WASTE MANAGEMENT

How to Ensure a Good Waste Management System At Home

Increasing awareness about the environment has brought issues like inefficient means of waste disposal in the community to the forefront. We need to become aware of the waste we are generate daily and ensure that it is disposed of in a safe and environment-friendly manner.

Now that everyone is staying at home, it’s more important than ever before that we should have an efficient waste management system at home. Accumulated garbage can breed germs and spread disease; something that should not be taken lightly. If this is something that you have (like most of us) taken for granted till now, here’s how you can make a conscious start.

To begin with, what are the kinds of waste we generate at home? Generally, there are three types:

● Organic Waste

This is the waste from our kitchens, such as leftover food, fruit and vegetable peels, eggshells and so on. Organic waste is biodegradable and can be composted if appropriately treated.

● Toxic Waste

Old expired medicines, batteries, shoe polish, chemicals, bulbs, fertilisers and so on fall under this category. They need to be collected separately and disposed of with care so that they do not contaminate the environment.

● Recyclable Waste

Paper, glass, metals and plastics that can be recycled should be collected separately and sent to the recycling plant.

Here are some ways in which we can be responsible for managing our home waste!

Try to Minimise Waste

First and most important, try to minimise the waste that is generated. Do not use plastic bags for your garbage disposal; instead, you can make your own paper bags out of newspapers. Use several sheets of newspaper stapled together for wet waste and just a single sheet for dry waste. Whatever can be recycled, should be—and you can also consider upcycling any items that could be put to good use in a different way.

Segregate the waste

Separate your kitchen waste from the toxic and recyclable waste that is generated at home. The idea is to minimise the waste that will end up in landfills, causing pollution both on the ground and in the air. Methane and other harmful gases are produced due to the decay of waste in landfills, and these toxic gases are very harmful to the environment.

Compost the organic waste

There are plenty of videos on the internet that can get you started on home composting. Necessarily, you will get a good turnout of compost in as little as six weeks and can use it for your indoor plants or in your garden.

Safe disposal of garbage during the pandemic

If you are under home quarantine or have someone at home who could be infectious, make sure that your garbage is safely disposed of in a plastic garbage bag that has the neck tightly tied up to avoid spillage. While plastic is generally to be avoided, in such cases, it is essential to use good quality plastic bags that will contain the infection and not allow it to spread. 

In homes where there could be an infection, ensure that nothing is recycled for the duration of time when the virus could potentially be spread. According to some reports, the coronavirus can live on plastic or metal for 3 to 7 days, so it’s best to make sure that you do not infect others.

Masks, gloves and cleaning cloths, tissues, and so on that could have been exposed to the infection must be disposed of safely. Direct contact with bins or bags should be avoided at all costs; always use disposable gloves and throw them away after each use. Once the garbage is disposed of, ensure that you wash and sanitise your hands.

Some useful tips

• Make a conscious decision to reduce waste.
• Stop using plastic bags, buying plastic bottles of water, using plastic takeaway boxes, etc.
• Avoid buying items that are wrapped in plastic or even too much paper.
• Segregate all the waste. Use different bins.
• Compost organic garbage.
• Keep only what you need in your home.
• If you have someone in your home who could be infected, take scrupulous care over waste disposal and do not recycle any items for the period of the quarantine.

Especially during the current pandemic, being mindful about how waste is disposed of in our homes can go a long way toward ensuring a hygienic and safe environment for your family and the community.