Are we personally invested in garbage?

 The enormity of India’s garbage problem goes beyond sweeping streets. We need a sweeping change in each individual and therefore our society; and that includes you and me.

Lets take a quick look at the enormity of the problem:

 Fact 1 : India generates 100,000 Metric Tonnes (MT) of waste EVERYDAY. (Mumbai – 9000 MT and Delhi – 8300 MT)

Fact 2 : The higher the income level, the higher is the consumption and waste generated. (Waste generated by High Income Group + Middle Income Group is double of the waste generated by the Lower Middle income group + Low income group)

Fact 3 : Of the 15000 Tonnes of plastic generated in India everyday, 6000 tonnes is uncollected and therefore littered

 Fact 4 : The land premium in urban India leads to overburdening of designated landfills by a factor of 3-5 times.

Put all of the above together and we have –

 1.   Fires in Deonar landfill in Mumbai (twice) and so intense it could be seen from space

2.   Fifty tonnes of garbage crashes down the 16 storey high mountain of waste in Ghazipur, Delhi, rolling into a nearby canal and creating a giant wave which washed away cars and two wheelers, people and ended with the death of two.

Fact 5 : While 500 Million (50 Cr) Indians defecate in the open, 730 Mn (73 Cr) use mobile phones ! I guess our priorities are clear :).

Question is, can this problem be solved only by government and civic authorities or civil societies? I think not !

Unless each and everyone one of us are personally invested to bring about this change, it will never happen and one day India will be flooded. With Garbage.

Getting personally invested in saving our country from our own Garbage is really quite simple. Waste management is broadly in three steps –

A.   Usage reduction

B.   Collection

C.  Disposal

Of these three, we can be actively involved in A and B and to some extent C, by taking some simple steps and adopting simple practices. Here are a few-

STOP LITTERING

A.   keep a small bag in your car for waste collection. Don’t litter the road. Or if walking, put it in your hand/ pocket is there is no trash can around. (Maybe car manufacturers should create a small aperture for waste)

B.   Be a responsible pet owner.

 STOP HOARDING

A.   Don’t wait for things to become garbage. Donate what you have not used for six months, but in good shape. (Do not donate garbage for God’s sakes)

 BECOME A RESPONSIBLE BUYER

A.   Carry your own shopping bag

B.   Buy products which are made from sustainable, ecofriendly material.

C.  Lower unnecessary consumption – buy the “need to have” products rather than “good to have” products

 REUSE AND RECYCLE

A.   Carry your own water in a can when travelling. Stop buying bottled water.

B.   Innovate to re-use – Indians are supposed to be innovative. So, innovate to reuse and recycle

If we can implement these simple concepts in our lives, it will go a long way in the battle against garbage. Let us pledge to invest ourselves in this battle. For or against is your personal choice.