The overview published by the Brazilian Association of Public Cleaning and Special Waste Companies (Abrelpe) in 2016, shows that in that year Brazilians produced 78.3 million tons of Urban Solid Waste (RSU). These wastes include organic waste and inorganic waste.
The difference between these two types of garbage is in their origin. While one comes from animal or vegetable materials, the other exists through the transformations made by humans, especially with regard to the production of these components, such as aluminum, glass and metals.
see more
Biology teacher fired after class on XX and XY chromosomes;…
Cannabidiol found in common plant in Brazil brings new perspective…
At the time of disposal there is also another fundamental difference. While the first type decomposes easily, sometimes in a matter of days, the second can take hundreds of years to completely disappear from nature.
This is a topic that is dear to society as a whole, as it has profound impacts on the planet and, consequently, on people's lives. Knowing more deeply about the types of garbage, and knowing how to deal with each one of them, is fundamental in the process of raising people's awareness.
All types of material of animal or vegetable origin are considered organic waste. Some examples of organic waste are the remains of food, wood, leaves, bones and egg shells.
They differ from other waste mainly by the ease with which they can decompose. Some of them, in a matter of days, completely disappear from nature.
The burden of this, which is precisely the speed with which they decompose, can give off an unpleasant odor and facilitate the proliferation of insects and venomous animals.
Another important feature to mention is that they can easily be transformed into organic compounds. This means that through the composting process they become fertilizer and serve to fertilize different types of plants, due to the high level of nutrients they have.
In addition, the gas they produce can be used in thermoelectric power plants as fuel for energy production.
Also falling into this category is the so-called “human waste”, which is made up of people's urine and feces.
Unlike organic waste, inorganic waste is everything that does not have animal or vegetable origin, that is, its origin is not biological. The material that makes up this type of waste is characterized by having been produced by humans.
Examples of inorganic waste are: plastic, glass and all types of metals, ferrous or not.
The biggest problem with the exaggerated production of inorganic waste is the time it takes for them to disappear from nature. They are designed to be tough materials, a factor that greatly contributes to late decomposition. See some examples of how long each material takes to decompose.
The big problem in this situation is that the delay can harm, and a lot, the nature. One of the major problems experienced due to the incorrect disposal of inorganic waste is their accumulation in the oceans, forming veritable islands of garbage.
These, in turn, put all marine life at risk, also putting all life on the planet at risk.
It doesn't matter if it's organic or inorganic. All rubbish must be disposed of correctly. The procedures for each of them are different, but equally important.
In everyday life, at home, it is important to separate organic and inorganic waste. Despite the delay in the decomposition of inorganics, many of them have properties that allow the recycling. The more material reused, the smaller the amount of garbage in nature and the smaller amount of raw material that needs to be produced. That is, double benefit for the planet.
For recycling to take place, inorganic waste cannot be contaminated with organic waste. In this way, in addition to separating it, it is necessary to wash it, in case it is dirty. But remember to make conscious use of water.
If your neighborhood or city does not have selective collection, you can contact a cooperative that recycles materials of this nature. Many of them have collection points, or even collect waste from people's homes.
The correct collection and disposal of organic waste is the responsibility of municipalities. The proper way to dispose of these is in landfills. This is because they have all the necessary conditions for storage and for supervising the decomposition process.
