Junk it! Really?

We seem to behave like ostriches when it comes to garbage. We dump it in the nearest dumpster (even that is a high expectation) and then pretend it doesn't exist. We don't seem to be thinking about it as long as it doesn't trouble us directly or as long as it isn't visible to us. And depending on where one lives, it is hardly likely that it is invisible - you see it every where. And yet, we seem to be utterly oblivious to the magnitude of this issue, especially in the cities, where the so-called educated live.

In the book 'Not in my backyard - Solid waste management in Indian cities', published by Centre for Science and Environment, extensive figures are quoted based on research. I won't go into the details, but am borrowing one statement from the back cover of the book to illustrate -

"The nation produces 62 million tonnes of municipal solid waste every year."

What does that mean? Assuming an average tipper carries about 3 tonnes (probably less, considering the volume of garbage but we'll let it be for a moment), and is 7 metre long, if we were to load all the garbage in tippers and make them stand end to end, they circumference the earth thrice and some more. Staggering, isn't it?

I didn't start reading the book until it hit me personally. There's a dumpster just outside my home. It gets emptied at least once a day by a truck, sometimes twice. And yet, it is always overflowing. And the pickup truck will not clear what's lying outside. So it gets to a point where there's garbage all around, flowing into the street, and every ten days or so, they have to bring some heavy machinery to clear it.

So some years ago, I started thinking that I should do something about it. Initially, I was thinking that I should write to the City Corporation, campaign with people in the locality and what not. However, I think I'm a reluctant activist. So, I decided to do my bit to reduce dumping. For those interested, here's what I practise -

• I've spare bags, a simple, foldable good old fashioned cloth bag stashed away in my office laptop bag, more than one in my car, and one in my suitcase which I use when I travel out of town. Over the years, I've been able to minimise if not avoid altogether plastic carry bags, no matter whether they're recyclable or not. I carry my own bags even when I've to go shopping for say shoes or clothes - I refuse all the packaging that I can. Incidentally, recyclable or more recently, 'bio-degradable' bags still contribute to garbage. Why accept them if you don't really need them?
• I meticulously collect all disposable plastic items - pet bottles (I drink a lot of Amul Cool, for isntance), milk sachets (you've to wash them thoroughly, else they're terribly smelly), food packaging containers on the rare occasion that I order out (with much guilt, I must add. Again, wash thoroughly) and whatever else. This along with the glass bottles, metallic containers, packaging of pulses and so on. Every month or so, when I give away the newspapers to the raddiwala or paper kaaran, I let him examine this collection. He picks up most of the glass, and some metal. Then, I wait. Every now and then, you see these men with a huge sack, rummaging through the garbage. Basically, they're looking for cheap plastic. And they're happy to pick up all the plastic from me. What's more, it is more dignified for them. And all I had to do was keep the stuff aside till I spot one of them in my locality.
• I started questioning the things I buy. I shop for clothes once in a few years, when my clothes get worn out and I can't use them at work. I gave up the habit of buying clothes for occasions. I started noticing a lot of things in my house that were not being used and gave away a lot of them. Some of them were gifts. So I stopped accepting gifts as well. On the rare occasion that I attend weddings, I politely refuse the tamboolam or what they fashionably call 'return gift' these days. The only thing I buy more than I need are books, in the hope that if not me, someone some day will read them.
• Last but not the least is kitchen waste. According to most analyses, kitchen waste makes up for 70 to 80 % of domestic waste. So I started composting. And you won't believe how simple it is. All you need is an old bucket. Punch some holes in it for excess liquid to drain out, keep a plate or sorts below to collect any liquid, start dumping all your kitchen waste (except excess food - I don't throw away any food) in it. Keep it covered, in an airy place. Once it is full, just leave it there for a couple of months. When you open it, you'll notice it has reduced to about a third in volume, to a sweet smelling powdery substance. That's my very own black gold. If you have a garden, you'll love it even more. If you don't, like me, you can gift it to someone or just spray it around the trees and plants in your locality.

Before I started composting, and all the other things I've described above, I used to empty out my bin once every day or two. And I used to need a plastic bag to line it because it would save me the trouble of washing it all the time. Now, I don't need to clear my bin more than once every month or so, and don't need to wash it often either. The best part is, it has become so much a part of my life now that I don't see it as an additional chore.

With the way India is urbanising, solid waste is going to be a huge challenge. We've already heard those stories of people from villages objecting to garbage from nearby cities being dumped near their homes. At a systemic level the civic authorities must enforce segregation at source, as some cities even in India have managed to do. I'd even go to the extent of saying that all dumpsters must be removed, littering fined, and door to door collection mandated along with garbage collection becoming a paid service. Until that happens, I'd urge every one of you to do your bit. It really is easier than you think.