The Elements of a Clean Environment - Waste Disposal

Waste is inevitable. Every individual and and society generates waste. The waste has to properly collected and disposed of. This involves proper collection, segregation, transportation and final disposal.

Waste disposal requires proper human behaviour, infrastructure and regular mechanisms.

For example, for a park to be clean, people have to seek a garbage bin and deposit their litter in it. This consciousness has to be ingrained in the psyche.  If they cannot find a bin they would wait till they find one. To simply throw it  away should be psychologically impossible. This has to be inculcated into peoples behaviour. It should become part of the culture.

Secondly, this behaviour should be encouraged and facilitated by the provision of infrastructure, which in this case would be bins located strategically and in adequate numbers with appropriate spacing. This is the responsibility of the institution managing the park, be it the government or private entity.

Thirdly, there should be a mechanism of removal. In this case the bins should be emptied at regular time intervals The timing should be dictated by the propensity of the waste to decompose as well as the volume generated. For instance if there is a lot of wet organic waste generated it should be removed before it putrefies. The bins have to emptied before they overflow. At least once daily they should be emptied.

Fourthly the garbage has to transported in a contained and hygienic manner to the final destination of disposal. If a truck is used it it should be built for that purpose.

Finally the accumulated waste should be disposed of properly. Here it means that the garbage either has to sorted, segregated, recycled and composted or disposed of in a scientifically constructed landfill. It is unacceptable to transport waste from one place and dump it in another.

If the above elements fall into place, the place becomes clean.