Question

Describe the sources of domestic wastes?

Answer 1

Hint:Wastes are materials that are left over after we have used a certain product. It may also include defective products which are of no significant use. Wastes can be broadly categorized as biodegradable (which can be decomposed in nature) and non-biodegradable (which cannot be decomposed or might take a very long time to decompose) waste.

Complete answer:
- Wastes based on its sources, can be classified into industrial wastes, commercial wastes, domestic wastes and agricultural wastes.
- Industrial wastes are those which are produced from factories and industries and these become a major cause of pollution throughout the world when these wastes are thrown into the water bodies.
- Commercial wastes are those which are released from schools, institutions, offices, shops, etc.
- Agricultural wastes include plant and animal wastes, chemical wastes, and other unwanted material which are produced in agricultural farms.
- Finally, we have domestic wastes which are wastes and unwanted materials from households and are produced from cooking, cleaning and other household works. These are also called household wastes, municipal waste, garbage, trash, rubbish, etc. The wastes include;

i) Organic Wastes – that include vegetable and fruit peels, food scraps and leftovers, eggshells, etc.
ii) Biodegradable Waste – that include paper, rags, cardboard boxes, hair, dust, etc.
iii) Non-biodegradable Waste – that include plastic covers, boxes and bottles, tins, cans, etc.
iv) Sewage waste – that include human and pet excreta, drain water, etc.

Note: The biodegradable wastes are the kind of wastes which do not cause severe damage to the environment. The non-biodegradable wastes cause pollution and some degree of damage to the environment. Out of the non-biodegradable wastes, e-wastes, toxic wastes and radioactive wastes are hazardous and have to be handled with care. These include, chemical, batteries, electronics, weapons, radioactive wastes from power plants etc.