Little measures go a long way in helping our ecology and environment.!

Household Waste

Although household refuse does not usually  contain such large amount of germs as excreta, it can cause risk to public health by attracting flies, mosquitoes and rats, and allowing them to breed. This may encourage the spread of diarrhoeal diseases, as well as diseases like dengue fever, yellow fever, bancroftian filarisis and bubomic plague.

In some countries, used anal cleaning material and children’s faeces are thrown away with other household rubbish. This represents a significant risk to public health.

Its better to throw used paper and other cleaning material into the latrine or flush toilet, than to store it in the house dustbin where it is a serious health risk. Avoid using plastic bags instead use cloth bags wherever possible.

When refuse is stored in home, even only for few hours, it can attract flies and rats. Refuse must always be stored in a container with a tight fitting lid. The container should be emptied and washed with soap and water or cleaned with dry earth or sand.

In cities and large towns, the municipal authorities provide refuse collection services which takes household refuse away. In this situation, Its important that all households must have proper containers/bins for refuse storage awaiting for collection by the agency. Public cooperation with organized refuse collection agencies will require considerable effort by community workers and its very important that households served must understand fully the conditions of services, particularly when they are asked to use different containers/bins for different wastes.

Wherever there is no refuse collection services, the waste should be divided into four groups which are disposed of separately.

Vegetable wastes, such as fruit and vegetable peelings and leftovers. These can be composted with straw and grass to give a fertilizer for crops, as a feed to Pigs or put in Biogas digester.

Tins, glass bottles, bulbs and plastic bags and containers, unless these can be washed and reused. They can cause problems because they do not break down very quickly, and also can hold water where mosquitoes and other insects can breed. These waste materials should be buried in a pit with a cover.

Newspapers, magazines and other clean paper (for example, letter, drawing paper etc)can usually be recycled or reused for lighting fires, for paper mill where ever appropriate.

Batteries, old medicines, used motor oil, and other dangerous waste, such as dirty kerosene and other fuel. These waste are dangerous to human health and must not get in to ground water or be dumped in rivers or streams. They must be disposed of in a pit which is covered and well away from any water sources. Its very important that children and animals are not allowed near this waste.

Refuse Pits

Waste which cannot be recycled for other uses should be buried in a pit. Make sure that the pit is well above the groundwater level even in the rainy season, otherwise chemicals or other hazardous waste may contaminate the water supply.

A refuse pit should be located:

·        The minimum safe distance from sources of drinking water. This is site specific and should be determined for each water sources based on local hydrological and hydro geological conditions.

·        At least 20 meters from the kitchen or food preparation area.

·        Not above any drainage pipe which discharges into surface water or a drain field.

·        Well above the highest groundwater level in the wet season. Where hazardous waste is being disposed of, the refuse pit should be situated on impervious rock or clay, or the pit should have a sealed base to prevent contamination of ground water.

Care must be taken to cover all waste put into a refuse pit with a lid or soil. It is important that children are not allowed access to refuse pits, as they will be exposed to a major health risk. Animals should also be kept away from refuse disposal pits, as they may ingest hazardous waste which may be passed on to humans if the animals are eaten.

The life of the pit can be increased by compacting the refuse down using a heavy metal or wooden pole.

Sanitary Landfill

For large amount of refuse, the sanitary landfill method is simple, and prevents flies and rats getting to the refuse The refuse is spread out and compacted to a layer of not more than 0.6 meters thick. At the end of each day, the compacted layer of refuse is covered with 0.3 meters of earth and compacted to stop flies and rats getting at the refuse. Layers of refuse can be added up to a total depth of 2.4 meters and then finally covered with 0.6 meters of earth.

Landfill sites must never be close to rivers,