Waste: manage it now before it harms you

Waste is defined as unwanted and unusable materials. Typically,these usually comprise substance/s that are not useful any longer.

WHAT IS WASTE MANAGEMENT?

Most of the time, waste is managed with a view to salvaging useful resources from it. The waste to be managed includes all forms of matter i.e. gaseous, liquid, solid and radioactive matter.

TYPES OF WASTE

Biodegradable waste

Waste that comes from our kitchens, including food remains, garden waste, etc., forms biodegradable or moist waste. It can be composted to obtain manure. Biodegradable wastes decompose itself over a period of time, depending on the material.

Non-biodegradable waste

These are the wastes which include old newspapers, broken glass pieces, plastics, etc. Non-biodegradable waste is known as dry waste. Dry waste can be recycled and reused. Non-biodegradable wastes do not decompose by themselves and are major pollutants.

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?

The most important reason for proper waste management is to protect the environment and for the health and safety of the population.

Certain types of waste can be hazardous and pollute the environment. Bad waste management practices can also cause land and air pollution which, in turn, could result in serious medical conditions in humans as well as animals.

SHOCKING FACTS

? Plastic enters the sea from the 192 coastlines of countries. Of them, China ranks first, followed by countries in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria, Bangladesh and South Africa.

Ganga Brahmaputra

? and are among ten rivers around the world that carry the maximum amount of plastic waste into the oceans.