Some measures to control the changes in the environment include inculcating the famous three R’s: reuse, recycle and reducealong with creating clean energy, fostering sustainable communities’ afforestation and defending endangered animals.
The household waste (or rubbish) is called garbage.
Some of the important modes of waste disposal are:
Recycling
Preparation of compost
Incineration
Landfill
Sewage treatment
RECYCLING
The solid wastes like paper, plastic and metals, etc. are recycled.
For example, waste paper is sent to paper mills where it is reprocessed to form new paper once again.
The broken plastic articles like plastic bags, buckets, bowls, cups, plates, are remolded to make new articles.
PREPARATION OF COMPOST
Biodegradable domestic wastes such as left-over food, fruit and vegetable peels, and leaves of potted plants, etc. can be converted into compost by burying in a pit dug into ground, and used as manure.
INCINERATION
‘Incineration’ means ‘reducing to ashes’.
The burning of a substance at high temperature (of more than 1000oC) to form ash is called incineration is used to destroy household waste, chemical waste and biological waste (like that from hospitals.)
LANDFILL
The disposal of wastes by putting it in low-lying areas of ground and covering it with earth is called landfill.
SEWAGE TREATMENT
The dirty drain water containing urine and faeces which is carried from our homes by the underground pipes (called sewers) is called sewage.
Sewage is disposed of by treating it at sewage treatment plant. The treatment of sewage produces clean water which is discharged into the river.
