How can we mitigate the garbage problem and make a difference at household level?
One of the first values of citizenship is CONCERN.
Our concern for cleanliness should drive us into action. Here are a few things each one of us can try to do.
lEducate oneself: Since we generate waste we need to know the nuances of waste management. Look closely at the way the neibhourhood is dealing with waste. Be conscious of the garbage issues and challenges facing the city. We can also observe practices around the world through our friends, family and relatives. There is always something new to know! On one of my trips abroad on a Sunday morning in a neighbourhood market I saw volunteers collecting recyclable waste, a juice carton in return for a pack of 10 used tetra packs!
Practise the 4 R’s
Refuse
lFliers at exhibitions, malls and streets.
lPlastic carrybags at grocers.
lFreebees that you don’t need at stores and malls.
lPlastic cups and glasses for drinking water at weddings,stations,airports.
It is possible to drink water with your palm cupped just try it.
Reduce
lCarry your own cloth bag from home while going shopping
lCarry own containers when you buy food.
lUse glass soft drink bottles instead of pet bottles
lAvoid tetrapacks,plastic cups and paper plates usage.
lDon’t buy and ‘gift’ unnecessary things
lAvoid fancy plastic laminated gift wrappings
lStop the florist from using cellophane on your flowers.
lStudy and introduce new and improved ways in our homes to reduce waste generation at home
Reuse
lDispose old gadgets at the nearby electrical repair shop.
lOld rags and clothes are useful in paper industries
Recycle
lCollect papers waste and plastic waste separately at home add value to recycling.
lUnderstand that recycling is a cumbersome and complex process and each item has a different use and buyer.
lKnow that there are diff kinds of plastics (PET, HDPE, PVC, PPetc) and valued differently in the marketone cannot be mixed with the other in recycling.
lThe laminated fancy packaging has less value in the market, as it cannot be sorted with paper or under plastic.
lRecycling should be looked as the last option in the practicing of R’s
lRecycling is an important aspect of waste management.
lRecycling begins when waste at source is separated into WET and DRY
lSegregate waste as humans can / machines cannot
lOrganic waste can be composted at home or city level.
lOne must also remember that all products cannot be recycled all plastics are not recyclable and eventually some of them will make it to the landfill or dump yards.
lRecycling also is very cumbersome and therefore sorting and classifying materials into categories makes recycling unviable. For example an envelope with a window (gelatin sheet) need to be separated or peeled off before putting it with the paper waste.
lSoap and tea cartons that are laminated with plastic for aesthetics also means separating these layers before actually putting them through the recycling process.
lWe can add value to recycling by washing a ketchup bottle immediately with just half a cup of water whereas allowing the bottle to dry with the sauce means hot water rinsing in a boiler before recycling and reuse. Which is waste of energy and brings down the exchange value in the market.
While solid waste management is a complex task. It is important to segregate at source so that this process gets momentum.The recyclable material reaches the system cleanalso reaches the ragpickerswithout them having to rummage through dirty bins.
We have a safe and clean environment, a healthy neighbourhood, and a clean city. Remember separation of waste important for recycling.
Collaborate
lJoin door-to-door garbage collection.
lNever throw away your garbage in plastic bags.
lYour garden waste also can be picked up by BBMP never dump in empty sites or drains.
lDeposit your dry waste at various dry waste collection centres like Kasa Rasa.
lKnow your Garbage help line 22660000
lKnow your ward no is 151 Koramangala or 148 Egipura
lKeep your street clean by assisting the sweeper once a week when she is on the job.
lCarry cloth bag to shop,when you do not forget the mobile or the wallet why forget a cloth bag?
lIt is our city so we must care and always keep clean.
lMixed waste is a PROBLEM. As there are no buyers for this waste it becomes very difficult for the authorities to dispose or treat it too which is expensive, and space in a fast growing city for this is difficult to find.
lSorting and segregation adds value to recycling.
lEnsure waste as a resource is handled in hygienic and scientific manner so no pollution /health hazard at any stage of recycling.
lEnsure that natures waste decomposing machinery is well utilized.
lUnderstand that organic waste goes back to the soil as nutrients.
lIf renovating home results in debris ensure you pile it in a convenient place so that it can be carted away by BBMP on request.
A little thought and effort on our part as citizens would ensures that waste is not waste but a resource.
COMPOST
HOME COMPOSTING: Our wet waste can be composted at home. Get started with your own Daily Dump composter unit designed by a Bangalore resident.
Since Nature recycles waste. Our wet waste + dry leaves acted upon by micro organisms in few weeks converts to manure that goes back to the soil/ earth as nutrients. It is simple and easy once we try our hands at it.
Here is how I manage my organic waste.
STREET COMPOSTING: Five households or a street of households can manage their own organic household waste by investing in a community-composting unit.
Advantages of composting
lCompost increases organic matter in soils
lCompost builds sound root structure
lCompost makes clay soils airy so they drain
lCompost gives sandy soils body to hold moisture
lCompost attracts and feeds earthworms
lCompost balances pH (acidity/alkalinity) of soil
lCompost reduces water demands of plants and trees
lCompost helps control soil erosion
lCompost reduces plant stress from drought and freezes
lCompost can extend the growing season
lCompost improves vitamin and mineral content in food grown in compost-rich soils
lCompost generously applied replaces reliance upon petrochemical fertilizers
lComposting reduces our household waste by half
lComposting gives a good natural fertilizer for a plant lover and his garden.
lTo know more on home composting Visit Website –www.dailydump.org
