Waste

Waste generation in households

Segregate waste at source

If the waste is segregated at the source, it is easy to
dispose waste. It saves time, energy and money, say Mr.
Ramkumar, Divisional Manager, and Ms. Shambhavi
Kamat, Senior Officer, Karnataka Urban Infra Structure
Development Corporation and, Bangalore

INEP: What is a waste?

INEP: Which one among these are major ones?

Mr. Ramkumar: The things we discard after using it to

Mr. Ramkumar: The bio degradable waste varies from

the optimum level can be called as waste. Waste is as

30 to 60% of total waste. The more a city is developed

old as mankind. When we produce a product, the waste

the more is the quantity of waste. The dry waste

comes along. As facilities increase, the quantity of waste

constitutes about 30 to 40%. The recyclable waste will

also increases. Nowadays the quantity of waste depends

be around 5 to 10%.

on the status of living. Disposal of waste has become a

Environmental Engineering Research Institute based in

major responsibility.

Nagpur has done an extensive research on this aspect

An NGO called National

to come out with facts and figures.

INEP: What are household wastes?
Ms. Shambhavi Kamat: Wastes produced in the house

INEP: How much waste is produced by a person per

are called household wastes. It is classified as dry waste,

day?

wet waste and hazardous wastes. Plastic, packing

Ms. Kamat: Depending on the place a person lives, an

materials, and pieces of glass are not bio-degradable,

individual produces a maximum of 300 to 500 grams

that is, they do not decay or decompose. They are called

waste per day. It is around 150 gm to 300 gm per person

dry waste.

per day in rural areas.

The left over vegetables, unconsumed food, fruits,

INEP: Is hazardous waste generated at home?

flowers, meat, and bones are bio- degradable and are

Mr. Ramkumar: The leftover acrylic paint, battery cells

known as wet wastes. Used battery cells, paint boxes,

and outdated medicines are all hazardous wastes. These

chemicals, pesticides, used syringes, unused and

are usually being disposed in dust bins or drains. During

outdated medicines and so on are called hazardous

rainy season, these are carried away by rainwater which

wastes.

in turn pollutes tanks and ground water. These wastes

should be disposed along with the biomedical wastes.

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Ms. Kamat: The used syringes with needle can injure

is very difficult to separate them later. It is also a waste of

and infect rag pickers and street children. These wastes

energy, time and money. For example, there are three

should be segregated and should be disposed properly.

compost making units in Bangalore where only organic

materials are treated. If the wastes are not separated,

INEP: What are the 3 Rs?

even the inorganic materials, which are normally inert,

Mr. Ramkumar: The three Rs are associated with solid

are treated as organic materials. We keep telling in our

wastes. They are Reduce, Re-use and recycle. We

programmes that waste should never be mixed. Keep

have to be moderate in our purchases, consumption and

separate bins for dry, wet and hazardous wastes at

production of waste.

homes.

If we buy six to
seven items in the

Ms. Kamath: Even from the health point of view it is better

market we carry

to segregate waste at source.

them in as many
plastic carry bags.

INEP: What about sanitary pads?

All the carry bags

Mr. Ramkumar: It can be treated as organic waste and

will

can be disposed.

end

up

as

wastes. We should
try to carry a cloth

INEP: What is organic process?

bag from home so

Mr. Ramkumar: Preparing organic manure is an organic

that use of plastic

process. If the wet waste is stored separately it will help

bag is reduced. Re-use is using a material again and

us to prepare good quality organic manure both in small

again. The reuse of paper in any form prevents cutting of

scale and large scale. Use of organic manure is good for

more trees. We have to remember that 17 trees are cut

soil which is already ravaged by the use of inorganic

to produce one ton of paper.

chemical manure.

Normally old paper is taken to paper industry and gets

recycled. Good quality plastic materials are also usually
recycled. In western countries, disposal of wastes is done
in a planned manner. In their landfill sites, we cannot
find any material which is reusable or recyclable. We
are trying to adopt similar methods.
INEP: What are the benefits of segregating waste at the
source?
Mr. Ramkumar: We have begun a programme in 43
towns and cities to create awareness about the value of
segregating the waste at the source. If this is not done it

Segregate the household waste at source in 3 groups

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Waste

INEP: Are there any laws related to handling solid waste?

seven steps taken by the newly weds that they stay

Mr. Ramkumar: The municipal solid waste and handling

together during the thick and thin of times, till death.

rules 2000 is a comprehensive one covering all aspects

Similarly we have a sapthapadi of waste disposal. They

of waste management. It was Supreme Court which

are the segregation of waste at the source, storage of

directed the Government of India to make proper

waste at the source, primary collection (of wastes),

arrangement to collect, transport and dispose all solid

secondary collection, secondary transportation,

waste. During the hearing of a public interest litigation

composting and land fill. These are the steps taken for

petition filed by an NGO in Bangalore, the Supreme Court

disposal of wastes in cities like Bangalore. Two projects

said that the polluter shall pay. In other words all of us

like waste energy projects and solid waste management

have to pay for the disposal of waste. The City

are implemented in all cities by 226 organisations.

Corporation is collecting Rs. 20 to Rs.25 per house per

month for the disposal of waste. People who refuse to

INEP: What is e-waste?

pay are liable for prosecution.

Ms. Kamath: This is electronic waste, limited at the

moment to Bangalore, but noticed in small scale in cities

INEP: How is solid waste disposed?

like Mysore, Hubli and Mangalore. This is hazardous

Ms. Kamath: While performing marriages there is a

waste and has to be disposed properly. Pollution control

procedure called Sapthapadi (seven steps), symbolically

board has come out with guidelines about disposal of ewaste.

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