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Why Reduce
The quantum of solid wastes produced has risen in an exponent way in the last fifty years contributing to climate change, squandering of money, energy and natural resources.
Unless we reduce the waste, we produce mitigating climate change and conserving natural resources would not be possible. Let’s reduce the waste we produce.
Steps to Reduce
Eliminate Landfills
Change 3R to 5 R
Start composting
Decentralize Waste Management
Eliminate Landfills
Landfills have kites hovering over them, stray cattle eating from them, rag pickers rummaging through them and humans living sub-human lives close to or around them. Landfills also produce gases like methane and pollute our water sources.
Landfills are needed due to flawed waste hierarchy as explained in the diagram below.
- Reject
- Reuse
- Replace
- Recycle
- Disposal
Landfills will not be needed if waste hierarchy is inversed.
- Reject
- Reduce
- Reuse
- Replace
- Recycle
Change 3R to 5R
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle are not enough to overcome garbage vows. Replace and Reject must be added. For that being aware of what products to replace by what and what products to reject is important.
Any product packed in a non-eco friendly container must either be replaced by a product in earth friendly container or rejected. Crackling packagings of foods must be replaced by biodegradable packagings. Plastic ball pens must be replaced by fountain pens. Plastic carry bags, single use batteries, single use tea & coffee pouches must be rejected.
Start Composting
Composting diverts organic waste from landfills. Composting is a big step towards zero waste areas.
Composting For habitation areas anaerobic composting is better because it does not require any initial investment; there are no ugly dumps of garbage at any place; there is no stench of aerobic composting, and both the vegetarian and non- vegetarian leftovers can be composted. It also does not require water at any stage and hence is suitable even for water-starved colonies.
Decentralize waste management
Municipal Solid Wastes of conscientious responsible producers are managed by themselves with-in their community while unscrupulous irresponsible producers leave it for government or its contractors to transport it to landfill sites at some faraway place naming them decentralized or centralized respectively.
The former reject, reduce, reuse, replace and recycle products while the mixed waste of the latter is disposes off at landfill sites.
Thus, it’s obvious that decentralized management leads to reduced waste production.
How to Reduce
- Eliminate Multiplicity of Authority
- Redesign Dhalaovs
- Awareness Campaign
Eliminate Multiplicity of Authority
Article 21 of our constitution gives us the right to a clean and wholesome environment and to safe, clean air and water but its responsibility is with multiple authorities. Union Ministry of Urban Affairs responsible for proper and planned development of city, Ministry of Health, responsible for health and hygiene of the people, Ministry of Environment and Forest which takes care of the maintenance of clean environment, Ministry of Non- Conventional Energy Sources responsible for power generation from non-conventional sources like municipal solid wastes and Municipalities or their contractors.
Multiplicity of authority very often becomes a big obstacle in the path of efficient functioning.
Giving contracts to private firms who probably pay a hefty amount to get the contract and then cut corners for big profits, try managing waste from their airconditioned offices by white collared work force with zero on ground experiences. As the money the selected firm receives from the government is directly proportionate to the weight of waste they lift from colonies so why would they believe in waste reduction!
Redesigning Dhalaovs
Increased population, rural migration to urban areas and land constrain is resulting in more and more residential colonies becoming high rises. The developers designate spaces for residences, clubs, manicured greens, swimming pools, local shopping areas but conveniently forget to designate space for composting. Dhalaovs for depositing waste are all concrete garage-like structures lined with monstrous looking plastic receptacles for waste.
To reduce the waste produced by a colony composting biodegradables is essential. In the absence of composting areas the existing Dhalaovs must be redesigned innovatively to create earthy patch/es for anaerobic composting.
Awareness campaigns:
Awareness campaigns are essential to help masses understand what is waste and why everyone must take responsibility of the waste one produces. Regular workshops, slide shows, events, competitions on identification of various categories of waste and smart shopping would
help house holders learn 5R. Demonstrations would help everyone segregate their waste. Discussions would help the majority why and how to upgrade waste pickers as waste managers.
Last words
Let’s take responsibility of the waste we produce, make waste management an election issue, have whistle blowers exposing corruptions at all levels, be proud of creating as little waste as possible and do our bit in mitigating climate change and conserving natural resources.
These pieces are being published as they have been received—they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.