Waste Classification PDF

**WASTES** - Any material, substance, or by product which is eliminated or discarded as no longer useful or required after completion of a process. It may be in solid, liquid, or gas forms +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | → **All human activities generate...

**WASTES** - Any material, substance, or by product which is eliminated or discarded as no longer useful or required after completion of a process. It may be in solid, liquid, or gas forms +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | → **All human activities generate waste** | | | | →**Developed countries generate more waste than the developing | | countries. However, the latter is facing waste management | | challenges** | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ **POLLUTION** - It is the introduction of harmful materials in the environment +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **CLASSIFICATION OF WASTES:** | | | | \[ Based on the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for | | Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) \] | | | | **01 MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE (MSW)** | | | | → This type of waste is generated from households, businesses, and | | commercial establishments | | | | → Major components: food waste, plastics, metals, glass and small | | amounts of construction and hazardous waste | | | | **02 INDUSTRIAL SOLID WASTE** | | | | → These are the byproducts of the manufacturing industry and | | encompasses a wide range of materials | | | | → Major components: paper, packaging materials, waste from food | | processing, rubber, leather, wood, etc. | | | | **03 AGRICULTURAL WASTE AND RESIDUE** | | | | → This includes agricultural crop residues and agro-industrial | | by-products | | | | → Major components: animal waste, husks, straws, etc. | | | | **04 HAZARDOUS WASTE** | | | | → These are wastes that contain toxic chemicals and are the | | by-product of industrial, agricultural, manufacturing, nuclear, | | hospitals, and other health care facilities. | | | | → Major components: chemical, petro-chemical, petroleum, metals, wood | | treatment, solvents, dry cleaners, pesticides, and herbicides | | | | **05 WASTEWATER** | | | | → Also called sewage water or dirty water, this is used water | | | | → It includes substances such as human waste, food scraps, oils, | | soaps and chemicals. In homes, this includes water from sinks, | | showers, bathtubs, toilets, washing machines and dishwashers. | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ **WASTE MANAGEMENT** → It refers to the various schemes to manage and dispose of wastes. It can be by discarding, destroying, processing, recycling, reusing, or controlling wastes → The prime objective of waste management is to reduce the amount of unusable materials and to avert potential health and environmental hazards. → ***Methods:*** reducing wastes, dumping in landfills, recycling, incineration, composting, sewage treatment, etc. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **→ In the year 2016 alone, humanity has produced 2.01 billion tonnes | | of waste** | | | | **→ This is expected to increase by 70% in the next 30 years** | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **→ Philippines trapped in a "Sachet Economy"** | | | | **→** around 164 million single-use sachets are used everyday | | | | → the Philippines is ranked the ***third largest contributor to the | | plastic pollution*** by the Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey Center for | | Business and Environment Reports | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ **PROBLEM CAUSED BY IMPROPER WASTE MANAGEMENT** → landslides of waste dumps → contamination of water resources → clogging drains and causing flooding → transmission of diseases → respiratory diseases due to waste incineration → loss of biodiversity → decline in tourism → contribution in global emissions - climate change → threat to food sources **MICROPLASTIC** - these plastic particles are smaller than 5mm → Annually, 100,000 marine creatures die due to microplastic pollution → 1.2m tonnes of microplastic waste is generated annually → impossible to clean (the size of microplastic makes it almost impossible to separate them from water → We eat them too (As marine creatures have already been contaminated, microplastics also end up in out own bodies +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | **WHAT CAN BE DONE:\ | | ** | | | | **01 Better holistic solid waste management systems** | | | | → The country should invest in building waste management facilities, | | systems and infrastructures | | | | → These should be accessible for both urban and rural communities. | | | | **02 Recycling in manufacturing** | | | | → Encouraging or incentivizing use of recycled materials in industry | | and production | | | | **03 Partnership with the informal sector** | | | | → Providing opportunities to the informal sector as manpower for | | waste picking and recycling | | | | **04 Community campaigns** | | | | → \"Management of plastic waste often starts at the household and | | individual levels.\" | | | | **05 Policy and planning** | | | | →Both local and national governments should initiate the change in | | the commercial sector. | | | | → They must ensure that adequate waste collection and disposal are in | | place. | | | | → As a society, we must move away from the \"throwaway culture\" and | | move towards a sustainable circular economy. | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+