Solid waste consists of household waste, commercial waste, institutional waste, construction and demolition debris, sanitation residue, e-waste, industrial waste etc.
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| Source : https://www.qv21.com/blog/solid-waste-transportation-methods |
Types of solid wastes
1) Biodegradable waste
2) Non-biodegradable waste
1) Biodegradable waste - Biodegradable waste is a type of
waste, typically originating from plant or animal sources, which are degraded
by other living organisms. Biodegradable waste is commonly found in municipal
solid waste as green waste, food waste, paper waste and garden waste etc. Other
biodegradable wastes include sewage sludge, slaughterhouse waste etc.
2) Non-biodegradable waste - Wastes which do not decompose
naturally in the environment causes pollution and are also harmful to the living
being and environment are called the non-biodegradable waste eg. plastic,
rubber, glass, metals, thermocol, e-waste etc.
Solid waste is further classified as -
Wet waste - Wet waste is biodegradable waste which includes
cooked and uncooked food, fruits, vegetable peels, garden waste and other organically
decomposable waste. It is used to make compost and bio-gas.
Dry waste - Items like aluminium foils, tetra packs, glass,
paper, plastics, metals etc. come under the dry waste category. It is mostly
used for recycling.
Sources of solid waste
1. Domestic waste – Waste from home includes organic matter
like vegetable peels, spoiled food, glass products, packaging material like
cardboard, plastic bags, foam, electronic waste and furniture etc.
2. Agricultural waste – Crop residue, waste from processing
of crops, excreta of animals.
3. Commercial waste – This consists of packaging material,
discarded office equipment, furniture, e-waste etc.
4. Biomedical waste – It comes from clinics, pathology labs
and hospitals. It mainly consists of infectious waste, sharps like needles, knives,
dressings, body parts and expired medicines etc.
5. E-waste - E-waste is generated from used electronic devices
and household appliances. E-waste has been categorized into three main
categories, viz. large household appliances, IT telecom and consumer equipment,
Refrigerators and washing machines represent large household appliances.
Personal computer, monitor and laptop represent IT and telecom, while
television, mobile phones represents consumer equipment.
6. Industrial waste - It is produced by industrial activities.
It includes material rendered useless during manufacturing processes. Waste generation
and its management is becoming a universal problem. Waste accumulation leads to
spoilage of landscape and creation of health hazards. It has adverse impacts on
terrestrial and aquatic life. Lack of space for disposal of garbage leads to
air pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, affecting life on earth.
Thus there is a need for more sustainable ways for management
of waste to save the environment. There are two ways to solve the problem -
1. To reduce
generation of waste.
2. To extract maximum benefit from the waste generated or produced.
