Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) is the trash or garbage that is discarded day to day
in a human settlement. According to the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules,
2016:
“solid waste” means and includes solid or semi-solid domestic waste including
sanitary waste, commercial waste, institutional waste, catering and market waste
and other non-residential wastes, street sweepings, silt removed or collected from
the surface drains, horticulture waste, construction and demolition waste and treated
bio-medical waste excluding industrial hazardous waste, bio-medical waste and e-waste
generated in an area under urban local body.
Based on the types of generators, MSW is classified into various categories. The
categories are further elaborated on in the Table below.
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WASTE GENERATORS
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CATEGORIES /TYPES OF WASTE
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Domestic
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Household Waste-Kitchen, house cleaning, old papers, packing, bottles, crockery
wares, furnishing materials, garden trimmings etc.,
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Commercial
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Waste generated at business premises, shops, offices, markets, departmental stores(paper,
packing material, spoiled, discarded goods)organic, inorganic, chemically reactive
and hazardous waste
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Institutional
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Schools, Colleges, Hospitals, large hotels and restaurants, markets selling vegetables,
fruits, fish etc., community halls, religious places, function sites etc.,
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Street Sweeping
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Unconcerned throwing, littering made by pedestrian traffic, vehicular traffic, stray
animals, roadside tree leaves, rubbish from drain cleaning, debris etc.,
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Industrial/Trade
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Waste generated through manufacturing and material processing.
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Debris/Construction
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Comprises earth, brickbats, stones, wooden logs etc.,
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Bio Medical
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Animal waste such as animal tissues, organs, body parts, carcasses, bleeding parts,
fluid, blood, waste generated by veterinary hospitals, colleges, discharge from
hospitals, animal houses and Microbiology/ biotechnology laboratories, Waste sharps
viz., needles, syringes, scalpels, blades, glass etc. that may cause puncture and
cuts. This includes both used and unused sharps etc.,
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Hazardous
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Waste with properties that make it dangerous or potentially harmful to human health
or environment. Waste listed in Hazardous waste management rules 1989 - batteries,
cleaning fluids, pesticides etc.)
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Sewage
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Sewage is the liquid waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically
consists of washing water, faeces, urine, laundry waste and other material.
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Solid Waste Management (SWM) is a science associated with the management
of solid waste using the best principles and practices of public health, economics,
engineering, conservation, aesthetics and other environmental conditions. It refers
to a systematic process that comprises of solid waste segregation at source, primary
collection, cleaning of streets and surface drains, secondary storage, transportation,
processing and the disposal of solid waste at the facilities set up by the urban
local body on their own or through an agency or an operator of a facility.