If you’ve read our previous blog — Is Household Waste Harmful To Environment? — you must have understood the consequences of sending your household organic waste to landfills without segregating it from the inorganic waste.

In this article, we’ll tell you the ideal way to segregate your waste & how you can do better things with your organic waste other than simply sending it to landfills.

But before moving any further, let’s just quickly understand what the Govt. rules & guidelines say about waste management.

Segregation of waste at source

Segregation of waste at source is a practice through which you separate and organize your waste before sending it to landfills so that it can treated to the best of efficiency.

Why segregate waste at source?

According to a report by MoHUA, 30% to 55% of Municipal solid waste is organic biodegradable matter?

Also, inert matter comprises 40% to 55%, and recyclables 5% to 15%.

If you take these numbers into account you’ll realize that there is a vast chunk of MSW that can be prevented going to landfills.

Hence, it makes it extremely important to segregate your waste at source.

How to segregate your waste at source?

In India, there are already rules in place on how to segregate the types of wastes at source. Below is the Solid Waste Management (SMW) rule for household waste in India.

Solid Waste Management Rules in India

To give you a background, Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in 2016 inaugurated Solid Waste Management Rules.

For household waste, there is a rule that clearly states that the segregation of waste at the source is mandatory. Under this rule, households must seperate waste into 3 categories — 

• Organic or Biodegradable waste
• Dry waste, such as plastic, paper, metal and wood
• Domestic Hazardous waste, such as diapers, napkins, mosquito repellents, and cleaning agents.

Composting — The Best Decentralized Waste Management Method

In this section we’d discuss:

What is Decentralized Waste Management?

Why Composting is the best decentralized waste management method?

What is Decentralized Waste Management?

When a community manage & process their waste in thor locality itself, and send little to no waste to their respective centralised large processing facility such as landfills, is known as Decentralised waste management.

Why Composting is the best decentralized waste management method?

Since much of the Municipal solid waste (30% to 55%) is organic biodegradable matter, it makes a strong case for Composting to be adopted as a staple decentralized waste management method.

Also, composting has a multi-directional advantage, such as:

• The organic waste that otherwise would have ended up in landfills is converted into compost. This minimizes the Methane (CH4) emission which is the 2nd most holds a staggering 20% of total GHG emissions.
• The resulted compost helps replenishing earth with essential nutrients to make it support the plant life in a better way. Plants, as you all know utilize CO2, the most emitted GHG, to make food. Hence, composting, indirectly, also lowering the CO2 levels from the atmosphere.

Also, you can generate a side income from it.

How can you turn household waste into compost? – The Conventional Way

Composting household waste requires a little knowledge & a little effort.

First thing first, composting involves the breaking down of organic matter (food waste) in the presence of air & water. Organic matter breaks down with the help of microorganisms and small insects present in nature.

In order to break down organic matter into compost, composting organisms require 4 conditions:

1. BROWN organic matter, i.e. carbon-rich organic matter such as dried leaves, sawdust, paper, etc.

2. GREEN organic matter, i.e. nitrogen-rich organic matter such as fruit & vegetable waste, coffee grounds, etc.

3. Oxygen that comes from air.

4. Water in the right amounts.

1. Take a wooden compost bin or a large earthen pot or a bucket with 4 to 5 holes around the container at different levels for aeration.

2. Spread a layer of soil at the bottom.

3. Now add an alternate layer of edible kitchen waste such as food scrapes & peels, wasted cooked food (small amounts), etc. and dry organic matter, such as dried leaves, sawdust, etc.

4. Cover your compost bin with a plastic sheet or a plank of wood to help retain moisture and heat.

5. Give your pile a quick turn every few days to facilitate aeration. 

Sprinkle some water, if you think the pile is too dry, to make it moist. Please note the goal here is to moist the matter & not get it wet.

Taking our climatic condition into account, your compost should be ready within a month. 

The key characteristics of a good compost is that it is dry, dark brown and crumbly and smells of earth.

How can you turn household waste into compost? – The Modern Way

If you live in a society that encourages & appreciates the Decentralized Waste Management, you can opt for our GoClean Organic Waste Reprocessors.

The salient features of GoClean Organic Waste Reprocessor are:

1. A variety of capacity options

GoClean composters come in a wide variety of capacity options, ranging from 25 KG to 1000 KG. 

So doesn’t matter whether you’re a small society or a big one, we have a GoClean composter for you.

2. Superfast Composting

GoClean composters convert your organic waste into compost within 24 hours.

This way you never have to worry about everyday waste storage.

3. Enclosed Structure

With an enclosed structure, it makes sure that there is no smell coming out of your pile.

4. Automatic Machine

In the whole process of waste to compost, no manual process is involved except for loading and unloading.

GoClean Organic Waste Reprocessors has already been installed at some notable places where they are helping the places to move on the road of sustainability.

If your society also wants to adopt composting as a decentralized waste management method, click here.