Methods of Solid Waste Disposal
i. Open burning: Municipal waste is reduced by burning in open dumps but the unburnt waste serve as the breeding ground for rats and flies.
ii. Sanitary landfills: Wastes are dumped in a depression or trench after compaction and covered with dirt. But seepage of chemicals from these landfills can pollute underground water resources.
iii. Rag-pickers and kabadiwallahs: Wastes are collected and separated out into reusable or recyclable categories.
iv. Natural breakdown: The biodegradable materials are kept into deep pits in the ground for natural breakdown.
v. Recycling: E-wastes can be recycled in specifically built factories or manually to recover important metals.
vi. Incineration: Majority of e-wastes generated in developed world is exported to developing world where they are incinerated.
