The Bio Brief

What is Garbage?

Garbage is the waste material that we throw away in our daily life.

Examples of Waste Materials

• Food waste (vegetable peels, leftovers)
• Paper and cardboard
• Plastic bags and bottles
• Glass, metal cans
• Wrappers and packaging material

What Happens to Garbage After We Throw It Away?

• Some waste breaks down naturally
• Some waste remains in the environment for a long time
• Excess garbage causes:
  • Pollution
  • Bad smell
  • Spread of diseases
  • Harm to animals and plants

Why All Substances Do Not Break Down?

In our body, enzymes digest food.

• Each enzyme is specific
• One enzyme cannot digest all substances

 Example:
Coal cannot be digested → no energy obtained

Similarly, bacteria and fungi in nature cannot break down many human-made materials like plastics.

Types of Waste

1. Biodegradable Waste

Substances that can be broken down by microorganisms (bacteria and fungi).

Examples:

• Food waste
• Paper
• Leaves
• Cotton

Biodegradable Waste

        ↓

Microorganisms

        ↓

Simple substances

        ↓

Mix with soil

2. Non-Biodegradable Waste

Substances that cannot be broken down by biological processes.

Examples:

• Plastic
• Glass
• Metal
• Polythene

 These materials:

• Remain in the environment for years
• Harm animals and ecosystems

Garbage Problem in Cities

• Heaps of garbage in streets
• Littering in tourist places
• Increase in diseases
• Air, land, and water pollution

Why is Garbage Increasing?

• Improved lifestyle
• Increased use of disposable items
• Excessive packaging
• Use of non-biodegradable materials

Impact of Excess Garbage on Environment

More Waste

   ↓

Pollution

   ↓

Health Problems

   ↓

Damage to Ecosystem

Think It Over: Disposable Cups in Trains

Earlier

• Tea served in plastic glasses
• Glasses were returned and reused

Later

• Disposable plastic cups introduced
• Hygienic but caused huge waste

Alternative Tried

• Kulhads (clay cups)
• Required large amount of fertile topsoil
• Harmed soil resources

Present Solution

• Disposable paper cups

Advantages of Paper Cups Over Plastic Cups

Paper Cups	Plastic Cups
Biodegradable	Non-biodegradable
Less harmful	Cause pollution
Can decompose	Remain for years
Eco-friendly	Harm animals

Best Solution: 3Rs of Waste Management

REDUCE → REUSE → RECYCLE

• Reduce use of disposable items
• Reuse materials whenever possible
• Recycle paper, plastic, glass, and metal

Key Points to Remember

• Not all waste breaks down naturally
• Biodegradable waste is eco-friendly
• Non-biodegradable waste causes pollution
• Excessive use of disposable items harms nature
• Paper is better than plastic