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Have you ever thought about all the garbage we generate every day? Have you ever imagined the amount of garbage that is generated worldwide and where it ends up? Undoubtedly, it is an issue that is currently becoming more and more aware since space on Earth is finite. However, in order for us to take part in the matter and help the planet, in the first place, we must know that there are two large groups of garbage with different characteristics that will influence its treatment. In this Green Ecologist article we tell you what is organic and inorganic waste and examples of them.
What is garbage
When we speak of "garbage" we refer to any waste, that is, to any unwanted material or a set of them, generally in a solid state, although they can also be found in the liquid and gaseous states, which has its origin in different human or animal activities that produce waste that is intended to be disposed of. This garbage is normally deposited in specific places destined for its collection, such as containers, after which it will go to landfills.
Now, the term “garbage” is very broad, because as we have just mentioned, we call any waste material that way. The composition of this waste depends on the quality of life and the economic activity of the area where it is generated. But not everything is as bad as it seems so far, since many components of the waste that are generated are profitable and have value for the recycling processes. For example, here we explain the recycling process of a plastic bottle.
Delving into the types of garbage of which we spoke, these can be classified according to their composition and their origin. According to its composition, garbage is basically classified into organic waste and inorganic waste, which we will talk about below, in the following sections.
If we refer to origin of garbage, the residues can be considered as:
- Domestic waste: all those that are produced in homes from the activities that take place in them. It also includes electronic waste and electrical appliances, clothing, furniture …
- Commercial waste: generated by the activities carried out in the different businesses.
- Industrial waste: from industrial activity such as manufacturing, transformation, consumption, cleaning or maintenance.
- Hospital waste: which is generally considered hazardous waste.
- Space debris or space debris: made up of objects and pieces of artificial materials of human origin without utility that are in the Earth's orbit. In this other article we talk more about Space Pollution.
- Construction waste: construction waste, which also includes demolition waste.
Here you can read more about What is solid waste and how it is classified.
What is organic waste and examples
When we talk about organic waste we talk about those waste of biological origin, that is, they have their origin in living beings, or those resulting from all the processing of food products. Although they can be more unpleasant to our senses, due to their decomposition, it is true that they are much less problematic for the environment because they are biodegradable waste and be able to decompose without too much difficulty. It is for this reason that they are usually used in the production of fertilizers or compost used in gardening.
There are various types and examples of organic waste and some of them are:
- Food remains such as egg or fruit shells, seeds, oil, bones, food in bad condition, vegetables …
- Paper and cardboard, napkins, paper towels.
- Garden debris from plant pruning, such as leaves or branches.
- Animal body waste such as hair, nails, feathers, excrement …
- Cotton and clothing made from it, gauze.
- Garments made from fur.
- Remains of dead animals.
Learn more by reading this other post about What is organic waste.
What is inorganic garbage and examples
In contrast, inorganic garbage refers to those waste whose origin is not biological. It is these residues that can result very harmful to the environment Since they are made with synthetic elements, they are much more difficult to degrade. For this reason, they remain in the environment unaltered for much longer with the consequent pollution problems that they can generate.
It should be noted that in many cases inorganic waste can be reused or recycled. However, the other part of inorganic waste is not recyclable, so the only way to treat it so that it does not harm the environment is to confine it in suitable containers. The main responsible for this type of garbage are large industries, although households also generate it, but in much smaller quantities.
If there were many cases of organic waste, inorganic waste there are also numerous examples. Some of the examples of inorganic garbage clearer are the following:
- Glass objects, such as bottles, crystals …
- Plastic containers and objects.
- Aluminum cans, such as soda or canning cans.
- PVC materials.
- Batteries
- Sanitary or hospital waste, such as cotton gauze, plastic syringes. As we discussed earlier, due to the danger of these compounds, regardless of whether they are composed of organic materials or not, they are considered inorganic waste.
- Fabrics.
- Batteries
- Home appliances.
- Furniture.
- Tires
- Polyethylene bags.
- Aerosol sprays.
- X-rays.
- CD.
In this other article by Green Ecologist we offer more information about inorganic garbage with examples and here below you can see a video on this topic.
If you want to read more articles similar to Organic and inorganic garbage: what it is and examples, we recommend that you enter our Recycling and waste management category.
