Garbage Disposal

Garbage and Refuse Disposal, the collection and dumping or destruction of food waste and other
discarded material. The proper disposal of such wastes is important because they contain matter that
can decompose quickly and create unsanitary conditions. In urban areas, the wastes are usually picked
up at least once a week for disposal. In some cities this service is operated by private companies; in
others, by a department of the city government.

The most common method of disposal is to haul garbage and refuse to a designated dumping site. In the
United States, open land dumps have been banned, and the dumping site must be a landfill. At a landfill,
wastes are crushed (to reduce their volume) and covered every day with a layer of earth. The layer of
earth reduces odors from the site and keeps off such disease-carrying pests as flies and rats. A landfill
site must be carefully chosen so that drainage from the landfill will not pollute water supplies.

Another common method of disposal is to burn garbage and refuse in community or private
incinerators. Some coastal cities dispose of wastes by dumping them at sea.

The disposal of garbage and refuse has become a serious problem in many areas. Many landfills have
reached their capacity; others have been improperly maintained and have been closed for being health
hazards. The use of incinerators can cause pollution of the air, and disposal at sea can cause pollution of
ocean waters and beaches. At the same time, the amount of garbage and refuse that must be disposed
of continues to increase.

Some communities have developed methods for using garbage and refuse as a fuel. The wastes are
burned in specially designed furnaces to produce steam. The steam is then used either to generate
electricity or to provide heat for industrial processes.

Other communities have promoted recycling and composting as a means of reducing the volume of
wastes. Recycling consists of processing discarded products to obtain materials for new products. Such
products as newspapers, glass containers, and aluminum cans are very suitable for recycling. In the most
common kind of recycling operation, products that are to be recycled are not discarded with other
refuse; instead they are taken to a central collection point called a recycling center. The materials
collected at the center are then sold to various manufacturers. In composting, grass clippings, leaves,
and other organic matter are mixed with layers of soil to promote decomposition of the organic matter.
The resulting material is used as mulch and fertilizer.

Waste Seggregation
Garbage segregation is a process of dividing garbage into reduce, reuse and recycle materials. We in
India, see garbage in every nook and corner of the road. With new garbage segregation rules, the
government is attempting to clean up our cities., The biggest challenge, however, is to get regular folks
like you and me to understand the rules of segregation, how many garbage bins to use and what to
dump where.

Importance of garbage segregation
We have learned to dump trash and we have learned to get rid of the trash but we still need to learn
how to do it right. In the 90s, in the US, Captain Planet was an animated television series that introduced
kids to the phrase, Reduce, reuse and recycle. However, the movement has on really caught on in
India very recently.
The food we eat, the air we breathe and the water we drink are all polluted, thanks to our careless
behaviour. We see heaps and piles of garbage lying on every street and the stink is unbearable! Even
landfills are filling up and waste management is now a giant problem facing our nation. It is time for
change and no government can bring this change without the support of the people. This garbage is
polluting the soil, water and in turn coming back to us in a harmful way. The medical waste is causing a
lot of harm, it is, in fact helping the diseases to spread.
Garbage segregation can make our streets cleaner, it can help us recycle things, reduce the use of
certain raw materials and hence in making our country and planet a better place to live in.

How to segregate garbage
Understanding segregation is not so difficult. There are four types of garbage
Wet waste
Sanitary waste
Dry waste
Hazardous household waste or E-waste
Wet waste

Rotten fruits, vegetable and their peels, left-over food, egg shells and rotten eggs, mango seeds, tea
bags, used coffee powder, coconut shell and fibre, used flowers, non-veg food remains, bones, spoiled
spices, chewing gum, garden waste, rangoli colours and dust come under wet waste. Spoiled or expired
food should be removed from its packet and discarded. Nails must be wrapped in a paper. Anything
liquid amongst these must be drained and the remaining must be wrapped in a newspaper.

Sanitary waste
Used sanitary napkins, panty liners, sanitary cloths, condoms, syringes, cotton and bandages, diapers,
tissue papers, ear buds, dental floss, blood-stained cloth, etc., is sanitary waste. This should be wrapped
properly in newspapers and marked with a red cross before handing over to garbage collectors.

Dry waste
Mop stick and mop clothes should be handed over directly. Toilet cleaning brushes, other brushes,
toothbrushes and scrubs must be dried first and then wrapped in newspapers. Doormats and containers
of pesticides, various papers and stationery, razors and blades, various bottles should be kept separate.
All the covers of various food/dairy items like tetra packs etc must be cleaned, dried and handed over
separately. Hair, waste pet food and thermocol should be wrapped in paper

Hazardous household waste
Mosquito repellent bottles and mats, used phenyl air fresheners, expired medicines, tablet covers, syrup
bottles, injection bottles and other medical discards, old paints, fluorescents and button cells should be
separately handed to the collectors. Batteries, CDs and cassettes, CFL, tube lights, printer cartridges,
broken clocks and thermometers should be packed in newspaper or cardboard box and handed over.
Cosmetics should be wrapped in the newspaper marked with red cross on it.

You will need four dustbins and absolutely no plastic bags for this kind of garbage segregation. Though it
is not practically possible to do follow all the above-mentioned steps to a T, we must try our best to get
as close as possible.