The environment of an organism means the physical and biological conditions in which it lives. The physical conditions include soil, light, temperature, etc. And the biological conditions include the other plants, animals and microorganisms around it. A change in any of these conditions can affect the organism.
When the wastes are added to our environment it disrupts the ecological balance. Substances or wastes are of two types. Substances that are broken down by biological processes are said to be biodegradable. Substances that are not broken down by biological processes are said to be non-biodegradable. These substances may be inert and simply persist in the environment for a long time or may harm the various members of the eco-system.