Solid wastes are unwanted materials discarded from various sources that can pollute the environment. Proper collection, storage, transport, processing and disposal of solid wastes using public health, economic and environmental principles is important. Solid wastes include domestic, commercial, institutional and hazardous wastes. Improper management of wastes like hospital, industrial and pesticide wastes can spread diseases and contaminate soil, water and air. Reducing, reusing, recycling and refusing products can help minimize solid waste generation.

1. SOLID WASTES
By:
Dr. (Smt) REKHA DAS
Secretary
Odisha Bigyan Academy
BHUBANESWAR

2. SOLID WASTES
 Unwanted, discarded and left-over garbages
generated from different sources in day to day
life, thrown anywhere and any time.
 Harmful, toxic, poisonous causing environmental
pollution and concern for living organisms
including man.
 Collection, storage, transfer and transport,
processing and disposal should be done with the
best principles of public health, economics,
engineering, conservation, aesthetics and other
environmental considerations.

3. TTYYPPEESS OOFF SSOOLLIIDD WWAASSTTEESS
• Domestic wastes,
• Municipal wastes,
• Commercial wastes,
• Institutional wastes,
• Garbage, Rubbish, Ashes,
• Hazardous wastes,
• Hospital wastes
• Agrowastes
• Radioactive wastes

4. Domestic wastes :
These wastes are generated by
household activities such as
cooking, cleaning, repairs,
redecoration, empty containers,
packaging, clothing, old books,
newspapers, old furnishings, etc.

5. Municipal wastes :
Wastes generated due to municipal activities and
services such as street waste, dead animals, market
waste and abandoned vehicles.
Generally, the term is used in a wider sense to
incorporate domestic wastes, institutional wastes and
commercial wastes.
Composition Percentage
Biodegradable 52%
Metal scrap, Rubber, textiles, etc 11%
Stones and Rubber 8%
Sand 23%
Plastics 10%
Paper products 6%

6. Commercial wastes :
Solid wastes generated in offices,
wholesale stores, restaurants,
hotels, markets, warehouses and
other commercial establishments.
These are further classified into
garbage and rubbish.

7. Institutional wastes :
Wastes generated from institutions
such as schools, colleges, hospitals,
research institutions. The waste
includes garbage, rubbish and
hazardous wastes.

8. Garbage:
It includes animal and vegetable wastes due to
various activities like storage, preparation and sale,
cooking and serving. These are biodegradable.
Ashes:
Residues from the burning of wood, charcoal and coke for
cooking and heating in houses, institutions and
industries. Ashes consist of a fine powdery residue,
cinders and clinker often mixed with small pieces of
metal and glass.
Rubbish : :
Apart from garbage and ashes, other solid wastes
produced in households, commercial establishments, and
institutions are termed as rubbish.

9. Hospital Wastes
Hospital waste is generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or
immunization of human beings or animals or in research
activities in these fields or in the production or testing of
biologicals.
It may include wastes like sharps, soiled waste, disposables,
anatomical waste, cultures, discarded medicines, chemical
wastes, etc.
These are in the form of disposable syringes, swabs,
bandages, body fluids, human excreta, etc.
This waste is highly infectious and can be a serious threat to
human health if not managed in a scientific and discriminate
manner.
It has been roughly estimated that, out of 4 kg of waste
generated in a hospital at least 1 kg would be infected.

10. Hazardous Wastes
Industrial and hospital wastes are considered to
be hazardous as they may contain toxic
substances.
Certain types of household wastes are also
hazardous.
Hazardous wastes could be highly toxic to
humans, animals, and plants; are corrosive,
highly inflammable, or explosive; and react when
exposed to certain things e.g. gases.

11. Garbage - Categories
Organic waste:
kitchen waste, vegetables, flowers, leaves, fruits.
Toxic waste:
old medicines, paints, chemicals, bulbs, spray cans,
fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries, shoe
polish.
Recyclable:
paper, glass, metals, plastics.
Soiled:
hospital waste such as cloth soiled with blood and
other body fluids.

12. Segregation of wastes
Waste can be segregated as
1. Biodegradable and
2. Nonbiodegradable.
Biodegradable waste include organic waste, e.g. kitchen waste,
vegetables, fruits, flowers, leaves from the garden, and paper.
Non-biodegradable waste can be further segregated into:
a) Recyclable waste – plastics, paper, glass, metal, etc.
b) Toxic waste – old medicines, paints, chemicals, bulbs, spray
cans, fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries, shoe polish.
c) Soiled – hospital waste such as cloth soiled with blood and
other body fluids.
Toxic and soiled wastes must be disposed of with utmost
care.

