Waste segregation is the practice of disposing our everyday waste responsibly. Waste segregation is about separating wet, dry and reject waste in 3 separate bins for the dry waste to be recycled,reused or up-cycled, the wet waste to be composted and reject waste to be incinerated following safety protocols.
India generates 62 million tonnes (MT) of waste every year, and only 43 MT is collected and only 11.9 MT is scientifically treated. The first and most crucial step to change this alarming forecast is to segregate waste so that it can be treated scientifically at the source.
1. So that it reduces waste that reaches landfills and reduces pollution to air and water
2. So that different processes- composting, recycling, incineration can be applied to different kinds of waste
An average urban Indian produces 620 grams of waste per day, this totals to 2.8 kg generated per household.Extrapolating this to a year, your family generates about 1020 kg of waste. So,to answer the question, a single step taken by you can make a huge difference.
Here are few tips to help you start waste management:
1. 2 separate containers for dry and wet waste in the kitchen.
2. Plastic container should be clean and dry before dropping into the dry waste bin.
3. Wet waste from the kitchen can be turned into compost or sent out of home daily.
4. Flowers can also be added to the compost bin.
5. There are multiple centers and start-ups collecting dry waste out of the home, once a week.
6. Wrap sanitary waste in a newspaper and throw in a separate reject waste bin.
7. Don't forget to have a box for collecting trash that can be up-cycled with your creativity.
“Once segregation becomes a way of life, we can avert the biggest of the garbage crisis”
