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USES AND MISUSES OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Residential
Residential wastes are generated by people in their everyday environment. Familiar
examples of such wastes are household trash, such as yard trimmings and food scraps, used
batteries, and scrap tires. In order to educate the public about advantages of waste reduction,
reuse, and recycling, EPA has collected information about these and other types of
residential wastes and designed Web sites for related EPA activities and programs. The Web
resources listed below cover residential waste management, federal and state laws and
regulations, availability of local information on a particular type of waste, and frequent
questions from the public.

Backyard Burning
Backyard burning refers to the burning of household trash by residents on their own
property. Air emissions from backyard burning are released directly to the atmosphere and
are considered harmful to human health. These Web pages provide information about the
health hazards and environmental effects associated with backyard burning and discuss
state, local, and tribal standards; regulations; and programs concerning this activity. In
addition, this Web resource explains alternatives to backyard burning for communities and
individuals and suggests publications for further reading.

Batteries
Batteries contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel, which can
contaminate the environment when batteries are improperly disposed of. This Web site
focuses on reducing the municipal waste and environmental contamination associated with
the use and disposal of batteries, provides information about battery reuse and recycling,
and links to related EPA publications.

Composting
This Web site focuses on composting of yard trimmings and food scraps to prevent
landfilling of this type of waste. The pages stress various benefits of composting, provide a
comprehensive, searchable, and link to information about federal regulations of composting
facilities and regional and state composting programs.

Consumer Tips

This Web site contains seasonal and holiday tips for waste prevention, reuse, and recycling.

Household Hazardous Waste

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Leftover, or unused household products that contain corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive
ingredients are considered "household hazardous waste" (HHW). These Web pages describe
HHW reduction, reuse, recycling, and disposal options; offer related resources (such as a list
of common household products with potentially hazardous ingredients and a list of
suggested alternatives to common hazardous household items); and point to HHW-
associated programs, publications, and topics.

Medical Waste

Medical waste is generally defined as any solid waste generated in the diagnosis, treatment,
or immunization of human beings or animals. This Web resource lists all types of medical
waste; points to relevant federal and state regulations; and links to federal agencies that
regulate different aspects of medical waste management as well as other companies of
interest in this field.

Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) (i.e., trash or garbage)

This Web site includes an overview of MSW management, key facts about the MSW stream
in the United States and recycling activities associated with a variety of materials recovered
for recycling. The site discusses MSW source reduction, combustion, and landfilling; and
links to state, tribal, and community-based information supplied by those sources and by
EPA programs. The site points to more than 40 subjects related to MSW management, such
as buying recycled materials, lifecycle analysis, pollution prevention, and used oil. The
backyard burning, batteries, composting, household hazardous waste, medical waste, and
scrap tires Web pages are located under the umbrella of the MSW site. In addition, the MSW
site hosts information about major EPA MSW programs including Jobs Through Recycling,
WasteWise, and Pay-As-You-Throw.

Organic Materials

This Web site provides information about organic materials, which are the largest
components of our trash, and include yard trimmings, food scraps, wood waste, and paper
and paperboard products

Scrap Tires

This Web site offers an overview and statistics on scrap tire management as well as
laws/statutes—particularly state scrap tire legislation and programs. It also describes
innovative uses of scrap tires. Three large scrap tire markets are described in detail: tire-
derived fuel, civil engineering, and ground rubber used in highways and other applications.
In addition, this Web resource lists relevant EPA, state, and independent research
publications and links.

Used Oil

Oil keeps our cars, lawnmowers, and many other machines running smoothly. But, once oil
is used, it must be discarded properly, to keep it from contaminating the environment. This
Web site describes ways for recycling used oil.
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Since the beginning, humankind has been generating waste, be it

the bones and other parts of animals they slaughter for their food
or the wood they cut to make their carts. With the progress of
civilization, the waste generated became of a more complex
nature. At the end of the 19th century the industrial revolution saw
the rise of the world of consumers. Not only did the air get more
and more polluted but the earth itself became more polluted with
the generation of nonbiodegradable solid waste. The increase in
population and urbanization was also largely responsible for the increase in solid waste.

Four Rs (Refuse, Reuse,

Recycle, Reduce) to be followed
for waste management

1. Refuse. Instead of buying new containers

from the market, use the ones that are in the
house. Refuse to buy new items though you
may think they are prettier than the ones you
already have.
2. Reuse. Do not throw away the soft drink
cans or the bottles; cover them with
homemade paper or paint on them and use
them as pencil stands or small vases.
3. Recycle. Use shopping bags made of
cloth or jute, which can be used over and
over again [will this come under recycle or
reduce?].Segregate your waste to make sure
that it is collected and taken for recycling.
4. Reduce. Reduce the generation of
unnecessary waste, e.g. carry your own
shopping bag when you go to the market and
put all your purchases directly into it.

Each household generates garbage or waste day in and day out. Items that we no longer need or do
not have any further use for fall in the category of waste, and we tend to throw them away. There are
different types of solid waste depending on their source. In today’s polluted world, learning the correct
methods of handling the waste generated has become essential. Segregation is an important method
of handling municipal solid waste. Segregation at source can be understood clearly by schematic
representation.One of the important methods of managing and treating wastes is composting.
As the cities are growing in size and in problems such as the generation of plastic waste, various
municipal waste treatment and disposal methods are now being used to try and resolve these
problems. One common sight in all cities is the rag picker who plays an important role in the
segregation of this waste.
Garbage generated in households can be
recycled and reused to prevent creation of waste at source and reducing amount of waste thrown into
the community dustbins.