Waste Minimization and Segregation

By: Inshal Waheed

So I think y'all know what is waste..but for those who don't know, i'll tell them..

Waste is any substance which is discarded after primary use, or it is worthless, defective and of no use.

So if its of o use then its really important to do something about it because otherwise it'll pose problems for us. The dumped waste doesn't just go away we have to do something about it and the things we can do about it are:

1. Minimization
2. Segregation

Waste minimisation:   

Waste minimization is a process of elimination that involves reducing the amount of waste produced in society and helps to eliminate the generation of harmful and persistent wastes, supporting the efforts to promote a more sustainable society. 

Waste minimization involves redesigning products and/or changing societal patterns, to prevent the creation of waste. 

Waste minimization at Households:

• Home composting; the practice of turning kitchen and garden waste into compost can be considered waste minimization.
• The resources that households use can be reduced considerably by using electricity thoughtfully (e.g. turning off lights and equipment when it is not needed) and by reducing the number of car journeys made. 

Waste minimisation at Individual Level:

Individuals can reduce the amount of waste they create by buying fewer products and by buying products which last longer. Mending broken or worn items of clothing or equipment also contributes to miniming household waste. Individuals can minimize their water usage, and walk or cycle to their destination rather than using their car to save fuel and cut down emissions.

 Waste Segregation

Waste segregation means dividing waste into dry and wet. 

• Dry waste includes wood and related products, metals and glass.
• Wet waste, typically refers to organic waste usually generated by eating establishments and are heavy in weight due to dampness. 

Waste can also be segregated on basis of biodegradable or non-biodegradable waste.

Methods:

The following categories are common:

• Paper 
• Cardboard (including packaging for return to suppliers) 
• Glass (clear, tinted – no light bulbs or window panes, which belong with residual waste) 
• Plastics 
• Textiles 
• Wood, leather, rubber 
• Scrap metal 
• Compost 
• Special/hazardous waste 
• Residual waste 
• Organic waste can also be segregated for disposal: 
• Leftover food which has had any contact with meat can be collected separately to prevent the spread of bacteria. 
• Peel and scrapings from fruit and vegetables can be composted along with other degradable matter. Other waste can be included for composting, too, such as cut flowers, corks, coffee grindings, rotting fruit, tea bags, egg- and nutshells, paper towels etc

Waste segregation in different countries:

• In Germany, regulations exist that provide mandatory quotas for the waste sorting of packaging waste and recyclable materials such as glass bottles.

• In Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, a pilot project using an automated collecting machine of plastic bottles or aluminium cans with voucher reward has been implemented in a market.

• In India, On 2nd October 2014, PM Shri Narendra Modi launched the “Swacch Bharat” Campaign in his quest for a Cleaner India. The initiative is a success in some aspect but has still a lot to achieve if India want to be on the track to a Clean India by 2019 but still they haven't made any major progress. Though the Government is trying its hand in taking control of the situation by imposing ban on Plastic bag and the BBMP collaborating with different agencies (both print & electronic media) in making people aware of Waste Segregation and its benefits.But the pace of things is pathetically slow. In the eyes of the experts, the malady lies not in deficient approach but in management.
• In Pakistan, this concept hasn't developed much but a case study was conducted on Nov 30th,2015 in hospitals. A total of 12 different hospitals were selected for the survey, which involved quantification of waste generation rates and investigation of waste management practices. The results were analysed using linear regression. The weighted average total, general and infectious hospital waste generation rates were found to be 0.667, 0.497 and 0.17 kg bed-day respectively. Of the total, 73.85% consisted of general, 25.8% consisted of hazardous infectious and 0.87% consisted of sharps waste. The general waste consisted of 15.76% paper, 13.41% plastic, 21.77% textiles, 6.47% glass, 1.99% rubber, 0.44% metal and 40.17% others.

In the end I think waste segregation can be helpful if we adopt it individually and start segregating our waste from our homes.