Waste refers to any discarded material which no longer remains useful. According to the Environment Protection Act, 1990, waste is any substance that constitutes a scrap material, or effluent, or an unwanted surplus that arises out of the application of any process. There are three types of wastes—solid, liquid, and gaseous wastes.
Types of Wastes
- Solid Wastes: It includes garbage, food leftovers, decaying fruits and vegetables, cans, bottles, and ashes.
- Liquid Wastes: It refers to sewage discharged from houses, hospitals, restaurants, offices, and factories. The oil spill is also a liquid waste.
- Gaseous Wastes: It includes fuel exhausts containing carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, etc. Smog is an example of gaseous waste.
Toxic and Non-Toxic Wastes
Wastes can also be classified into toxic and non-toxic wastes.
Toxic Wastes
- These are dangerous wastes which can pose grave health hazards to humans and animals. These wastes do not cause any serious health hazards to humans and animals.
- These wastes are produced as a result from industrial processes, use of chemical fertilisers, biomedical wastes generated from hospitals and nuclear activities.
- These wastes include chlorinated solvents, asbestos, organochlorine pesticides, waste paints and release of large amounts of sulphur and nitrogen.
Non-toxic Wastes
- These wastes do not cause any serious health hazards to humans and animals.
- These wastes are mostly domestic wastes.
- These include food leftovers, fruits and vegetable peels etc.
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Waste Management-I
Waste refers to any discarded material which no longer remains useful. According to the Environment Protection Act, 1990, waste is any substance that constitutes a scrap material, or effluent, or an unwanted surplus that arises out of the application of any process. Read more
Waste Management-II
If wastes are allowed to accumulate and are not disposed of carefully, then they will not only affect our environment but will also affect our health. When accumulated wastes are left open and unattended, they begin to decompose. Read more