The Benefits of Sorting Waste before Disposal, in the Delivery Era – Good For Us, Good For the Earth
06 Jan 2022
living tips
On average, a person in Thailand throws away 1.15 kilograms of waste each day. Assuming that a condominium unit is typically occupied by 2 persons, each unit will generate 2.3 kilograms of waste per day. For the time being, the number of registered condominium units nationwide amount to 898,922 units.
Multiplying the numbers produce the revelation that condo residents throw away 2,276,982 kilograms of waste in one day!
Disposing of all types of waste without sorting means reusable as well as recyclable waste are thrown out together with organic waste and may never get put to good use.
Of high safety concern are hazardous wastes, such as chemical containers, insecticide canisters, lights bulbs laced with chemicals and batteries. If these are disposed together with other wastes unsorted, chemicals will seep into the ground. If they are burned, toxic gases will fan out through the air. And if such wastes are buried, toxic gases will still seep into the air, endangering the environment and contributing to global warming.
The COVID-19 era makes it all the more important for single-use health masks to be sorted correctly when discarded, for purposes of proper disposal and preventing contamination.
Waste sorting can be easily started at the level of the individual. Condo dwellers may begin the practice of sorting waste with little effort and despite the limited space within each condo unit. Let us examine how to begin sorting waste for the greater good.
1. Set up a spot for sorted waste
A person living inside a condominium, where space is limited, might be put off by the thought of dedicating an area for waste sorting. But here are some tricks that people may want to take up.
We might consider buying plastic crates and stack them on one another, or find a piece of furniture that serves the same purpose – the latter could also contribute to the beautification of the room. Both options will allow for plastic bottles, paper, light bulbs and hazardous waste to be sorted, and perhaps will also result in greater storage space that could be used to keep items.
Those with an empty drawer cabinet might buy partitions or boxes to organise the areas inside the drawers. This is a convenient solution that requires no additional space while having the added benefit of keeping the rubbish out of sight.
2. Organise the waste into easy groupings, as practical for a condo dweller
Recyclable waste/dry waste. Recycling converts waste into reusable materials. Recycling waste means the rubbish we throw away can be processed for additional uses instead of ending up at the landfill after a single use.
Recyclable wastes are: Plastic bottles, plastic bags, glass bottles, cans, paper cartons, paper.
Before disposal, consider: Clean as necessary before disposal, to make handling easy. For example, pour out leftover liquid and rinse with water. Finished milk cartons might be cut open and rinsed.
General waste. This type of waste is usually non-degradable or difficult to degrade, but is not hazardous. Recycling is not cost efficient, therefore the correct method of disposal needs to be employed.
General wastes are: Snack bags, foam boxes, plastic bags, containers contaminated with food and bagasse paper wraps.
Organic wastes and food wastes are putrescible and quickly decomposable garbage.
What are organic wastes: Food scraps, fruit peels, vegetable bits, meat, dry leaves.
Before disposal, consider: For food scraps, separate the liquid and dispose down the sink. Wait for cooking oil to cool before pouring into a plastic bottle and store separately – this sorted waste can find its use as a biofertiliser for trees or edible gardens.
Hazardous wastes are wastes that consist of or are contaminated with hazardous materials.
What are hazardous wastes: batteries, electronics, expired medicine, flammable materials, aerosol cans.
Infectious wastes are objects that have come into contact with the bodily fluids of patients, including nasal discharge, saliva, blood and phlegm.
Before disposal, consider: Collect health masks and other rubbish contaminated with bodily fluids (such as tissue) and put them into a bin bag. Pour in 2 caps of bleach, put on another layer of bin bag, and tightly seal the mouth of both bags. Dispose in the appropriate bin that the condo management has set up in the common area.
By now you probably agree that waste sorting is easily done by someone living at a condo. We hope for everybody to start sorting their waste, in order to reduce the amount of rubbish thrown away each day and in order for recyclable waste to serve further uses instead of being thrown away unutilised.
Lastly, living at a condominium involves sharing living space with a large number of people hailing from a multitude of families. To prevent the spread of COVID-19, which is rampant at the moment, residential projects under the care of Plus Property have prepared spaces for disposing infectious waste such as health masks; disinfectant mists are routinely applied at these spots.
Did you know that Japan implements serious waste sorting measures? Waste in some cities are sorted into a whopping 16 categories. Waste sorting might produce even more benefits than we assumed, such as:
1. Reduces amount of rubbish
Less waste needs to be disposed when sorting has been undertaken to recover usable materials such as plastic, glass and metal.
2. Helps the environment by reducing pollution
When waste is unsorted, multiple kinds of waste gets dumped onto one another. The mixture of rubbish becomes a big source of bacteria and other germs that may cause infections in persons who come into contact with it.
3. Reduces energy and resource usage
Energy and resource requirements may be lightened by reusing or recycling plastic, paper, metal, glass and other materials. Additionally, some materials or parts may be sold for additional income. PLUS arranges projects that add value to your waste, wherein recyclable waste is donated to a number of establishments that put them to further use.
There are many advantages to sorting, versus the many disadvantages of not sorting, waste. Within the current COVID-19 climate, waste sorting has the added benefit of reducing risks for people who lived in condominiums and the personnel who handle waste for us.
Having read this far, let us sort our waste – we can start simply by separating food scraps from the main bin. Once the amount of waste inside the home is reduced, the amount released onto society and the environment will also be lessened.
Everybody’s appreciation of the importance of waste management and their bit by bit contribution could result in a New Normal where the environment is better maintained and liveability is improved.
Related Article:
-
Fortifying your immune system against COVID-19
-
7 Things to Do Before a Long Weekend
- The Untold Stories from COVID-19
Plus Property is a full-service professional real estate agency that provides comprehensive assistance in reselling/letting properties and the purchasing of second-hand condominium units. With more than 20 years of experience, PLUS’s team of quality professionals manages residential and commercial properties and also manages projects’ sales and marketing, heeding to all types of demand.
For additional information about our services, call 02 688 7555, or click here.
02.688.7555