Inorganic waste is a type of waste that does not contain

organic compounds Some chemical authorities define an organic compound as a chemical compound that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others consider an organic compound to be any chemical compound that contains carbon. For example, carbon-co ...

. This waste is generally very difficult to decompose by

microorganisms A microorganism, or microbe, is an organism of microscopic size, which may exist in its single-celled form or as a colony of cells. The possible existence of unseen microbial life was suspected from antiquity, with an early attestation in ...

. Glass, aluminum cans, dust, and

metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...

are some examples of inorganic waste. Inorganic waste remains free from decay, with more than 500 years needed being common for effective decomposition, therefore disposal can be challenging. Reducing consumption, reusing, and recycling are possible solutions for coping with this type of waste.

References

{{reflist, 30em Waste