http://www.taopo.

org/microsites/wastedmanila/collection/8-reasons-why-wastesegregation-is-important/

8 Reasons Why Waste Segregation is

Important

Today, only 11% of the total amount of waste in Metro Manila are recycled. This is
mainly due to incomplete segregation. The fact that plastic needs more than a thousand
years to completely decompose should make clear enough why recycling is
crucial. Recycled waste is returned into the product cycle and thus does not end up on
landfill, in the ocean or in rivers.

Workers in manual Material Recovery Facilities are only able to sort a certain amount of
the waste that arrives on the landfill. As long as we do not have a disposal system with
mechanized Material Recovery Facilities, segregation is crucial for the waste sorters to
focus on the recyclable materials.

The technology to turn biogas into energy already exists and is used in the
Philippines. Methane gas that evaporates on the landfills is transferred into electricity.
But to produce the energy efficiently, the compostable waste needs to be free from other
materials.

By segregating properly, you make the waste collection much more convenient for the
collecting companies and their trucks. So it is less likely to experience the surprise of
waste not being picked up completely at your home. Besides, some collectors will not
pick up your trash at all when it is not segregated.

This might come as a surprise for you, but many parts of your waste are actually
valuable. Just to name some examples, compost can be used as fertilizer, plastic
bottles can be used for the construction of houses, paper can be used for handicrafts,
and so on. By segregating, you support the selection of those materials.

The waste collection, the recycling and the biogas production are only efficient and thus
cheaper, when waste is segregated properly. There might be a fee on waste disposal
one day, so try to keep the costs low. Otherwise it could become expensive. Likewise,
the money that is spent today in an inefficient system can be used for investments to
further improve waste management.

When not disposed properly, a lot of items in your trash bin are dangerous to your
health. Batteries, all sorts of electronics, paint or aerosol cans cause harm to humans
and the environment. So they definitely have to be disposed separately.

This technology could solve Manilas waste problem in the future. There are incineration
plants with almost zero emission already, but they only work when the waste that arrives
there is segregated.

http://bangalore.citizenmatters.in/articles/4561-swmrt-solid-waste-managementguidelines
Understanding how to segregate waste Clarifying all you wanted to know about waste segregation - the
what, why, where and how to do it! From food waste to recyclables, e-waste to biomedical waste
What do you mean by waste segregation?
Waste segregation basically means keeping wet and dry wastes separately, so that dry can be recycled and
wet waste can be composted.
Why should I do it?

So that it reduces waste that reaches landfills and reduces pollution to air and water
So that different processes- composting, recycling, incineration can be applied to different kinds
of waste

How do I practice waste management at home?

Keep separate containers for dry and wet waste in the kitchen
Keep two bags for dry waste collection- paper and plastic , for the rest of the household waste
Keep plastic from the kitchen clean and dry and drop into the dry waste bin.
Keep glass /plastic containers rinsed of food matter Send wet waste out of the home daily. Store
and send dry waste out of the home , once a week.
Keep a paper bag for throwing the sanitary waste

DRY WASTE
What is Dry Waste?
Paper, plastics, metal, glass, rubber, thermocol, Styrofoam, fabric, leather, rexine, wood anything that
can be kept for an extended period without decomposing
WET WASTE
What is wet waste?
Wet waste consists of kitchen waste - including vegetable and fruit peels and pieces, tea leaves, coffee
grounds, eggshells, bones and entrails, fish scales, as well as cooked food (both veg and non-veg)
HAZARDOUS WASTE
What are hazardous wastes?
HHW or household hazardous wastes include three sub-categories E-waste; toxic substances such as
paints, cleaning agents, solvents, insecticides and their containers, other chemicals; and biomedical
wastes like used syringes, expired medicines, thermometers, used cosmetics etc..

http://www.doh-bin.com/Managing-waste.html
Managing waste wet and dry waste
Throwing waste in the bin is a good thing. However, it is not where the process of
managing waste ends, but where it begins. Segregation is the first step of waste
management.
While most people think that it starts once the garbage reaches the huge dustbin
vans or the dumping grounds, it really starts right at your house.
Waste from a house can be broadly divided in to two categories dry waste and wet
waste. Both need to be disposed and recycled differently. Wet waste includes
cooked and uncooked food, waste from fruits and flowers, fallen leaves, dust from
sweeping and other similar things. On the other hand, paper, plastic, rubber,
metals, leather, cloth rags, wire, glass and things etc. fall under the category of dry
waste. Remember that wet waste is organic and dry is not.
Segregation is the first step towards proper disposal of both categories of waste. It
is recommended to have two separate dustbins in the house to keep wet waste
from mixing up with its dry counterpart. Bits of plastic, for instance, are dry waste
components which if not disposed properly can become an environmental hazard.
Urban India produces up to 188,500 tonnes of waste per day. Segregation and
disposal is a major part of disposing this waste. And you have an important part to
play.
What is segregation of waste?
Segregation is the separation of biodegradable waste from non biodegradable waste
for proper disposal and recycling.
Improper segregation may cause mixing in landfills. This in turn, can lead to toxic
release in the ground and eventual contamination of ground water. Methane gas is
likely to be released in such circumstances, which is one of the most harmful
greenhouse gases.
Proper segregation leads to proper recycling. Most of the waste can be reused and
recycled. However, improper segregation process can cause many things to be left
out from the recycling process.
What most of us don't realise is that unsegregated waste from households is sorted
by rag pickers. They segregate waste with their bare hands. Often glass and other
waste objects may cause cuts and bruises and also infection leading to severe