13. Segregation of Domestic wastes
Household waste should be separated daily into different
bags for the different categories of waste such as wet and
dry waste, which should be disposed of separately.
One should also keep a bin for toxic wastes such as
medicines, batteries, dried paint, old bulbs, and dried shoe
polish.
Wet waste, which consists of leftover
foodstuff, vegetable peels, etc., should be put
in a compost pit and the compost could be
used as manure in the garden.
Dry waste consisting of cans, aluminium foils,
plastics, metal, glass, and paper could be
recycled.

14. Composting
Organic matter constitutes 35%–40% of the municipal solid waste
generated in India.
This waste can be recycled by the method of composting, one of the
oldest forms of disposal.
It is the natural process of decomposition of organic waste that yields
manure or compost, which is very rich in nutrients.
Composting is a biological process in which micro-organisms, mainly
fungi and bacteria, convert degradable organic waste into humus like
substance.
This finished product, which looks like soil, is high in carbon and
nitrogen and is an excellent medium for growing plants.
The process of composting ensures the waste that is produced in the
kitchens is not carelessly thrown and left to rot. It recycles the nutrients
and returns them to the soil as nutrients.

15. Composting: some benefits
Compost allows the soil to retain more plant nutrients over a
longer period.
It supplies part of the essential elements needed by the plants.
It helps reduce the adverse effects of excessive alkalinity,
acidity, or the excessive use of chemical fertilizer.
It makes soil easier to cultivate.
It helps keep the soil cool in summer and warm in winter.
It aids in preventing soil erosion by keeping the soil covered.
It helps in controlling the growth of weeds in the garden.

16. Plastics
Plastic with its exclusive qualities of being light yet strong
and economical, has invaded every aspect of our day-to-day
life.
It has many advantages: it is durable, light, easy to mould,
and can be adapted to different user requirements.
Once hailed as a 'wonder material', plastic is
now a serious worldwide environmental and
health concern, essentially due to its
nonbiodegradable nature.

17. Problems Associated With
Solid Wastes
Lack of Dumping-yards and Land-filling space.
Hospital wastes contains pathogens, toxic substances,
medical equipments and instruments causing diseases, soil
and water pollution.
Industrial wastes cause air, water, soil pollution and
contamination of groundwater.
Conventional plastics exhibit Carcinogenic and Teratogenic
(embryotoxic) properties.
Dioxin and Furans are highly carcinogenic and toxic by-product
of the manufacturing process of plastics.

18. Four “R”s (Refuse, Reuse, Recycle, Reduce) to be followed
for waste management :
 Reduction : Reduce the generation of unnecessary
waste, e.g. carry your own shopping bag when you go to the market
and put all your purchases directly into it.
 Re-use : Do not throw away the soft drink cans or the
bottles; cover them with homemade paper or paint on them and use
them as pencil stands or small vases.
 Re-cycle : Use shopping bags made of cloth or jute,
which can be used over and over. Segregate your waste to make sure
that it is collected and taken for recycling. Studies have revealed that
7 -15% of the waste is recycled.
 Refuse : Instead of buying new containers from the
market, use the ones that are in the house. Refuse to buy new items
though you may think they are prettier than the ones you already have.

19. AGROCHEMICALS :
• To meet the food requirement of rapidly
increasing population in India, advanced farm-technology
started during 1966-67.
•William S. Gaud (1968) coined the term ‘Green
Revolution’ to describe the growth in agricultural
production.
•Crop production is doubled or even tripled by
widespread irrigation, use of high yield varieties of
cereals and pulses and extensive use of
agrochemicals.
•Agrochemicals include pesticides and
inorganic/chemical fertilisers.
•They are not eco-friendly.

