Solid Waste Management in Schools

What is Waste ?

Defined under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) (US EPA)
• any solid, semi-solid,

• liquid, or

• contained gaseous materials discarded

… from industrial, commercial, mining, or agricultural

operations and from community activities.

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 Some Facts…
- Total no of schools in India = 1.22 million

- Enrollment in elementary education (primary & secondary) = 222 million

Ref: Educational statistics at a glance (2005- 06), Dept. of Education, Gov. of India

Major types of waste generated in schools:

1.Food Waste

2.Plastic;

3.Paper;

4.Floor swipeeing;

5. Aluminum foils;

6. Others (stationary items, pencil sharpenings, etc.) 3

Hurdles…

• awareness;

• infrastructure;

• technology;

• human power;

• budget

• planning & overall management.

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Current SWM system is corrective rather than preventive

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Solutions !!!

1. Policies, plans & programmes;

2. Solid Waste Management Strategies – at school level;

3. Administrative interventions;

4. Infrastructure;

5. Disposal Techniques ; and

6. Regulations & their implementation.

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Policies, plans & programmes

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Solid Waste Management Strategies

1. Waste management as apart of school curriculum;

2. Student groups;

3. Awareness trainings for schools children & teachers;

4. School Activities – songs, games, quiz, involving children in segregation activities

5. Awareness campaigns in the neighbourhood; and

6. Involving children & their parents.

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Solid waste management to be part of curriculum

Times of India- Oct 20, 2007

The government [was] working on a proposal to incorporate waste management

in school curriculum to sensitise the younger generation about managing
municipal solid waste in a hygienic and scientific manner.

Urban development secretary M Ramachandran [wrote] to the secretary,

secondary and higher education, pointing out the need to incorporate the subject
in school curriculum.
 Solid Waste Management as a part of School Curriculum

Solid Waste Hierarchy

Image source: http://www.igd.com/index.asp?id=1&fid=1&sid=17&tid=0&folid=0&cid=364

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Solid Waste Management Strategies - Ground Rules

Student groups

Make them work

Ref: http://recycle.uoregon.edu/waste_audit.htm ( accessed on 16/07/12)

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 Make them work

Source: http://vincebond.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/composting-takes-off-in-vermont-schools/
( accessed on 16/07/12)

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Source: http://www.gpycnepal.org/index.php?page=7 (accessed on 16/07/12)
 School Activities

Competitions
Source: http://www.suzannemichaels.com/resume.html (accessed on 16/07/12) Games

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Source: http://www.willcountygreen.com/games/recyclematch.aspx ( accessed on 16/07/12)
 School Activities

Field work

Source: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/efans/ygnews/2010/12/ (accessed on 16/07/12)

Training

Source: http://blogs.inlandsocal.com/communitygardens/ ( accessed on 16/07/12)

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Administrative Interventions
1. School Administrator 2. Class Monitors

Ref: http://www.weblearneng.com/monitor ( accessed on 16/07/12)

3. Budgeting 4. Contacts with various agencies

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 Infrastructure
1. Waste segregation & collection 2. Garbage Transportation – within school

Source: http://www.indiamart.com/ (accessed on 16/7/12)

Source: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/37087841 (accessed on 16/7/12)

3. Space of composting activities 4. Garbage Transportation – outside school

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Source: easterniowaschools.com (accessed on 16/7/12) Source: ecvv.com (accessed on 16/7/12)
Disposal Techniques
Segregate

Source: http://apartmentadda.com/blog/tag/green-apartments/ (Accessed on 16/7/12)

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Source http://www.workplace-products.co.uk (Accessed on 16/7/12)
Composting
Disposal Techniques – Organic Waste

• Vermicomposting;

• Aerobic composting;

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Source: http://654scienceplan.wordpress.com/soil-and-compost/ (accessed on 16/7/12)
Vermicomposting

- Using earthworms and microorganisms to convert organic waste into

manure.
Construction of Vermicomposting Bins
Wood /plastic/ recycled containers

•Size - one square foot of surface area per pound of waste in your bin.
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•Make sure that containers are well cleaned
Vermicomposting bin

Lid

Aeration
Holes

Opening for removing

compost

Tools

Screen
Construction of Vermicomposting Bins

•The bedding material should be thoroughly moistened before adding the

worms;

• Space - 1 cu.ft. of worm bin/500 worms.

• Approx. 2000 of earthworms to recycle a pound of food waste;

Adding Food Waste

- Avoid bones, dairy products, and meats

that may attract pests, and garlic,
onions, and spicy foods.
- Limited amounts of citrus can be added,
- Do not add any chemicals;
- No metals, plastics, glass, soaps;
- Grinding or blending the food waste in a
food processor speeds the composting
time considerably.

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Climatic conditions

-Temperature range = 5°C – 26 °C

- The worms should never be allowed to freeze.

- Bins kept outside to be insulated with straw in the winter

- The bin contents should be kept moist but not soaked.

- Do not allow rainfall to enter the bin.

- A straw covering may be needed in exposed

sites to keep the bin from drying

during summer.

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Maintaining the Bin

- Food scraps to be continually added for 2 to 3 months

- When the bedding disappears, harvest the worms and finished compost,

- Refill the bins with new bedding material.

- Do not overloading the bin with food wastes;

- Do not soak the food waste and bedding;

- Make sure the food waste is buried properly

in the bedding.

- Do not expose food wastes to the our environment.

- Keep the bin covered with straw.

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Harvesting the Compost and Worms

• Use mesh / screens.

• Sift the worms out.

• Larger pieces of compost can be returned to a new batch of bedding

and worms.

•The worms can be added back to a new bin of bedding and food waste.
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Composting

Composting is the method of breaking down organic materials by

microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi to the final product – the compost.

Carbon
Water Heat Dioxide

Compost

O2
O2 Organic Matter
Microorganisms
Nutrients

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 Technique

• Minimum dimensions for a pile are 3 x 3 x 3 ft;

• Alternating layers of organic materials, and fertilizer or manure

• First layer - 6-8 inch - coarse organic material like sawdust;

• Second layer - 1-2 inch. of poultry, or livestock manure;

• Alternate layers of organic materials and manure, until the pile is 3 - 5 ft

high
Maintenance of compost pile

• Proper uniform moisture levels and no

soaking of pile;

• More compost is turned the faster it

decomposes;

• During turning, place compost on the

outside edges of the pile in the middle of

the new pile.

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Solid Waste Management in India: Regulations

• Environment Protection Act, 1986

• Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 ,2010

• Bio-medical Waste Handling Rules - 1998, 2003

• Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2000;

• The Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules 2001, 2010

• E-waste Management and Handling Rules 2011

• Plastic Waste (Management & Handling) Amendmend Rules -2011

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Summary

• Waste ….a resource

• Solid Waste Management Strategies – at school level

• Integrated approach

• Administrative interventions

• New approach for waste management

• Regulations & their implementation.

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Comments / Q & A

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Thank You

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