8.5.1  Waste Separation

Recycling materials becomes challenging when various wastes are mixed together. Therefore, the initial stage of the recycling process is to separate materials into distinct categories. This process is known as waste segregation or separation at the source, and it should be conducted by the householder when disposing of waste items. Waste is separated by placing the different categories into designated bags or containers.

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The required level of separation varies based on available recycling opportunities. However, it is essential to distinguish between "dry" and "wet" materials. The simplest method of separation is to keep food waste separate from other materials, allowing it to be composted or converted into biogas (see Sections 8.5.2 and 8.6). If korales are active in the area, they may request households to keep all recyclable materials (such as paper, metals, plastics, and glass) together or ask for just one or two materials to be segregated.

Without separating waste at the source, it ultimately ends up at a disposal site where all waste is mixed, making it significantly more difficult and hazardous to distinguish different types. In many developing countries, including Ethiopia, waste collection for recycling is often handled by the informal sector. This work can be labor-intensive, unsafe, and environmentally damaging, often involving very low income. It is common for young children to participate as collectors. Part of a WASH team’s responsibility is to help establish a more formal recycling industry. This aspect of waste management necessitates collaboration among stakeholders, including the informal sector and other interested partners, to improve working conditions and provide protective equipment and training for korales and other waste collectors.

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A more formal scheme can be established to collect recyclable materials, where collectors provide separate receptacles for recyclable and non-recyclable wastes. Although this method promotes recycling, it also has disadvantages, such as increased collection costs and the need for specialized equipment and additional workers to collect each type of material. Consequently, in most urban and peri-urban areas, recycling collections are predominantly conducted by the informal sector.

Once the separated materials are collected from households by korales or the more formal sector, they are transferred to merchants and eventually to industrial operations that process the waste back into useful raw materials or products. Much of this part of the recycling chain falls outside the purview of local WASH teams; however, team members can contribute by raising awareness about the importance of waste recycling and encouraging proper material separation for collection.

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