illnesses.
What can you do?
The process of segregation is as simple as its definition. It can be easily carried out
at home by using two dustbins one for dry waste and the other for wet waste. Dry
waste (non biodegradable) follows a completely different process of recycling from
wet waste (biodegradable). Start segregating waste in the kitchen dustbin and
move on to the rest of the house.
A little caution on your part can make a lot of difference.
http://www.greenlivingbees.com/biodegradable-versus-nonbiodegradable/#sthash.gTzJ3Jws.dpbs
Everything around us can be labeled as biodegradable or non-biodegradable. There are peels of
banana, chicken bones and leaves are samples of biodegradable. Candy wrappers, cans and
Styrofoam are not biodegradable. Somehow, things may confuse you whether they are
biodegradable or non-biodegradable. Thats a risk to take and the environment can be at threat.
Therefore, knowing what biodegradable and non-biodegradable are can help prevent air and
water pollution. Separating wastes the right way can certainly provide solution against these
environmental issues.

Non-Biodegradable
Things that are non-biodegradable cannot break down or dissolve for many years.
Instead, they become useful once more thats why we call them recyclable. So, any
wastes that are thrown in the garbage can be dumped in a recycling center or factor that
can make them useful for other things. Take the papers and thin boards as examples.
They do not usually dissolve and vanish although they shrink. Yet, they can remain as
debris on holes, water, etc. which may eventually damage the environment. Thats why
they are collected to be trimmed into pieces until they form again as new pieces of
paper.
Non-biodegradable materials simply cannot be affected by natural process. They do not
react and dissolve easily on the soil. Some of these items that are very common to use
again at homes are aluminum cans, glasses, bottles, plastic products, metal scraps,
grocery bags or other plastic bags, and even Styrofoam (polystyrene). These and other
non-biodegradable items have to be stored properly after use so they can be recycled.

Biodegradable
On the other hand, biodegradable items are things that can easily break, dissolve and
fade away in time. Like soil and other micro-organism or bacteria, they undergo natural
process in a quick or slow time but definitely not a threat to the environment. Some of
the wastes that decompose into soil are garden wastes, egg shells, and kitchen food
scraps. They are destroyed and dissembled by natural or biological elements, which
include oxygen or air, ultraviolet light from the sun, and nitric acid that comes from the
rain. Others also include microscopic elements or critters and soil.
Generally, the difference between non-biodegradable and biodegradable items is based
their effects to both health and environment. Nevertheless, we can help our own
government and other organizations in saving the Earth against air and water
pollutions. First, we recycle and reuse materials that are non-biodegradable. Secondly,
we separate biodegradable ones from non-biodegradable.
http://keydifferences.com/difference-between-biodegradable-and-nonbiodegradable-substances.html
Difference between Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Substances
Biodegradable substances

The term Biodegradable is used for those things that can be easily decomposed
by natural agents like water, oxygen, ultraviolet rays of the sun, acid rains, microorganisms, etc. One can notice that when a dead leaf or a banana peel is thrown
outside, it is acted upon by several micro-organisms like bacteria, fungi or small
insects in a time period. The natural elements like oxygen, water, moisture and
heat facilitate the decomposition thereby breaking the complex organic forms to
simpler units. The decomposed matter eventually mixes or returns back to the
soil and thus the soil is once again nourished with various nutrients and
minerals.
Non-biodegradable substances

Those materials which cannot be broken down or decomposed into the soil by
natural agents are labelled as non-biodegradable. These substances consists of
plastic materials, metal scraps, aluminum cans and bottles, hazardous chemicals
etc. These things are practically immune to the natural processes and thus cannot

be fed upon or broken down even after thousands of years. Therefore, these waste
rather than returning back, contribute to solid waste which is very hazardous for
the environment. The ever increasing load of non-biodegradable trash is a
growing concern all over the world and several countries are therefore, looking
for eco-friendly alternatives that can minimize the threat on several land and
aquatic life forms.
Key Differences between Biodegradable and Non-biodegradable substances:

1.

Biodegradable is referred to all those things that can be easily decomposed

by natural agents. Natural agents include water, oxygen, ultraviolet rays of the
sun, acid rains, microorganisms, etc. On the other hand non-biodegradable
substances are never broken down or decomposed by environmental factors.

2.

Biodegradable substances include food waste like vegetable and fruit peels,
dead plants and animals, chicken, egg shells, paper materials, garden waste etc.
Non-biodegradable things consist of plastics, polystyrene, metals, plastic and
aluminum cans, toxic chemicals, paints, tyres, etc.

3.

Biodegradable substances on breaking up are converted into simple

organic matter and are thus assimilated in the soil and thus becomes a part of the
carbon cycle of the atmosphere. On the contrary, non-biodegradable substances
are resistant to the environmental factors and never decompose and instead
contribute to majority of the solid waste.

4.

Biodegradable substances may decompose within few days or months

while non-biodegradable items may take thousands of years or may never ever be
broken down and remain in their original form as it is.
Identifying the commodities and separating the garbage according to the
biodegradable and non-biodegradable label is very important in proper waste
disposal and its management. Non-Biodegradable items for instance can
be Recycled and used again. Plastics, metals, bottles can be broken down with
the help of chemicals and can once again be used to create new plastic and metal

products. This can go a long way to effectively reduce the environmental hazard
caused by these non-biodegradable products and creating a better and greener
planet.