Basic 8 · Career Technology · Household and Industrial Waste
Managing Household and Industrial Waste
In this topic you will identify the types of household and industrial waste, explain proper methods of managing and disposing of them, and describe the dangers of improper disposal.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Identify types of household and industrial waste
- Describe proper methods of waste management and disposal
- Explain the dangers of improper waste disposal
What you already know
- Environmental health and waste (Basic 7)
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
Lesson 1
- Strand
- Health And Safety
- Sub-strand
- Household and Industrial Waste
- Indicator
- B8.1.3.2.1 – Identify proper management and disposal of household and industrial waste
Introduction
Every home produces waste: food peels, plastic bags, old clothes and broken items. Factories produce even larger amounts. Knowing the types of waste helps us manage them safely.
1. Household Waste
Household waste: Waste produced in homes from daily activities such as cooking, cleaning and bathing.
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| organic (biodegradable) | food scraps, peels, leaves, paper |
| plastics | sachet-water bags, bottles, polythene bags |
| glass and metal | bottles, cans, broken utensils |
| liquid waste (grey water) | water from bathing, washing and cooking |
| sewage (black water) | waste from toilets |
| hazardous household waste | batteries, old medicines, insecticide cans, bulbs |
| e-waste | old phones, radios, chargers |
2. Industrial Waste
Industrial waste: Waste produced by factories, mines, workshops and other industries.
Industrial waste includes chemical waste from factories, oil and grease from garages, sawdust and wood offcuts from sawmills, metal scraps from welding shops, waste water from breweries and food factories, and tailings and mercury-contaminated water from mining. Some industrial wastes are toxic and need special handling.
3. Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Waste
Biodegradable waste, such as food and paper, rots naturally with the help of bacteria and fungi. It can be composted. Non-biodegradable waste, such as plastics, glass and metals, does not rot easily and remains in the environment for many years. Plastics are the biggest problem in Ghana because they block drains and harm animals.
4. Hazardous Waste
Hazardous waste can harm people and the environment even in small amounts. It may be poisonous, flammable, corrosive or infectious. Examples include batteries (containing acid and metals), used engine oil, pesticides, paint, expired medicines and hospital waste such as used needles. Hazardous waste should never be mixed with ordinary refuse or burned openly.
5. Waste in Your Community
Look around your community to identify the main sources of waste. Markets produce large amounts of vegetable waste and plastic packaging; homes produce food scraps and sachet-water bags; garages produce used oil and old tyres; carpentry shops produce sawdust and offcuts; and chop bars produce food waste and grey water. Knowing the sources helps the community and the Assembly plan the right collection and disposal methods.
New words
- household waste
- Waste produced in homes.
- industrial waste
- Waste produced by industries.
- biodegradable
- Able to rot naturally.
- hazardous waste
- Waste that is dangerous to health or the environment.
Summary
- Household waste includes organic waste, plastics, glass, metals, liquid waste, sewage and hazardous items.
- Industrial waste comes from factories, mines, garages and sawmills, and some of it is toxic.
- Waste is biodegradable or non-biodegradable, and hazardous waste needs special handling.
Class activity: Waste Classification
- Wearing gloves, examine clean samples of waste provided by the teacher.
- Classify each item as biodegradable, non-biodegradable or hazardous.
- Record your results in a table.
You need: Used sachet-water bags, Labelled waste bins, Work gloves
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Which is biodegradable?
- A. banana peel
- B. plastic bottle
- C. glass jar
- D. tin can
Show answer
Answer: banana peelRots naturally.2. Used engine oil from garages is…
- A. hazardous industrial waste
- B. organic household waste
- C. sewage
- D. compost
Show answer
Answer: hazardous industrial wasteToxic.3. Batteries are hazardous waste.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueAcid and metals.4. Waste that can rot naturally is ______.
Show answer
Answer: biodegradableOrganic.5. State four types of household waste with examples.
