observe the daily routine in your house and record the following: (i) which activities result in waste generation? (ii) how and when is waste disposal carried out? (iii) is biodegradable matter kept separately for composting? (iv) are any steps to minimize the waste generation?
Answers
Explanation:
landfills. Most businesses define waste as “anything that does not create
value” (BSR, 2010). In a common man’s eye anything that is unwanted or
not useful is garbage or waste. However scientifically speaking there is no
waste as such in the world. Almost all the components of solid waste have
some potential if it is converted or treated in a scientific manner. Hence we
can define solid waste as “Organic or inorganic waste materials produced out
of household or commercial activities, that have lost their value in the eyes
of the first owner but which may be of great value to somebody else.”
(Robinson, W.D.1986). Generation of waste is inevitable in every habitation
howsoever big or small. Since the dawn of civilization humanity has
gradually deviated from nature & today there has been a drastic change in
the lifestyle of human society. Direct reflection of this change is found in the
nature & quantity of garbage that a community generates. We can dispose
the waste or reuse the waste and can earn money through proper
management. Indian cities which are fast competing with global economies
in their drive for fast economic development have so far failed to effectively
manage the huge quantity of waste generated. There are about 593 districts
and approximately 5,000 towns in India. About 27.8 percent of India’s total
population of more than 1 billion (as per Census 2001) lives in urban areas.
The projected urban population percentage is 33.4 percent by the year 2026.
The quantum of waste generated in Indian towns and cities is increasing day-
by-day on account of its increasing population and increased GDP. The
annual quantity of solid waste generated in Indian cities has increased from
six million tons in 1947 to 48 million tons in 1997 with an annual growth
rate of 4.25 percent, and it is expected to increase to 300 million tons by
2,047 (CPCB, 1998).
Population explosion, coupled with improved life style of people,
results in increased generation of solid wastes in urban as well as rural areas
of the country. In India like all other sectors there is a marked distinction
between the solid waste from urban & rural areas. However, due to ever-
increasing urbanization, fast adoption of ‘use & throw concept’& equally
fast communication between urban & rural areas the gap between the two is
diminishing. The solid waste from rural areas is more of a biodegradable
nature & the same from urban areas contains more non-biodegradable
components like plastics & packaging. The repugnant attitude towards solid
waste & its management is however, common in both the sectors.
Universally ‘making garbage out of sight’ is the commonly followed
practice.
In India, the urban local bodies, popularly known as the municipal