Solid Domestic
Waste
By: Laya Bataineh & Yousser Louhaichi
Domestic Waste
• domestic waste is waste that is generated as a result of the
ordinary day-to-day use
• Either: taken from the person who generated the waste
• collected by or on behalf of a local government
• Sources: households
• Everywhere around the world there is domestic waste coming
out of households – Global problem
Sources
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Food wastes
Paper
Cardboard
plastics
Textiles
Leather
Yard wastes
Wood
Glass
Metals
Ashes
Special wastes (consumer electronics, batteries, oil, tires)
Pollution
• Solid waste pollution is when the environment is filled with
non-biodegradable wastes that are capable of emitting
greenhouse gases, toxic fumes, and particulate matters as
they gather in open landfills.
• These wastes are also capable of giving out organic or
chemical compositions to pollute the ground where such
wastes lay in accumulation.
• Solid wastes carelessly thrown in streets, highways, and
alleyways can cause pollution when they are carried off by
rainwater run-offs or by flood water to the main streams, and
will reach larger bodies of water.
Solutions
• Source Reduction: reducing the use of many sources that would create domestic waste
(less packaging, bags…)
• Refuse - a new R added to the governing principles of waste management, which stands for
Refuse. Consumers should refuse to use products that make use of packaging or utensils
made from nonbiodegradable materials.
• Bans and Restrictions - Some local government units have implemented local laws that
exclude nonbiodegradable materials as part of household wastes. Community members
who insist on using these materials shall be responsible for their proper disposal.
 The State of Massachusetts, for example, has specifically banned televisions and computer
monitors from inclusion in landfills.
• Deposit and Refund Systems - enables the manufacturer to recycle and reuse the
containers and packages. To ensure their return, consumers pay fees to be refunded upon
the return of the nonbiodegradable material.
• Donation, Sale and Disposal – Materials that are included in landfills are donated to
materials exchange centers where they can be properly distributed for recycling,
repurposing, and reclaiming methods as ways to reduce solid wastes. (building materials,
furniture, computers, clothing, and appliances)
• Recycling and Composting: collecting and separating waste materials
and processing them for reuse
• Different methods of recycling apply to different types of solid
wastes and are often designed as sustainable methods:
• Composting involves careful selection of materials regarded as
compostable biodegradable and compostable organic materials.
(decayed organic material used as fertilizers for plants)
• Repurposing and Reclaiming Scrap Components Electronic
appliances produce scrap wastes, which provide a secondary supply
of reusable materials. The recycling of these valuable components
reduces the need for landfills and other methods.
• Combustion/Incineration: burn SWs in a way that will
generate energy and at the same time reduce the amount of
solid wastes left in open landfills.
• However, this method runs under the regulation of the
Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Air and Radiation,
considering that air emissions are the main environmental
concerns.
Landfills
• Waste is taken to a suitable sight and buried there.
• These sights are carefully chosen to be not too close to areas
with high population density, water courses aquifers
• They are lined with special plastic lines to prevent liquid waste
from seeping out.
• soil is pushed over the waste each day to reduce smells and
pests
• Educate:
There isn’t much we can do about this. There are no alternative
so far for the items we use within the house hold.
Items made of something renewable.
• Legislate:
In some countries people have to pay fines for the waste that
isn’t recyclable.
Pay if you want to get a plastic bag after shopping instead of
bringing your own.
• Remediate:
Change the material of some of the household items we use to
renewable, easier to recycle.
The 3 R’s (reuse, reduce, recycle)
Bib
• http://www.toowoombarc.qld.gov.au/environment-andwaste/waste-and-recycling/rubbish-dumps/7413-what-isdomestic-waste
• http://www.brighthub.com/environment/scienceenvironmental/articles/92943.aspx