Chapter 7: Cleanliness & Waste Management
Green & Blue Dustbins, Swachh Bharat, Segregation | CBSE Session 2026–27
Core Pedagogical Competencies & Concepts
- Waste Segregation: Wet Waste vs Dry Waste
- Green Dustbin (Biodegradable) vs Blue Dustbin (Non-biodegradable)
- The 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
- Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and Community Cleanliness
All Textbook Exercises & In-Text Tasks (15 Questions)
100% Complete Ingestion
Q1
Think and Tell
What is the difference between Biodegradable (Wet) waste and Non-biodegradable (Dry) waste?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
• Biodegradable (Wet) Waste: Organic waste that rots and decomposes naturally into soil (e.g., Fruit/vegetable peels, leftover food, tea leaves).
• Non-biodegradable (Dry) Waste: Waste that does not rot or break down easily in nature (e.g., Plastic bottles, polythene bags, glass, metal cans).
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Biodegradable definition and examples
1.5
Non-biodegradable definition and examples
1.5
Q2
Colored Dustbins
What goes into the Green dustbin and the Blue dustbin under the Swachh Bharat mission?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
• Green Dustbin: Wet kitchen waste, fruit/vegetable peels, eggshells, garden leaves, and leftover food.
• Blue Dustbin: Dry recyclable waste like plastic containers, paper, cardboard, glass bottles, and metal cans.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Green dustbin - wet organic waste
1
Blue dustbin - dry recyclable waste
1
Q3
The 3 R's Formula
What do the three R's of waste management stand for? Explain each briefly.
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
1. REDUCE: Minimize the amount of trash we generate (e.g., avoid single-use plastics).
2. REUSE: Use items multiple times instead of throwing them away (e.g., reuse glass jars for spices).
3. RECYCLE: Process old waste into new useful products (e.g., making fresh paper from old newspapers).
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Reduce with explanation
1
Reuse with explanation
1
Recycle with explanation
1
Q4
Composting at Home
What is 'Compost'? How does it help our garden?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Compost is rich organic natural manure made by decomposing kitchen vegetable peels and dry leaves in a pit. It enriches soil with nutrients and helps flowers and vegetables grow healthy without chemicals.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Organic manure from kitchen peels/leaves
1
Enriches soil and helps plants grow
1
Q5
Dangers of Plastic
Why are single-use plastic bags harmful to our environment?
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Single-use plastic bags do not decompose for hundreds of years. They choke city drains causing floods, pollute soil and oceans, and can choke cows and stray animals if swallowed.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Does not decompose for centuries
1
Chokes drains and pollutes oceans
1
Harmful to animals if swallowed
1
Q6
Swachh Bharat Mission
What is the goal of 'Swachh Bharat Abhiyan' launched by the Government of India?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
The goal of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is to achieve a completely clean, open-defecation-free India with clean streets, hygienic public toilets, and scientific waste disposal.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Clean streets and surroundings
1
Hygienic sanitation and waste management
1
Q7
Match the Following
Match the waste item with its proper disposal category:
(a) Apple core -> (i) Blue dustbin (Recycle)
(b) Aluminum foil -> (ii) Compost pit (Wet waste)
(c) Old newspaper -> (iii) Red/Hazardous bin
(d) Broken tube-light -> (iv) Blue dustbin (Dry waste)
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
(a) Apple core -> (ii) Compost pit (Wet waste)
(b) Aluminum foil -> (iv) Blue dustbin (Dry waste)
(c) Old newspaper -> (i) Blue dustbin (Recycle)
(d) Broken tube-light -> (iii) Red/Hazardous bin.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
All 4 correct matches
2
Q8
True or False
State True or False:
(a) Burning dry leaves and plastic produces poisonous toxic smoke.
(b) We should throw chocolate wrappers out of moving car windows.
(c) Using a reusable cloth shopping bag reduces plastic waste.
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
(a) True
(b) False (Keep wrappers in pocket/bag until finding a dustbin)
(c) True.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
1 mark per correct statement
3
Q9
Fill in the Blanks
Fill in the blanks:
(a) Organic kitchen waste turns into natural ________ (compost / plastic).
(b) Wet waste is thrown into the ________ (green / yellow) dustbin.
(c) We celebrate Gandhi Jayanti as a national day of ________ (Swachhata / sports).
[3 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
(a) compost
(b) green
(c) Swachhata.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
1 mark per correct blank
3
Q10
Upcycling Craft
What is 'Upcycling'? Give an example of making something useful from waste.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Upcycling means turning discarded waste items into creative, higher-value products. Example: Painting an empty plastic bottle to make a hanging flower pot or pencil holder.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Upcycling definition
1
Pencil holder or flower pot from bottle example
1
Q11
Stagnant Water Dangers
Why should we not allow water to collect in old tyres or flowerpots?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Stagnant water becomes a breeding ground for female Aedes and Anopheles mosquitoes that transmit dangerous diseases like Dengue, Chikungunya, and Malaria.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Breeding of dengue/malaria mosquitoes
2
Q12
School Cleanliness Drive
How can students participate in a school cleanliness campaign?
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Students can pick up scattered papers from playgrounds, ensure their desks are tidy, wash hands properly, and make colorful awareness posters about saving the environment.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Picking litter, keeping desks tidy, awareness posters
2
Q13
E-Waste Awareness
What is 'E-Waste'? Give two examples.
[2 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
E-waste (electronic waste) consists of discarded electrical or electronic gadgets like old smartphones, dead batteries, broken chargers, and keyboards.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Electronic waste definition
1
Batteries/chargers/gadgets examples
1
Q14
Community Cleanliness Habit
What should you do if there is no dustbin nearby when you finish eating a snack?
[1 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
Keep the clean wrapper in your pocket or school bag until you spot a proper public dustbin; never litter on roads.
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Keep in pocket/bag until finding a dustbin
1
Q15
Cleanliness Slogan
Write an inspiring slogan on cleanliness.
[1 Marks]
✅ Step-by-Step Solution & Working
'Clean City, Green City, My Dream City!' (स्वच्छ भारत, स्वस्थ भारत!)
CBSE Step-by-Step Marking Scheme
Meaningful slogan
1
🌟 NEP 2020 Competency-Based Case Study
Practical Application Task
Analytical Task: Which items should Aarav throw into the Green dustbin and which into the Blue dustbin? Why is waste segregation important?
Evaluation & Model Answer:
Waste segregation by Aarav:
• Green Dustbin (Wet / Biodegradable Waste): Banana peel and leftover food/rice.
• Blue Dustbin (Dry / Recyclable Waste): Empty plastic juice bottle and crumpled paper sheet.
Segregation is important because organic wet waste can be converted into natural compost for plants, while dry plastic and paper can be recycled into new products without ending up in overflowing landfills.
Rubric: [object Object],[object Object],[object Object]