Waste segregation: a way to better life

Waste segregation simply refers to the separating of waste types for proper recycling or disposal. There are different ways of waste segregation, mainly based on what type of waste is produced. There are three types of waste: decomposing waste, recyclable waste, and hazardous waste. It can be categorized into about 11 types of waste. In this blog, we are going to talk about how waste segregation is important, mainly in urban areas, and how it can give us a better life.

 

Every day, people use a lot of resources such as water, paper, power, and food without thinking about where they came from or what will happen to them. When the resources are exhausted or the job is done, it is thrown as a waste, but people are unaware of how the products can harm the human body and their health. The unmanaged disposal of the waste overpopulates pests and insects, increasing the chances of the spread of diseases caused by the species or contaminating food sources for both people and animals. To prevent this from happening, it's important for people to understand the importance of waste segregation.

 

For populated countries like China and India, where open landfill capacity is decreasing, waste segregation is the best option. In countries like Singapore and Japan, the government encourages their citizens to segregate the waste at the source rather than leaving it for someone else, or let's say, housewives for waste segregation which might be hectic and consume a lot of time.

 

Nepal is a developing country with an increasing population and pollution is also increasing at the same time. Therefore, it seems necessary to do waste segregation at a source instead of dumping every waste in one bin. We can start with 3 types of waste segregation naming:

• Organic waste,
• Recyclable waste, and
• Hazardous waste. 

 

 The benefits of the waste segregation are as follows:

• Produce organic manure from degradable wastes that can benefit agricultural productivity and can increase organic food production. It can also help in the restoration of fertility and the microorganisms of the soil. In urban areas with less space for landfills for decomposition, a community can allocate a particular land and use different ways to reduce the increase of pests and insects. Segregating decomposable wastes at home means reducing a lot of waste and easing the segregation of other hazardous, e-waste, and recyclable wastes.
• Hazardous wastes are simply defined as wastes that harm human health as well as the environment. Therefore, the separation of hazardous waste can help dispose of the waste in better ways like disposing of expired medicines, syringes, and chemicals. It can also help workers to separate it cautiously and save them from injuries from needles, sharp objects, and chemical exposure. It prevents the occurrence of harmful chemical reactions and the release of hazardous fumes when treated along with other wastes without segregation. 
• Recyclable wastes can be recycled and processed to reduce waste.
• It decreases waste eventually decreasing land pollution, water pollution, as well as air pollution. Segregation leads to less waste, leading to easier disposal. The separation can help reduce unpleasant odors.

 

It seems more important to segregate wastes in urban areas in the country along with better management of the waste by the provision of dustbins, better processing, and plants for incineration, the situation of landfills, and its control mechanisms.