by paying a little attention you can reduce it to some extent:
- Check the amount of packaging on the products you are buying.
- Choose packages that are recyclable.
- Purchase large packs instead of multiple small packets and bottles.
- Cook more at home and consume less of bottled drinking water.
Segregation of Waste:
It is very important to segregate waste before disposing of it. Segregating waste reduces the waste you put out and makes it simpler to recycle and compost. Waste can be segregated as-
- Dry waste: keep separate plastic for dry waste like flowers, papers, plastic, glass and metal as they can be reused and recycled.
- Wet waste: wet waste like vegetables, kitchen waste, fruit peels, tea leaves, egg shells and fish scales etc. should be kept in separate plastic as they can be used as compost.
- Hazardous waste: Hazardous waste includes e-waste i.e. batteries, wires, electronic toys, remotes, bulbs, tube lights; toxic waste i.e paints, insecticides, their containers; and biomedical waste i.e expired medicines, tubes, used cosmetics, thermometer and used syringes. These should be disposed of daily.
Reduce the amount of waste you create
Reducing waste you throw away has a direct impact, apart from Segregation of waste following can also be done to reduce the amount of waste
- Repair the usable items instead of throwing them away.
- Don’t throw away the things you don’t want anymore. Give it to someone in need or sell it.
- Buy products that are durable and have long life and reduce turnover of clothes and other products.
- Avoid unnecessary purchases of products, clothes and other appliances.
Reusing The Reusable:
- Instead of throwing away everything, you should reuse whatever you can. You can reuse the following:
- Plastic and paper bags can be reused while shopping.
- Plastic bottles and containers can be reused in the kitchen.
- Papers can be used for making creative things.
Recycling And Composting:
Home composting is simple. Put all the wet waste kept separately in a compost bin and let nature take care of it. This compost can be used for your plants and garden to make them healthy. Also many farmers, farming companies and community gardens interested in organic compost, so compost waste can be sold to interested parties. Recyclable materials can be collected by the council or by private waste collection companies for their use. You just have to inform them about it.
Collective Efforts:
All the residents should take collective actions for reducing and managing the waste generated in their apartment. All residents should segregate their waste. There should be separate waste collection bins for different waste. There should be a common compost bin for all residents. The association should create awareness among residents regarding proper waste management.
