ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT CLASSIFICATION OF SOLID WASTE

ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT refers to the

A. COMPOSTABLE WASTES. Compostable wastes are biodegradable wastes
systematic administration of activities which provide for segregation at such as food waste, garden waste, animal waste and human waste. They undergo
source, segregated transportation, storage, transfer, processing, treatment, biological degradation under controlled conditions and can be turned into compost
and disposal of solid waste and all other waste management activities which (soil conditioner or organic fertilizer) by mixing them with soil, water, air and
do not harm the environment. biological additives/activators (optional).
Examples are:
 Fruit and vegetable peelings

Waste start
EcologicalSolid at level. waste
Management should thehousehold

Managementof
materials in the households are normally carried out by the servants and often the housewives. Thus, they must be well-informed about proper waste handling and management.

 Leftover foods
 Vegetable trims
 Fish/fowl/meat/animal entrails
WHAT IS SOLID WASTE ? 

Soft shells
Seeds
 Leaves
 Flowers
 Twigs
SOLID WASTE refers to all discardedhousehold, commercial waste, non- hazardous institutional and industrial waste, street sweeping, construction debris, agricultural waste and other non-hazardou

 Branches
 Stems

B. RECYCLABLE WASTES. Recyclable materials refer to any waste material

 retrieved from the waste stream and free from contamination that can still be
converted into suitable beneficial use. These may be transformed into new
products in such a manner that the original products may lose their identity.
Examples are:
 Newspaper
 Ferrous scrap metal
 Non-ferrous scrap metal
 Corrugated cardboard
 Aluminum
 Glass
 Office paper
 Tin cans

C. RESIDUAL WASTES. Residual wastes are solid waste materials that are
non-compostable and non-recyclable. It should be disposed ecologically
through a long-term disposal facility or sanitary landfill.
Examples are:
 Sanitary napkins
 Disposable diapers
 Worn-out rugs
 WASTE AVOIDANCE AND THE THREE R’s OF SOLID
CLASSIFICATION OF SOLID WASTE

 Cartons which contain a plastic lining usually

used for milk and juice containers
 Ceramics AVOIDANCE
 Candy wrappers/sachets  Avoid disposable goods such as
 Other soiled materials that cannot be composted and recycled throwaway razors, pens, diapers,
etc.
 Eliminate household toxic waste
D. SPECIAL WASTES. Special wastes refer to household hazardous wastes. from the garbage stream
Examples are:  Avoid products that are made
from non-renewable resources
 Paints
 Thinners REDUCE*
 Household batteries  Reduce the amount of
 Lead-acid batteries unnecessary packaging.
 Spray Canisters  Adopt practices that reduce waste
 Bulky Wastes such as: toxicity
 Large worn-out or broken furniture
 Lamps REUSE*
 Bookcases  Consider reusable products.
 Filing Cabinets  Maintain and repair durable
 Consumer Electronics which refer to worn-out, broken and other discarded products.
items such as  Reuse bags, containers, and
 Radios other items.
 Stereos  Borrow, rent, or share items used
 TV sets infrequently.
 White Goods which refer to large worn-out or broken household  Sell or donate goods instead of
appliances such as: throwing them out.
 Stoves
 Refrigerators RECYCLE*
 Dishwashers  Choose recyclable products and
 Clothes Washers containers and recycle them.
 Select products made from
 Dryers
recyclable materials.
 Oil
 Compost yard trimmings, food
 Tires
scraps and other biodegradable
wastes.
 Do not burn.

_ _
*Excerpted from The Consumer’s Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste, p.7 “Tips for
Reducing Solid Waste”, by the US EPA, 1996.
APPROACHES TO ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT
WHAT IS COMPOSTING ?

1. Segregation of wastes at source. All

the members of the household must be
informed how to segregate wastes into COMPOSTING refers to the
compostable, non- recyclable, controlled decomposition of
recyclable and special or hazardous organic matter by micro-
waste. organisms, mainly bacteria and
fungi, into a humus-like product.

