Do you know that there are a lot of types of waste in the world? It seems like trash is trash everywhere and there is nothing special in it. But in fact, our world can become much clearer if we simply understand the types of garbage and their possible functions.
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Source: UGC
We all deal with trash in our daily lives, but most of us usually do not stop to think about what types of it exist, or how we can tell them apart. In this article, we will tell you all about garbage, so that you are more aware of the existing types and their effect on your life.
Typical types of trash
In general, rubbish is divided into seven main types. We should know about all of them so that we know what we should and should not to in order to avoid a whole bunch of safety and health issues that concern both our immediate environment (household), as well as the environment as a whole. And now, let’s take a look at what types of waste exist:
Solid or liquid waste from your household
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Source: UGC
The other names for this type of garbage are municipal or black bag waste. Usually, it is the most typical household rubbish. It can be in liquid or solid form. It does not include a large number of germs and toxic substances, which is good, but still it, may pose a risk for the health of you and your family by attracting rats, mosquitos and flies. It allows them to breed and all of us know that this may be even dangerous sometimes.
Medical, pharma and clinical waste
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Source: UGC
By medical waste, we understand the biological materials, which were left after the immunisation, diagnosis or treatment of people, animals or also, after some medical or biological researches, which include the testing or production of some materials.
The same situation is with pharma waste. Mostly, it is produced in places that provide health care for people and animals. Also, all the people use medicine sometimes, so the refuse from it may be found in our homes as well.
One should dispose of this type of garbage responsibly, even if it might not be considered as hazardous waste. All of the medical waste may be very dangerous, as it is highly infectious for people, and it may be a serious health threat if not disposed of properly.
E-waste (discarded electronic devices and their parts)
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Source: UGC
We all have electronic devices. We own printers, cell phones, computers, music and DVD players, TVs, vacuum cleaners, tablets and many many others. But all of them consist of toxic metal components like antimony oxide, brominated flame retardants, mercury, cadmium, lead, etc. All of them may be really harmful to the whole environment and people, of course.
Hazardous waste
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Source: UGC
Hazardous waste includes pesticides, pharmaceuticals, paints, weed killers, mercury, household chemicals and cleaners, fluorescent light bulbs, flammable liquids, solvents, aerosol cans, and many others. What are we usually doing with all the trash? We throw it in a garbage bin.
But if we are talking about hazardous refuse, it is not safe for human beings, as it can be toxic, reactive, toxic, flammable, explosive or corrosive. The chemicals in this type of garbage pollute our air, water and even the food we eat.
Recyclable waste
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Source: UGC
READ ALSO: 10 ways to control pollution in Nigeria
This is the most common type of garbage. Its main feature is that it may be converted into the reusable materials. This type of refuse includes cardboard, glass, paper, and metal. Recyclable garbage should be sorted at the source so that it can be recycled. What you should do is always remember about squashing down all the boxes, bottles and cans to make more space for some extra trash.
Construction debris or demolition debris
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Source: UGC
After the construction processes, some weighty and bulky materials are usually left over. This type of refuse includes such materials like ceiling tiles, bricks, roofing shingles, asphalt, plumbing fixtures, carpeting, fill dirt, wood, concrete and so on.
Some of these materials may be reused, for example, bricks or cement blocks. But in most cases, they may be combined with concrete and asphalt. These two may be crushed to create the base for roadbeds and driveways. Unpainted wood can be reused as well, for example as dimensional lumber, composting or landscaping. As for metal details, they may be sold to the dealers in scrap metal.
Green waste
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Source: UGC
Green waste includes natural garbage like food, for example. This rubbish may be naturally broken down in short periods of time. The time depends on the appropriate pressure and temperature conditions. The following materials may be considered as green waste: weed clippings, branches and tree limbs, grass, waste from vegetable and fruit produce, bread, grains, and paper products.
Waste from industrial production
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Source: UGC
The industrial world creates waste of different forms and materials. It can be junk that comes from food, leather, electronics, plastic, glass, metal and textile product manufacture. Such garbage can be very dangerous for human and animals’ organisms and for plants and the environment as well. If you dispose of it improperly, it may lead to diseases, deaths and environmental damages.
As we can see, there are many types of waste. We should understand that garbage can be really dangerous for us and the next generations too, but it is not too late to change things and make our world better, our air clearer and our food healthier.
READ ALSO: Current environmental issues in Nigeria and possible solutions
Source: Legit.ng
