Why Should The Segregation Of Waste
Be A Daily Practice?

How often do you segregate the waste at home?
Are you consciously trying to categorize your waste to recycle the same?

If these questions seem foreign, it's time to rethink your actions!

According to the World Bank, India is the largest waste producer, as it has doubled the amount of waste it generates. While we have a long way to change this, we must practice sustainable living as responsible citizens.

To bolster society's efforts and imbibe a sense of eco-conscious living, the government has brought in several initiatives, such as Swachh Bharat Mission and Swachh Survekshan. At the heart of this is waste management, for which segregation is the key to a better tomorrow.

What is waste segregation?

In simple terms, waste segregation is a process wherein you sort your waste based on different categories: dry, wet, hazardous, and e-waste. If you know your waste, you can make your city a better place to live. Swachh Survekshan 2018 results showed that waste segregation is the core to waste management solutions.

Your contribution can make a difference!

Now that we have understood the process let us understand the different kinds of waste!

Different kinds of waste

Categorizing waste can be a difficult task for first-timers. It can be rather confusing and overwhelming. We provide a guide to help you know your waste to segregate it. Let's divide and conquer!

Wet/Biodegradable waste
Wet or biodegradable waste is waste that can be broken down naturally. It consists of organic matters you interact with daily in your kitchen or garden. You can be more eco-conscious by separating wet waste and sending it out daily.

Know your wet waste:

• Fruit/vegetable peels
• Leftovers
• Flowers and fallen leaves
• Coffee grinds and tea leaves
• Chicken pieces/ bones

Dry/Non-biodegradable waste
Dry waste is those that natural microbes cannot easily degrade. It mainly consists of paper, metal, and plastic.

Know your dry waste:

• Plastic covers/ bottles/ boxes
• Newspapers/ cardboards /cartons
• Tetra packs/ paper cups and plates
• Metal foils/ stationary/ glass
• Rubber/ thermocol/ coconut shells

Hazardous waste
As the term conveys, this waste poses a significant environmental threat. These are generally corrosive and toxic, flammable, and reactive. Hence, it would help if you were extremely careful about segregating it.

Know your hazardous waste:

• Diapers/ sanitary napkins
• Construction waste/ cement
• Razors/ scissors/ syringes
• Medicines/ cosmetics bandages

E-waste
As of 2016, India is the 4th largest e-waste producer globally, and there is no stop to this growth. According to this finding, only 20% of all electronic waste is recycled.

Know your E-waste:

• Old phones/ chargers
• CFLs/ tube lights
• Thermometers
• Watches/ speakers/ laptops

The onus is on making a sustainable living reality through waste segregation.

Why is it important to segregate waste?

Segregation at the core is crucial, as different types of waste require different procedures and treatments. If we fail to segregate them, they are treated similarly at the landfills, reducing the opportunity to recycle them.

When this process is followed as a daily practice, it ends the vicious circle of rising pollution while educating our community about the positive benefits of waste segregation.

Here's how waste segregation can help our society and environment:

Reduces landfills
When you separate dry, wet, and hazardous waste, valuable recyclables are recovered from the trash and subsequently sent for recycling, while wet waste is composted. This decreases the overall volume of waste going to landfill waste management.

Reduces pollution
Segregated waste reduces energy consumption and toxic matter released into the environment. Mother Earth will thank us for our little initiatives!

Promotes sustainable living
Segregation solves the issue of pollution and harmful emissions at its source. Hence, it reduces the pressure on planet earth and ensures sustainability for future generations.

Easy segregation tips for your home or office

So, how can we segregate our waste at home or office? Small behavior changes from our end can significantly impact the environment. Aside from creating awareness, here's what you can do to segregate responsibly:

• Separate dry and wet bins that are collected daily by your municipal corporation.
• Categorised bins for paper, plastic, metal and glass waste is a must.
• You can arrange for large containers for electronic wastes like computers, chargers, batteries to be disposed of monthly.
• You can have incinerators or bins installed, especially for sanitary waste like pads in bathrooms to avoid the spread of disease and filth.
• Look out for colour codes while disposing of garbage. In India, green coloured dustbins are for biodegradable and organic wastes; blue dustbins are for non-biodegradable wastes like plastics, yellow for paper waste and e-waste, and red for hazardous waste.

What to do with the segregated waste?

Once you have segregated waste, there are several options you can choose to dispose of it effectively.

• You can install a compost bin for your wet waste to make compost for gardening.
• You can have a scrap dealer or municipal corporation pick your waste for recycling or compost on a routine basis.
• You can sell your e-waste to businesses that ensure proper recycling and disposing of the waste.

The process of waste segregation can be overwhelming for a newcomer. But fret not. The Kabadiwala is a smart waste management platform that helps you dispose of waste responsibly, regularly, and effectively. It collects and segregates dry recyclable waste to PCB-approved recycling industries.

But why do they do this?

Because Farak Padta Hai! (it matters)! Our conscious efforts now will pave the way for a promising future.