Definition of environmental hygiene and disposal of household refuse

Environment refers to the surrounding in which we live. It is made up of both physical elements e.g. the home we live in, compound, and social elements such as the family and community. Hygiene on the other hand, is defined as the practice of keeping oneself and one’s surroundings clean, in order to prevent illness or the spread of diseases.

Environmental hygiene therefore refers to the proper application of standards or principles that will ensure that the surrounding in which people live is free from harmful substances.

Organic refuse refers to the waste that can be decomposed. Such waste includes fruit and vegetable peelings and cooked food. Organic waste provides good breeding ground for micro-organisms like bacteria and mould, and household pests like rats and cockroaches. Therefore, this refuse should be disposed off properly.

There are several ways in which household refuse can be disposed off. These include:

a) Rubbish bin

Refuse can be disposed of in rubbish bins. Each household should have a covered bin which is emptied regularly. In towns, a garbage truck moves around collecting garbage from homes. The truck then takes the garbage to a legally identified disposal area. Rubbish bins can either be made of plastic or metal. The bins should be put at a level that is raised so that animals like dogs do not easily topple it over. They should also be protected from sunlight, have adequate ventilation and should be regularly cleaned. Rubbish bins also need to be lined with plastic bags/sacks. This makes it easier and more hygienic to remove the garbage as one will not directly touch the garbage.

Collecting household refuse

It is important to place a waste bin in every room for easy collection of household refuse. This refuse should be emptied into the main dust bin or thrown into the pit. The refuse bin should be covered with a well fitting lid to keep off pests.

Choice of a refuse bin

1. The size should be chosen according to the amount of refuse coming out of the house.
2. The refuse bin should have a well filling lid to keep off pastes and bad smells.
3. It should have a water-proof lining.
4. It should be made from a very strong material to avoid it from leaking.
5. It should be made from a rust-free material.

Care of the refuse bin

• Empty the bin every day
• Wash it with warm soapy water and a soft scrubbing brush.
• Rinse in warm water.
• Rinse finally in cold water into which some disinfectant has been added.
• Drip-dry upside down outside the house under the shade.
• Buff with a dry cloth , reline it and store appropriately for the next use.

NB: If household refuse is not handled well, it causes pollution. There are three common types of pollution namely land, air and water pollution. Polythene carrier bags have been classified as the most dangerous cause of both land and water pollution. Polythene bags are also dangerous especially when eaten by animals as they cause blotting and eventual death. Control of use and proper disposal of polythene bags is a major solution to the pollution.

b) Composit pit

This is done by putting refuse in a big pit where it is allowed to rot. The pit should be deep enough in order to avoid the refuse from scattering in the surrounding. It is important to separate the inorganic from the organic waste. Therefore, things like broken glass, pieces of metal, wood splint should be separated from the refuse before putting it into the composite pit.

c) Burning

Burning refuse is also referred to as incineration. Burning is used where waste has high organic content (e.g. paper, food waste) and low moisture content. Burning of waste is carried out in order to reduce volume. It is however dangerous because it creates air pollution when smoke is released. Sometimes poisonous gases are also released into the air.

d) Burying

This is the simplest means of refuse disposal. It is a good method of disposing inorganic refuse such as broken pots, glass and tins. The pit in which refuse is buried should be covered and kept away from houses, water points and located downhill away from ground water supplies.