Show answer
Answer: Organic: peels; plastics: bags; liquid: bath water; hazardous: batteries.Any four.6. Why should hazardous waste not be mixed with ordinary refuse?
Show answer
Answer: It can poison workers and the environment and may catch fire or leak dangerous chemicals.Danger.
Lesson 2
- Strand
- Health And Safety
- Sub-strand
- Household and Industrial Waste
- Indicator
- B8.1.3.2.1 – Identify proper management and disposal of household and industrial waste
Introduction
Good waste management protects health, keeps the environment clean and can even turn waste into wealth.
1. Methods of Waste Management
| Method | Description | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| reduce | produce less waste, for example by using reusable bags | all waste |
| reuse | use items again for the same or new purposes | bottles, containers, clothes |
| recycle | process waste into new products | plastics, paper, metals, glass |
| composting | let organic waste rot into manure | food scraps, leaves |
| sanitary landfill | bury waste in lined, managed sites | waste that cannot be recycled |
| incineration | burn waste at very high temperatures in special furnaces | some hospital and hazardous waste |
| sewage treatment | treat toilet waste in septic tanks or treatment plants | sewage |
2. Managing Household Waste
- Sort waste at home into organic, plastics, paper, metals and hazardous items.
- Compost organic waste or give it to farmers for animal feed or manure.
- Rinse and keep plastics, bottles and cans for recyclers.
- Put remaining waste in covered bins for collection by the Assembly or waste companies.
- Pour waste water into drains or soak-away pits, not on the street.
- Take batteries, bulbs and old medicines to approved collection points.
3. Managing Industrial Waste
Industries are required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to treat their waste before releasing it. Factories should treat waste water, recycle offcuts and scraps, store chemicals safely, and use licensed companies to transport and dispose of hazardous waste. Mines must manage tailings and rehabilitate land after mining.
4. Dangers of Improper Disposal
Dumping waste in gutters causes floods and breeds mosquitoes and flies. Burning plastics releases toxic smoke. Chemicals poured into rivers kill fish and poison drinking water. Hospital waste such as used needles can spread HIV and hepatitis to scavengers. Improper disposal costs lives and money.
5. Waste as a Resource
Many Ghanaians earn a living from waste: plastic collectors, scrap metal dealers, recyclers who make paving blocks from plastics, and compost producers. Supporting these businesses reduces pollution and creates jobs.
New words
- composting
- Turning organic waste into manure.
- sanitary landfill
- A managed site where waste is buried safely.
- incineration
- Burning waste at high temperatures in special furnaces.
- soak-away pit
- A pit that allows waste water to drain into the ground.
Summary
- Waste is managed by reducing, reusing, recycling, composting, landfilling, incineration and sewage treatment.
- Households sort waste, compost, recycle and use covered bins; industries treat waste under EPA rules.
- Improper disposal causes floods, disease and pollution, while recycling turns waste into a resource.
Class activity: Waste Management Plan
- Survey the waste produced in your school for one day.
- Propose how each type should be managed.
- Present your plan to the class.
You need: Used sachet-water bags, Labelled waste bins, Work gloves
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Turning organic waste into manure is called…
- A. composting
- B. incineration
- C. landfilling
- D. dumping
Show answer
Answer: compostingManure.2. Which institution regulates industrial waste in Ghana?
- A. EPA
- B. ECG
- C. GES
- D. NHIA
Show answer
Answer: EPAEnvironmental Protection Agency.3. Burning plastics releases toxic smoke.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueAir pollution.4. Burning waste at very high temperatures in special furnaces is ______.
Show answer
Answer: incinerationControlled burning.5. State four ways of managing household waste.
Show answer
Answer: Sort waste, compost organic waste, recycle plastics, use covered bins (or soak-away pits).Any four.6. Explain how improper disposal of hospital waste is dangerous.
Show answer
Answer: Used needles and infected materials can spread diseases such as HIV and hepatitis to people who handle them.Infection.
Homework
- Sort your household waste for three days and write how each type was managed.