20. PESTICIDES :
Pesticides are hazardous chemicals or toxicants used to suppress or kill pests
(pathogens).
Pesticides are classified into several groups
Name Chemicals used Target pests
Insecticides : Organochlorine (DDT, DDD, Aldrin) Insects
Organophosphate (Parathion, Malathion)
Carbamate Compund (Carbaryl/Sevin, Baigon)
Nematocides : Ethylene dibromide, Thionazin, Aldicarb Nematodes
Fungicides : Diethyldithiocarbamate, Captan, Folpet, Fungi
Penta- and Hexa-chlorobenzene.
Herbicides 2-4 dichlorophenoxy aceticacid Weeds
2-4-5 Trichlorophenoxy aceticacid
2-methyl-4-chloro-phynoxy aciticacid (MCPA)
Borates, Chlorates and Trizines

21. PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF PESTICIDES :
 Most Pesticides are poisonous and cause soil, air, water pollution
 Damage and kill microbes, earthworms etc.
 Residual pesticides washed into water bodies and contaminate groundwater by
leaching
 Use of pesticides for storage of food items, consumed by human beings causes
harm to alimentary canal, nervous system, reproductie system, urinary system etc.
 Pesticides passing through food chain causes bioaccumulation and
biomagnification. Eg. 1 kg of soil may contain 0.001 mg of pesticides whereas carrot
grown may contain 2-6mg/kg and rabbit eating those carrot may contain
20-35mg/kg.
 Ex. of bioaccumulationa and biomagnification is the high conc. of DDT in birds
which interfere in calcium metabolism, so that egg shell can not be hardened.
 After several generations pests become pesticide resistant. Pests multiply rapidly-pesticide
resurgence.
 Pesticides like DDT, toxaphene, captan are carcinogenic.
 Pesticides like carbaryl, folpet, pentachloronitrobenzene are teratogenic (embryo
toxic).
 Pesticides causes mutation.
 Zinc, lead, cadmium used in spinach and cauliflower causes cramps, nausia,
interfere brain development, high blood-pressure and heart diseases.

22. CHEMICAL FERTILISERS :
Plants require macro and micro nutrients
•Macro nutrients :
• Primary : N, P, K,
• Secondary : Ca, Mg, S
(N – promotes plant growth, P-promote root development , K - retain water in plants)
•Micro nutrients : B, Cl, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Zn, Na, Co
Effect of Chemical Fertilisers :
 Several application of Agrochemicals kill beneficial microbes so that soil turns into a
dead heap of silt, clay and sand.
 Each year the physiological capacity of crop increases, so quality of fertiliser use also
increases.
 Repeated application of chemical fertiliser gradually suppresses natural nutrient
regeneration capacity of crop-land.
 Excess NPK fertilisers declines protein content of corn, maize, wheat , gram etc.
 Excess use of fertiliser damages roots and leaves become yellow- Fertiliser burn
 Major portion of fertiliser is lost by leaching, denitrification and volatilization, thus
polluting soil, air and water.
Deposition of NH3 and SO4 causes acidification of soil.
 Nitrobactor reduces nitrate to nitrite. Nitrate when absorbed in bloodstream reacts with
oxyhaemoglobin to produce methamoglobin and causes methamoglobinemia
(blueboby syndrom).
High amount of fertiliser accelerates algal growth – eutrophication.

23. RADIO-ACTIVE WASTES :
Radioactive wastes are by-products of nuclear power generation and other
applications of nuclear fission or nuclear technoogy.
Comprises a number of radioisotopes which are unstable, emit radiations
harmful to men and environment.
Radiations are of two types:
Ionising
Non-ionising
Ionising Radition : Radioisotopes able to remove electrons from an atom and
attach them to other atom, thus producing +ve & -ve ion pairs.eg X-ray, Y-ray,
a-, b- particles.
Non-ionising Radiation : Don not cause ionisation. Radio wave, micro wave,
infrared, visible light, UV radiation.
Half-life : Time required for one half of a given number of atom to decay to
another form –
 I131- 8 days, C14 – 5568 years, Plutonium 239 – 7,10,100 years,
Uranium 235- 704 million years.
 Long half-life radioisotopes are most dangerous than Low-energy
short-life isotopes.

24. Laws For Solid Waste
Management
• Hazardous waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989
• Bio-medical wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998
* Recycled Plastics (Manufacture and Usage) Rules, 1999
* Municipal Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2000
* Manufacture, storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules,
1989
* Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001

25. Conclusion
“Anything else you’re
interested in is not going to
happen if you can’t breathe
fresh air and drink pure water.
Don’t sit idle, do something.
You are by accident of fate
alive at an absolutely critical
moment in the history of our
planet”.

27. Municipal waste

28. Door-to-door Collection

29. Middleman who Recycle

30. Recycling Industry

31. Landfill Scavengers

32. Scraps Collected tobe recycled

33. Heaps of Scrap tyres

34. E-waste

36. Recycling Process of Plastic

37. Recycling of brass metal

38. Recycled brass metal