CONCEPT OF WASTE
According to Babayemi et al (2009) waste could be define as non liquid, and non gaseous products of human activities, regarded as being useless .it could take the form of refuse, garbage and sludge.
Abel O.A (2009). Classified it as non liquid, non gaseous residues of our manufacturing, construction ,cooking, recreation agricultural and other activities that are used and then discarded included in these categories are out dated newspaper, glass ,bottles, metal, cans, plastic, abandoned automobiles, demolition rubber, dead animals, dewatering sewage sludge and the garbage from kitchen.
However, wastes generally refers to any substance which constitutes a scrap material or other substance arising from the application of any process, or any substances or articles that requires to be disposed of being broken or contaminated but does not include explosive substance within. Waste is therefore a relative term whose meaning depend on what we use and how we use it. Remaining food particles may be cast into container as waste, but under another circumstance if it is bone, the bone, may be preserved and presented to an appreciative dog (SEWELL1988).
SOURCES AND TYPE OF WASTES
Sewell (1988) classified the basic sources of wastes as residential, commercial and municipal, industrial, open area, treatment plants, and Agricultural. The use and activities of people living in these areas to a large extent affect also the type of waste we can expect to find in each of them, although a particular type of waste could be found in all.
- Residential wastes: It was predicted that the average rate for residential wastes varies with income and location. Residential area generally generate more waste per person because of the availability of package items .Other factors of increase in waste generated per person include increasing availability of many new consumed items. Increase in the amount of packaging and number of variety of products.
- Commercial wastes rate: retail commercial waste rate is determined on a per capital bases in developed countries and it is often included in residential generating rates. The rate for commercial wastes by year 2000 was expected to be the same rate as the current united state commercial generation rate of 169 kilograms per person per year, by 2000 the commercial wastes category include hotels wastes, market wastes and institutional wastes generated in 1983 was estimated to be 4 percent of the residential waste quantity.
- Institutional wastes: although industrial and manufacturing process generates different types of waste with widely varied compositions, a single generation rate was use in Zuba. It was assumed that although the average wastes generation will not change significantly, the composition will likely change.
- Special Waste: the concept plan define special wastes as those wastes which cannot or should not be stored, handled, transported or disposed off in the same manner as the city’s typical municipal refuse.