Materials having properties that do not breakdown or decay are called Non-biodegradable.

Examples include:

• Glass

• Metals

• Plastics

• Electronic devices

• Medical waste

Biodegradable materials are composed of waste from living organisms and the actual plant, animal or another organism when its life ends.

Examples of Biodegradable materials often referred to as “bio-waste”, include the following:

• Human and animal waste

• Plant products, wood, unwanted paper, unused food waste, leaves, grass clippings, clothes

• Remains from the death of living creatures

Dustbins aren’t the only method to throw waste away. There are various methods to Dispose Waste:

a. Burial Pits/Landfills:

Throwing daily wastes in burial pits or what is also known as landfills is an alternative for dustbins and is the popular waste disposal method. It looks after burying waste in the ground and eliminating foul smell coming from the wastes.

b. Incineration:

Burning of waste at high temperatures and converting them into residue or gaseous products is known as ‘Incineration’. It’s a better alternative to dustbins since the volume of waste here decreases by 20-30%.

c. Recycling:

The process of reusing the discarded materials and converting them into something new is known as ‘Recycling’. It’s the third main element in the process of ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle’. Recycling reduces the harmful effect of greenhouse gases and helps in conservation of resources for future.

d. Composting:

When organic wastes are kept in a pit for a long period of time the microbes start decomposing the waste. If the compost is nutrient rich then it becomes better manure for plants.