How to Manage Your Household Waste?

Is the paper cup with leftover coffee dry or wet? Is chewing gum recyclable? Yes, with the multitude of waste categories, waste segregation can tricky.

We have already spoken about waste audit and the importance of segregation. So how about getting a bird's eye view of the segregation processes.

Dry waste

Anything that can be preserved for an extended time without decaying, such as paper, plastics, metal, glass, rubber, cloth, leather, and wood. Even if they are completely unusable or severely damaged, they are classified as dry waste.

Here's how it can be handled.

• Before putting plastic packets of milk, oil, or any other food item into the trash bag, be sure they are clean, empty, and dry. Vermin will not be attracted to clean, dry garbage.

• If they are still in usable shape, they should be donated to a collection organization.

• Clothes that have been soiled with bodily fluids are considered sanitary trash.
  
  
• After washing and drying the waste, put them in a segregation bag until it is picked up by the waste management people.

Wet waste

Waste produced mainly in the kitchen falls under wet waste, such as vegetable and fruit peels, tea leaves, Leftovers of food eggshells, bones, etc.

What can be done?

• Composting at home can be done using Daily Dump's compost pit system or any other aerated container.
• If you live in an apartment, then the ideal would be to maintain a common compost system for all the apartments. 
• Replace plastic bin liners with paper liner or sawdust layers.

E-waste

Batteries, computer parts, wiring, electrical equipment of any sort, electrical and electronic toys, remotes, watches, telephones, as well as bulbs, tube lights, and CFLs, are categorized as e-waste.

What can be done?

• Keep them away from moisture in a separate closed container that is maintained closed and give them to e-waste recycling centres.

Biochemical waste

Used menstrual clothes, sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, bandages, and material tainted with blood or other bodily fluids fall into this category.

What can be done?

• Wrap them using a newspaper and segregate them separately.
• Dispose of them in the nearby recycling or waste management centres.

Hazardous waste

Poisonous substances such as paints, cleaning agents, solvents, insecticides and their containers, other chemicals, and biomedical waste such as used syringes, expired prescriptions, thermometers, and old cosmetics fall under the category of hazardous waste.

What can be done?

• Collect them separately and keep them away from other waste.
• Drop off them at Household Hazardous Waste Collection Centres.

By Arjun Raghu