How to Segregate Waste the Correct Way

A beginner’s guide to start segregating waste for a greener future

What does Segregation mean?

According to Solid Waste Management Rules 2016, “segregation” means sorting and separate storage of various components of solid waste namely biodegradable wastes including agriculture and dairy waste, non-biodegradable wastes including recyclable waste, non-recyclable combustible waste, sanitary waste and non-recyclable inert waste, domestic hazardous wastes, and construction and demolition wastes. For the purpose of this article, we will focus more on wet and dry waste segregation.

Why Should I Segregate My Waste?

Waste Segregation is a powerful yet easily implementable solution to address your waste generation problems. It benefits both you and the environment, and all it takes is a few simple steps to start making a difference.

Waste segregation was mandated under the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000. However, due to a lack of awareness, proper implementation remains a challenge.

Segregation helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills and minimizes pollution by limiting waste exposure to air and water.

Students playing segregation games in Keori panchayat in Bir. (Photo Credit: Waste Warriors)

Benefits of Proper Waste Management

Proper waste management can help reduce:

• Greenhouse gas emissions
• Air and water pollution
• Harmful impacts on flora and fauna.
• Landfill dependency
• Fires in landfills.

The fact that you are reading this article means you are already aware of the critical waste management problem in India and around the world. Seeing landfills in person is an overwhelming experience. India, in particular, faces a shortage of space for landfills, not to mention their severe ecological impact on humans, animals, and the environment.

India alone produces 62 million metric tonnes of waste per year. However, before we dive deeper, it is important to understand the different types of waste generated in a household.

What are the Different Kinds of Waste?

While we are already aware of basic waste segregation of dry waste and wet waste, it is always nice to have a refresher. In addition, we will also discuss E-Waste and Sanitary Waste for a more comprehensive understanding.

Wet Waste

Wet waste refers to any biodegradable waste or organic material that can be broken down by microorganisms into simpler, stable compounds. It is primarily generated from plants, animals, and vegetables.

Here are some examples of wet waste at the household level:

Kitchen Waste

●       Fruit and vegetable peels

●       Leftover food

●       Eggshells

●       Tea leaves/tea bags

●       Leaf plates

●       Coconut shells

●       Soiled tissue paper

Garden Waste

●       Fallen leaves and twigs

●       Pooja flowers and garlands

Composting Tips
If you are composting, it is important to monitor the type of materials you add. For example, oil does not mix well with compost. Also, adding a significant amount of wet waste may require balancing it with materials like paper or cardboard to improve decomposition.

Watch this video to know how you can compost your kitchen waste!

Quick Tip:
If you have cattle at home or for households in rural India, a lot of wet waste can also be managed by feeding it to cattle.

Furthermore, items like animal bones (from a non-vegetarian diet), hair, and nails can be composted, though they take several years to break down.

Dry Waste

Dry waste might sound like dry leaves or wood, but it generally refers to inorganic matter that does not decay or decompose easily. While some dry waste, such as paper, is biodegradable, it should still be segregated for proper disposal and waste recycling.

Examples of dry waste include:

Paper

●       Books, notebooks, newspapers

●       Cardboard, Tetrapak

●       Paper cups and plates

Plastic

●       Chips, toffee, and biscuit wrappers

●       Online shopping packaging

●       Plastic bottles (e.g., water bottles, shampoo bottles, cooking oil bottles)

●       Milk packets, toothbrushes, thermocol, sponges

Glass

●       Glass bottles

Metal

●       Aluminum cans

●       Tin cans

Clothes

Important Note:
Dry waste is often difficult to manage and requires segregation for proper waste recycling. Plastic, in particular, is one of the most widely produced and used pollutants.

E-Waste

E-Waste (Electronic Waste) refers to discarded or unwanted electronic products that have reached the end of their life span or are no longer useful.

Examples of E-Waste include:

●       Television sets

●       Mobile phones

●       Batteries

●       Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs)

●       Laptops

●       Power banks

●       Chargers

Why Recycle E-Waste?
It is crucial to recycle E-Waste because the various components such as batteries in old electronics contain toxic materials as well as some heavy metals. Waste recycling prevents these toxic substances from entering landfills, where they can cause environmental harm.

Sanitary Waste

Sanitary waste includes hygiene products that are voluminous and often infectious. According to the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, 2016, sanitary waste includes, but is not limited to:

●       Used sanitary napkins

●       Diapers

●       Condoms

●       Tampons

●       Incontinence sheets

●       Wet wipes

●       Toilet paper

Sanitary waste management has received limited attention due to societal and cultural taboos. However, it is crucial to address this issue with proper guidelines and policies to ensure safe disposal. Guidelines by the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) suggests under the Rule (4)(b), wrap securely the used sanitary waste like diapers, sanitary pads, etc., in the pouches provided by the manufacturers or brand owners of these products or in a suitable wrapping material as instructed by the local authorities and shall place the same in the bin meant for dry waste or non-biodegradable waste.

Waste Warriors promotes sustainable menstruation by addressing the challenges of managing sanitary waste. To better understand menstruation and learn about eco-friendly alternatives to single-use sanitary pads, watch the film here.

Shop owners using segregation poster in Sahastradhara, Uttarakhand (Photo Credit: Waste Warriors)

Residents making use of the segregation poster in Bir, Himachal (Photo Credit: Waste Warriors)

The amount of waste that ends up in landfills can be significantly reduced if this crucial process is carried out beforehand, ideally at the source — that is, in one’s own home.

How Do I Start?

Now that we know the different categories of waste and what waste segregation is, we can finally begin the process of segregation. Remember, segregation is a continuous process.

We recommend having at least 2 bins at home, preferably 3:

• 1 bin for Dry Waste
• 1 bin for Wet Waste
• 1 bin for Sanitary Waste

Start by identifying the waste as you go. For example:

• Shampoo sachets and soap packets go into the dry waste bin (don’t forget to rinse and dry the packets before placing them in the bin). These should not go into the sanitary waste bin (which is used for disposing of pads, wet wipes, or other sanitary waste).
• Nails and hair should be managed separately.
• Glass bottles and containers should be rinsed of food matter before disposal.
• Food packets, like chocolate wrappers, should be rinsed of food matter before disposal.

Use the bins for their designated purposes and avoid mixing the waste.

Segregation Poster (Photo Credit: Waste Warriors)

Make others aware of waste segregation—start with your family and support Waste Warriors with your small efforts that will help us keep the environment clean, healthy and pollution free!