Proper Waste Disposal and Waste Management in Apartments
Generally Waste or Garbage is an unwanted or undesired material or substance thrown out of our homes, offices, parks, shops, restaurants and small commercial establishments. With increasing population the amount of waste generated has also increased so much so that it cannot be easily disposed of by conventional methods such as land-filling. Proper waste disposal reduces the probability of contamination of the soil and groundwater and it is crucial for public health and the environment.
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One of the most common sights on Indian roads and residential areas in every morning is sanity workers and cleaners cleaning the surroundings and they happily set the garbage collected on fire or the garbage collected by sanitary workers is dumped in mounds near the township, making life miserable for the residents. The success and failure of waste management lies in the hands of one and all residents in that apartment complex and the garbage collectors who are assigned for the work.
Proper Waste Management in Apartments
First thing comes to our mind when we say proper waste management in apartment is “Segregation of Waste at Source” but this methods often fails as the garbage collectors mix up the garbage once they collect these waste. According to source, majority of waste collected by garbage collectors ends in dumping near by vacant sites or dumping in drainage or they set on fire where they not only contribute a sizeable chunk of gases and heat to the environment but also they end up burning some non-biodegradable matter. For proper and effective Waste Management in Apartments, we need to reduce the generation of waste. There are several alternatives available for disposing of waste in a suitable manner.
Education and awareness: Education and awareness in the area of waste and waste management is increasingly important from a global perspective of resource management. It is important to educate and create awareness to residents, garbage collectors and garbage contractors on proper waste management.
Segregate before you Throw: Make a habit of dropping things or wastes in four separate containers. Segregate your waste in following category-
- Dry waste: Dry waste can be given to the rag picker once or twice a week which mainly contains scraps of paper, plastic, metal, glass pieces, rags, rubber, leather, crockery used cardboard carton, sack or basket etc.
- Wet waste: Wet waste is also known as kitchen waste which mainly contains vegetable peels and remains of fruits, vegetables, left over and rotten food etc
- Toxic waste: A Toxic waste or hazardous waste is waste that poses substantial or potential threats to public health or the environment. These wastes may be found in different physical states such as gaseous, liquids, or solids. It spreads quite easily and can contaminate lakes and rivers.
- Biomedical waste: Biomedical waste consists of solids, liquids, sharps, and laboratory waste that are potentially infectious or dangerous and are considered biowaste. It must be properly managed to protect the general public, specifically healthcare and sanitation workers who are regularly exposed to biomedical waste as an occupational hazard. The Bio-medical waste generated from various sources has become a problem and much attention is being given worldwide to find out solution of this problem.
Compost: Compost can be rich in nutrients. It is used in gardens, landscaping, horticulture, and agriculture. Compost is generally recommended as an additive to soil, or other matrices such as coir and peat, as a tilt improver, supplying humus and nutrients. Composting can destroy pathogens or unwanted seeds. You can decide whether you want to maintain a hot compost pile or a cold compost pile. Hot compost cooks faster, but you do have to turn it and monitor it. With cold compost, you can employ worms to help break down your kitchen scraps.
Stop generating waste: The consumption of more resources results in the generation of more waste. The three ways to eliminate or stop generating the waste are Reduce, Re-use & Recycle. Reduce – Buy less and use less, Reuse – elements of the discarded item are used again, Recycle – discards are separated into materials that may be incorporated into new products. The 3R’s of reduce, reuse and recycle have been considered to be a cornerstone of ecological awareness and a way or promoting environmental balance through conscious behavior and choices.