2. There must be a separate container for

each type of waste. Segregated
recyclables must be properly cleaned
before storing them in HOW TO MAKE A COMPOST
their respective containers.

3. The use of special collection schedules
and/or separate trucks or haulers must be
required for specific types of wastes.
4. Recyclable wastes materials should be
taken to the Materials Recovery Facility
(MRF) in every barangay or cluster of
barangays where they are received, sorted,
processed and stored efficiently and in an
environmentally sound manner.
Compostable wastes
on the other hand, should be composted
either in the backyard or the community
composting site. Hazardous wastes are
further screened and sent to appropriate
hazardous waste treatment and disposal
plants.
1. Chop the biodegradable wastes into finer portions. The smaller the size
of organic wastes, the faster the compost will be ready for use.
2. Mix-up the biodegradable wastes and place them into the composters. Do
not burn on top of the piles or composters because the heat will kill the
biological "decomposers", thus, delaying the composting process.
3. Sprinkle a small amount of water. Moisture is essential for microbial
activity. Protect the composters from accumulating too much liquid to
avoid leaching.
4. Sprinkle or layer with soil so as not to invite flies and to control odors.
Place the soil in between the layers of the mixture.
5. Aerate the pile. Turn it once or twice a month to provide the necessary
oxygen to hasten the composting process.

5. The residual wastes or the non-recyclable and 6. When the interior of the pile is no longer hot and the material has broken
non-compostable wastes shall be transferred to down into a dark and dry soil, the composting is finished.
a long-term storage
or disposal facility or sanitary landfill.
 TYPES OF SMALL SCALE COMPOSTERS
4.
1. TWIN PITS
Dig into (1m x 1m x 1m) one-half
meter apart. Put small twigs at
the bottom and place a hallow tube
for air inlet. Follow the rules for
composting, using the pits by turns.
For an average household, it might
take a month to fill up each pit,
thus allowing sufficient time for
the materials to decompose or mature
into soil conditioner, or fertilizer.
5. PLASTIC BAG COMPOSTERS
2. TOWER TIRES
Make two piles of old car tires
directly on the ground and use them
as containers for composting.
To aerate, just insert anything in
between the tires. If placed
directly on cemented ground,
line the bottom with soil.
6. COMPOST BINS
3. BOTTOMLESS COMPOSTERS
Old drums, cans, plastic water
containers with the bottoms off,
even an old jute or rice sack with
bottom seam ripped off and
supported by three pegs or
cheap posts.
CLAY FLOWER POTS COMPOST
Have ten flower pots. Use flower
pots by turns. By the time the
tenth pot is full, in about a month’s
time, empty contents of the first
pot and use as soil conditioner for
plants/trees/lawn. Pots may be
stacked one on top of another
but keep contents moist.
Line plastic bags with soil, place
chopped biodegradables top
with soil/leaves, moisten, then
stack them one top of another
while awaiting collection. In few
weeks time, these become clean,
safe, odorless compost, very
good for plants.
These may be constructed from
chicken wire or any durable “basket”
material for small scale composting.
They are designed to adequately
accommodate the necessary materials
or ingredients and to allow access of air.
 GUIDE TO
COMPOSTING
PROBLEMS
BENEFITS AND USES OF COMPOST
Compost improves the physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil,SYMPTOM
as asoil conditioner. PROBLEM SOLUTION
Bad odor Not enough air Turn it. Add dry
Compost can be used as a soil supplement in flower beds, vegetable garden, lawn and in planting a new tree or shrub. material, if the
pile is too wet.
Center of pile is Not enough water Moisten and
Compost helps conserve moisture, prevent erosion and reduce weed growth. dry turn the pile
Compost is Too small; cold Collect more
damp and warm weather materials and
only in the mix old
middle ingredients into
a new pile
Pile is damp and Lack of nitrogen Mix in a nitrogen
sweet smelling source
but still will not
heat up
Interior looks or High temperature Pile is too
smells charred large;reduce
size, add water