Household waste generation and its environmental impacts (Waste avoidance, Minimization and segregation of household waste )

Household Waste Generation and its Environmental Impacts, Waste Avoidance, Waste Minimization and Segregation at Source and collection & Transport.

Introduction

Household wastes are not normally regarded as hazardous, since they consist almost entirely of materials, which have been handled by individuals before being discarded. However, such wastes can be extremely variable in their composition, depending to a large extent on the lifestyle of the generator. For example, it can be expected that in the countries where almost everything bought is associated with wrapping materials, the packaging waste very often comprises a significant part of household waste. There will also be foodstuffs adhering to it or unusable material derived from foods preparation, such as vegetable peelings, meat scrapes and bones, which make it unattractive for recycling. Also present in waste collected from households are such items as batteries and other electrical components, some of which may contain mercury, containers in which are present residues of oils, paints, pool chemicals, caustic materials, sterilizing agents, bleaches, medicines, etc. Although these constitute a small portion of wastes collected from households, they are particularly problematic due to their hazardous characteristic, variability in chemistry and associated high recovery costs. 

There may be in addition, aerosol canisters, caustic materials, sterilizing agents, bleaches, medicines, disposable baby’s nappies or diapers, animal faeces and its associated litter along with discarded foodstuffs which rapidly degrade and become offensive by virtue of their smell. Such wastes are attractive to vermin, flies and scavenging animals and birds. For all these reasons there is a need to control and give special consideration to household wastes and carry out practices, which demonstrate environmentally sound management. Such wastes could also be generated in offices, commercial establishments, hotels, etc.

Environmental Impacts of Household Waste

Inadequate collection, transport or improper disposal of household waste can have adverse environmental impacts, such as:

1. Air pollution and unpleasant odors.

2. Potential health hazards from accumulation of polluted water, which provide breeding grounds for mosquitoes and attract flies, vermin. Also, injuries from infected sharps.

3. Loss of productive land due to the presence of non-biodegradable items.

4. Contamination of soil, ground and surface waters by leachate with resultant environmental effects     or health hazards.

5. Contamination of the marine environment through direct or indirect discharge of waste.

Waste Avoidance and Minimization

One of the leading principles of waste management is the source reduction principle, by which the generation of waste should be reduced to a minimum in terms of quantity and/or hazard potential. Therefore, the problems associated with waste disposal would not be so significant if materials did not need to be discarded as waste in the first place. The marketing of goods in reusable containers, which could be returned to the supplier and be reused, is one example. Waste generation could sometimes be reduced if commodities were available in bulk quantity to a retailer who would sell the goods in smaller quantities, thereby eliminating the need for as much packing. Packaging of goods for aesthetic reasons could be discouraged, as could the supply of a small item in a large package for marketing reasons. Of course, packaging often serves important functions such as controlling spoilage and otherwise facilitating the distribution and marketing of goods.

Segregation at Source

    It is essential to segregate the domestic waste into various components such as combustibles material, reusable material, recyclable material, organics, etc. at household level. Combustible material includes paper, cardboard, dry leaves and twigs. Reusable material could be bottles, cans and plastic bags. Recyclable material could be paper, plastics, glass and metal scraps. Organic material includes vegetable and fruit peelings and other food wastes.

    To promote recovery operations, and to prevent household waste causing pollution or damage to human health, it is most important to segregate recoverable and hazardous waste, if present, already at the source of generation. Segregation can also occur downstream. In developed countries, with possibilities to introduce separate collection schemes, this is a major challenge in relation to the proper management of household waste. In developing countries, it is more common practice to separate and reuse all valuables from household waste.

Collection and Transport

    Households usually keep waste to be discarded in designated containers. These may be metal or plastic dustbins or plastic and paper bags. In large buildings and apartment blocks, centralized containers are sometimes provided into which occupants place their waste. In most developed countries, it is usual for household waste to be collected from premises on a regular basis since food waste, in particular, decays rapidly.

    In cities and urban areas, waste is collected for disposal in specially designated vehicles fitted with compaction equipment to increase the payload, which can be transported, often over significant distances to sanitary landfill site. In large conurbations, it has been found economically viable to transfer the collected waste to railway containers for transport to a landfill site; large barges are also used for transport on water. In some instances, waste is bailed to facilitate mechanical handling.