It’s easy to think that waste is simply rubbish your trash at the end of your day at home, but did you know your waste had types. Yes, the same way your friend may have a type, the waste we place in our dustbins is no exception to the rule. While this is the least complex explanation of waste, the definition of waste extends further than that. The simplest definition would be that waste is any substance discarded after primary use, or is worthless, defective and of no use. However, what constitutes waste depends on the eye of the beholder; one person’s waste can be a resource for another person. That is the case because some companies and countries have adopted avenues to recycle waste materials or repurpose and reuse particular waste materials at their convenience. 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”. Waste can be classified into different types based on its source, composition, hazard, or disposal method. These include urban, industrial, agricultural, biomedical, radioactive, hazardous, inert, scrap, bulky, green, or recyclable waste. As a company, we handle medical waste, office waste and industrial waste however, these are not the only forms of waste that exist.

TYPES OF WASTE

Household Waste and Commercial Waste:

This is the most common type of waste because we dispose of it daily within our households and our offices. If you have disposed of a piece of paper, product packaging, yard waste, clothing, food scraps, appliance, paints, and batteries.  Commercial waste is very similar to household waste. To be considered commercial waste, it must come from a business or commercial occupancy. This can be waste from restaurants, retail occupants, manufacturing occupants or similar businesses. 

Hazardous Waste:

Hazardous wastes can take the form of solids, liquids, sludges, or contained gases, and they are generated primarily by chemical production, manufacturing, and other industrial activities. This is a type of waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of hurting human health or the environment. Hazardous wastes exhibit any one or more of the following characteristic properties: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity or toxicity. Treatment of these wastes is necessary before the industries dump them. Hazardous wastes are unsafe for human health and the environment at large.

Biomedical Waste:

Any waste coming from medical facilities such as hospitals, medical colleges, research centres, and clinics falls under this category.  It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical waste that visually appears to be of medical or laboratory origin like packaging and unused bandages. 

METHODS TO DISPOSE OF WASTE

Dustbins are not the only way that waste is disposed of, while they may be the most common, accessible and modern way of disposing of waste, it is not the only way to get rid of your rubbish. Dustbins are great for household waste depending on the size and location of said homestead. Below are a few other alternatives:

 Composting:

Composting is a natural way of turning organic waste into rich soil. Most times this waste is used as manure for plant growth. Organic wastes of this kind can be kept in a pit for a long time and the rubbish then starts to decompose. 

Incineration:

Many of us may be familiar with this form of disposing of waste. Many times you may pass by a field with a pile of burning rubbish in a corner. Burning waste at high temperatures and converting them into residue or gaseous products is known as incineration. It’s an easier and cheaper way to dispose of waste. 

Recycling:

This is not a common practice in Uganda but it is one that we should be keen on adopting. The process of reusing discarded materials and converting them into something new. Some companies buy back their packaging to do this. The perfect example is when we return a Coca-Cola glass bottle to the store instead of throwing them out. Recycling reduces the harmful effect of greenhouse gases and helps in the conservation of resources for the future.

Upcycling:

This is the process of transforming by-products, waste materials, and useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products perceived to be of greater quality, such as artistic value or environmental value. In Uganda we have several businesses that have been able to do this, they have turned waste material into bags or even shoes. 

. Burial Pits/Landfills :

Throwing daily waste in landfills is a great alternative to dustbins and is a popular waste disposal method. It looks after burying waste in the ground and eliminating foul smells coming from the waste.

CATEGORIES OF WASTE

Solid Waste:

Solid wastes are only solids or semi-solids. These include paper, plastic w

Wet Waste:

This includes any dissolved liquid like food items, soiled food wrappers, hygiene products, yard waste, tissues and paper towels, as well as any other soiled items that would contaminate the recyclables.

Dry Waste:

Waste which isn’t dissolved in any form or liquid form come under dry waste. These include  plastics bottles, kaveras etc

Biodegradable Waste:

Any organic material that can be synthesized into carbon dioxide, water, methane or organic molecules by organisms in the soil come under biodegradable waste. These include food scraps, eggshells, and tea bags. 

Nonbiodegradable Waste:

Any material that cannot be decomposed by natural processes and remains in the environment for a long time, causes pollution and health hazards.

“Don’t be a fool, littering isn’t cool.”

– Go Green