This presentation describes the problem of solid waste in India and also the existing methods to manage this waste. In the end I have mentioned some innovative methods of handling our waste which could change the way we perceive our garbage.
2. WHAT IS WASTE??
Waste is any unwanted or unusable material. Waste is any
substance which is discarded after primary use, or if it is
worthless, defective and of no use.
According to the Basel Convention on the Control of
Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their
Disposal of 1989, Art. 2(1), 'Wastes' are substance or objects,
which are disposed of or are intended to be disposed of or are
required to be disposed of by the provisions of national law".
3. TYPES OF WASTE
There are many waste types defined by modern systems of waste
management, notably including:
• Municipal waste includes household waste, commercial waste,
and demolition waste
• Hazardous waste includes industrial waste
• Biomedical waste includes clinical waste
• Special hazardous waste includes radioactive waste, explosive waste,
and electronic waste (e-waste)
5. WHAT IS SOLID WASTE??
Solid waste is the unwanted or useless solid materials generated from
human activities in residential, industrial or commercial areas.
In metro cities in India, an individual produces an average of 0.8 kg
waste/ person daily. The total municipal solid waste (MSW) generated
in urban India has been estimated at 68.8 million tons per year (TPY).
The average collection efficiency of MSW ranges from 22% to 60%.
Rest finds its way to nearby drains and water bodies, causing choking
as well as pollution of surface water.
6. TYPES OF SOLID
WASTE
Municipal Solid Waste (MSW): It consists of
household waste, construction and
demolition debris, sanitation residue, and
waste from streets, generated mainly from
residential and commercial complexes. As
per the MoE (Ministry of Environment) it
includes commercial and residential waste
generated in municipal or notified areas in
either solid or semi-solid form excluding
industrial hazardous wastes.
7. Industrial Solid Waste (ISW): In a majority
of cases it is termed as hazardous waste as
they may contain toxic substances, are
corrosive, highly inflammable, or react
when exposed to certain things e.g. gases.
Biomedical waste or hospital waste: It is
usually infectious waste that may include
waste like sharps, soiled waste, disposables,
anatomical waste, cultures, discarded
medicines, chemical wastes, etc., usually in
the form of disposable syringes, swabs,
bandages, body fluids, human excreta, etc.
8. WHY WORRY??
Exposure to hazardous waste can adversely affect human health, children being
more vulnerable to these pollutants.
Improper handling of the solid waste can result into Air, Water and Land pollution.
When trash and garbage are put into an enormous pile, they begin to rot. This
rotting creates methane, a greenhouse gas that is many times more potent than
carbon dioxide. Methane exits the landfill and floats up into the atmosphere,
contributing to global warming.
The effect of human waste on the oceans is becoming more widely known since wide
publicity has been given to the "garbage patch" in the Pacific Ocean, an area larger
than the continental United States that is overrun with plastic trash.
9.
10. SOLID WASTE: THE INDIAN
SCENARIO
Over 377 million urban people live in 7,935 towns and cities and
generate 62 million Tons of Municipal Solid Waste per annum.
Only 43 million Tons (MT) of the waste is collected, 11.9 MT is treated
and 31 MT is dumped in landfill sites.
One Square KM of additional landfill area required every year.
India’s landfills are bursting at the seams and overflowing with items
that shouldn’t be thrown in the trash. More than 70% of collected
urban waste is dumped straight into the landfills. As a result most of
them are brimming and are way past their limit.
11. Imagine 3 million trucks piled high with
garbage. That’s how much untreated
garbage Urban India generates every
day. Just in case if you are wondering
how much waste that is – If these 3
million trucks are laid end to end, they
would cover half the distance between
the earth and the moon.
Research shows that if India continues to
dump untreated garbage at its current
rate, then we will need a landfill of size
66,000 hectares which is 10 meters high
and can hold 20 years’ worth of waste.
That is almost 90% of Bengaluru’s area.
12. DISPOSAL METHODS
• Landfill: It is the most traditional method of waste disposal. Here
waste is directly dumped into disused quarries, mining voids or
borrow pits. Disposed waste is compacted and covered by soil. Gases
generated during the decomposition are burnt to generate power.
The major advantage of this process is that, it is cheaper as compared
to other forms of waste disposal methods. Also gases generated during
decomposition (such as methane) can be used to generate power.
Moreover different types of waste can be disposed of by landfill as
compared to other techniques
13. But the disadvantages outweigh
the advantages in this
method. Firstly, it poses serious
health hazards to the population
living nearby the dump site.
Secondly, harmful gases given
out during decomposition result
in air pollution. Third, the site
used as a landfill looks ugly and
may remain un-useful for long
period of time.
14. INCINERATION
• Incineration: Incineration is a disposal method in which solid organic wastes are
subjected to combustion so as to convert them into residue and gaseous
products. This process reduces the volumes of solid waste to 20 to 30 percent of
the original volume.
Some advantages are, the land required for the process is very small as compared
to the landfill method. Secondly, waste volume is reduced nearly by 20-30%.
Also, no pollution of local streams and ground water as in case of landfill
technique.
But some disadvantages are: highly toxic chemicals are released during the
process, which can damage the ozone layer. Secondly, this method is quite
expensive. Moreover the Ash generated after the process can cause harm to the
residents living nearby.
16. THE NEW
APPROACH: 3R's
3R's or Reduce, Reuse and Recycle is a waste management
technique which includes all aspects of the process to
manage waste from its manufacture to its ultimate disposal.
Reducing the usage of various non-biodegradable such as
plastics can be highly effective in reducing garbage.
Reusing product instead of discarding them, finding new
potential uses or simply passing them on to others can
help save resources and money.
Reducing the usage of various non-biodegradable such as
plastics can be highly effective in reducing garbage.
17. USING IT TO
BUILD!!
A very useful and innovative method is usage of solid waste
to form roads.
In this method the plastic waste is converted into pellets,
which is then used in the place of bitumen.
Since bitumen is formed by distillation of petroleum,
therefore this method not only solves the problem of
solid waste but also reduces the carbon footprint which
is produced by petroleum.
Bitumen is used as a binding agent and also to provide
surface finish to the roads. Nearly 10% of road consists
of bitumen. Thus replacing it by these pellets results in
drastic reduction of solid waste going into landfills etc.
18. THE EDIBLE
CUTLERY!!
Another great idea is the usage of edible cutlery.
It is highly nutritious and is made up of Rice,
Millets and Wheat.
Has a shelf life of 3 years and no added
preservatives.
It has the potential to reduce India's plastic garbage
by 1 Million tons!!
Behind this innovation is an Indian Startup named
Bakey's.
19. CONCLUSION
As the world population goes on increasing,
so does the solid waste generated. Therefore
proper management of waste is essential to
preserve our mother nature for future
generations and also to save current
population from hazardous diseases.
My fellow citizens we should adhere to the
slogan "My Waste, My Responsibility."
Believe me, our small steps can make a great
difference and can result into a healthy and
garbage free life. Let's together make our
Bharat Swachch.