Beyond the conventional wet and dry waste management, it is now time that domestic hazardous waste is given enough attention too.

What is domestic hazardous waste?

• Domestic hazardous waste is defined under the Solid Waste Management Rules 2016.
• It includes items such as -

1. discarded cans of paint and pesticide
2. sanitary waste such as disposable diapers and sanitary pads
3. items of biomedical waste such as expired or discarded medicines, broken mercury thermometers, used needles and syringes
4. e-waste such as tube lights and CFL bulbs
5. items such as used batteries and button cells, all generated at the household level

• With changing lifestyles, homes are awash with different chemicals and products.
• These, often without us being aware, are corrosive, explosive, flammable or toxic.
• They are harmful not only for human health but also for the environment if not disposed of properly.

How risky is lead?

• Leftover paints and varnishes are examples of common polluting wastes in homes, with toxic heavy metals and flammable solvents.
• Lead, a highly toxic metal, is found in lead-based paints to which young children are particularly vulnerable.
• As, even low levels of lead exposure can cause cognitive disabilities in children.
• WHO lists lead exposure as one of the top 10 environmental health threats globally.
• Many countries have phased out lead from their paints.
• India - In 2016, India brought in a regulation which allowed a maximum of 90 ppm lead content in paints.
• However, a latest study shows that concentration of lead in paints manufactured by small and medium enterprises in India remains very high.
• Paint samples with as high as 199,345 ppm lead content, more than 2,000 times the maximum limit were found.
• Worryingly, only 16% of the 160 consumers surveyed were aware of the issue of lead in paints.

What are the other dangerous ones?

• Other examples of hazardous domestic waste are pesticides for mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches and rats.
• These are as poisonous for humans as they are deadly for their targets.
• Fungicides and garden herbicides are also very toxic, not only when used but also when disposed of. Many are also carcinogenic.
• About 2-3% of these liquids typically remain in supposedly empty containers.
• Motor oils, greases and lubricants are all flammable but can be recovered as fuels when pooled.
• Broken glass is also one of the most commonly dangerous domestic hazardous wastes.

What is the ambiguity in the rules?

• There are enough rules for domestic hazardous waste with many overlaps in coverage for different types of waste.
• Domestic hazardous waste comes under the ambit of Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules 2016.
• Hazardous waste generated by industries and large offices is separately covered under the Hazardous Waste Rules 2016.
• Some biomedical waste is included in the definition of domestic hazardous waste.
• But only waste from healthcare establishments is covered under the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules 2016.
• Similarly E-waste Management Rules 2016 are applicable to e-waste including computers, printers, TV, fluorescent and other mercury containing lamps.
• However, lead acid batteries from home inverters and cars come under Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules 2001.
• So with multiple sets of rules and weak capacity for enforcement, the situation on the ground remains very bleak.
• This is coupled with the fact that awareness of the hazard among those who generate and handle waste is almost non-existent.

What are the other concerns?

• There are hardly any deposit centres for domestic hazardous waste, which are the bedrock for effective disposal.
• The Biomedical Waste Management Rules 2016 require safe disposal of only healthcare waste.
• Only 10-25% of biomedical waste is infectious or hazardous.
• But, if not properly handled, it presents physical, chemical and microbiological risk to the general population as well as those who handle it.
• Discarded hazardous medical waste leads to unintended release of drug resistant microorganisms in the environment.
• According to the WHO, in 2016, 4,90,000 persons developed multi-drug resistant TB globally.
• Drug resistance is starting to complicate the fight against HIV and malaria, as well.
• A WHO report also shows that there were 65,000 cases of multi drug-resistant and Rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis in India in 2017.

What should be done?

• Modern lifestyle comes with new responsibilities; that on waste management calls for keeping three bins - dry, wet and hazardous.
• A portion of responsibility for proper disposal of waste lies with consumers and waste generators as well.
• But significantly, it is the responsibility of the municipal authorities under the SWM Rules 2016.
• They should collect hazardous waste quarterly or periodically, and/or set up deposit centres, where such waste can be dropped off by waste generators.
• The authorities must also ensure safe storage of the waste and its transportation to the hazardous waste disposal facility.