Waste Management — Part 2: Safe disposal and the three Rs: visual lesson, ICSE Class 10 Geography (H.C.G. Paper 2)

Lesson

From bin to benefit

Part 2 — Safe disposal starts at home. Waste that is separated can be composted, recycled or safely landfilled; mixed waste can only be dumped. The best waste of all is the waste we never create — the idea behind reduce, reuse, recycle.

In this lesson you will

Explain why segregation at source is the first step of waste management
Compare landfill dumping with composting
Suggest ways to reduce, reuse and recycle waste at home and school
Work out shares of household waste from illustrative data

Table of methods of safe disposal and what each does
Method	What it does
Segregation at source	Separates wet, dry and hazardous waste at home
Composting	Turns wet waste into manure
Recycling	Turns dry waste into new products
Sanitary landfill	Safely buries what is left

Concept

Segregation at source: the first step

Segregation at source means separating waste where it is produced — in the home, school or shop — into: wet (biodegradable) waste such as food scraps and garden waste (green bin); dry waste such as paper, plastic, glass and metal (blue bin); and domestic hazardous waste such as batteries, broken bulbs, medicines and paint, kept separately. Why first: clean wet waste can be composted and clean dry waste recycled; hazardous items are kept away from people and soil; much less goes to landfill; waste workers are safer; collection is cheaper.

Diagram

What is in a household bin?

The chart shows the illustrative daily waste of one household: total 2.0 kg. Wet kitchen and garden waste is 50%; recyclable dry waste (paper, plastic, glass and metal) is 0.6 kg, or 30%; dust and inert material 15%; domestic hazardous waste 5%. Most of a typical Indian household’s waste is wet and can be composted.

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