Friends, so far, we have learned the basics of waste generated in our houses in general. However, our house is not the only source where all types of waste are generated. There are many other sources of generation of waste related to various human activities occurring at all different types of government and non-government or private establishments.
Commercial Waste Commercial waste refers to waste from commerce or commercial enterprises. With the advancement of modern cities, industries, and automobiles, commercial enterprises routinely generate large amounts of waste. This includes food, disposable medical products, textiles, and more. Garbage and waste from restaurants, hotels, markets, or offices are all commercial waste. Industrial waste and household waste are not included in this category. Paper, food, plastic, glass, tissue, and even toxins are examples of commercial waste. The roadside shop owners in most of the cities and towns in India discard their leftover packaging material comprising mostly plastics and cardboard boxes in front of their shops every night before they close their shops. Next morning, you can see heaps of this ‘dry’ waste in front of every shop along the roads or by-lanes. Schools and colleges are also the generators of commercial waste.
Agricultural Waste
Agricultural waste refers to waste generated due to agricultural activities such as horticulture, raising, maintaining and managing livestock, growing and harvesting the crops and vegetables etc. It includes crop residues like paddy stubble, dried stems and straws as post-harvest residues of variety of crops such as wheat, jowar, bajara, soyabean etc., bagasse from sugarcane, weeds and cattle waste. Leftover residues of synthetic pesticides are the most harmful component of agricultural waste. It not only kills harmful organisms but also kills helpful microorganisms: Pesticides contaminate soil and water and enter our food chain. Similarly, leftover residues of synthetic fertilizers applied to the crops to ensure better yield also become waste after their application.
Industrial Waste
The waste from manufacturing and processing industries such as chemical plants, cement factories, power plants, textile industries, food processing industries, and petroleum industries is known as Industrial Waste. Industrial waste is generally produced in the form of solids, liquids, or gases. But when we talk about industrial waste, it is usually solid. Sources of industrial waste are power plants, metal processing industries, cement factories, steel manufacturing industries, leather product units, food packaging, chemicals, transportation equipment, resins, plastics, and paper. Even water treatment plants produce industrial waste. It also includes harmful chemicals, plastics, demolition materials, fly ash from thermal power plants, packaging and other hazardous materials. Industrial sludge contains toxic compounds such as heavy metals that are harmful to the environment.
Mining waste
Waste is generated at several stages of the mining process and throughout the life of a mine, from exploration (drilling) to mine closure. Several types of waste are generated in a mine. This includes a variety of materials like tailings, mining water, waste rock, sludge, geosynthetics etc.
(The writer is an environment specialist. Views personal)
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