What do you call a discussion between three garbage cans?
Trash Talk!
Every day we generate waste, some days more and some days less. An average Indian generates nearly 600gms of waste per day = 1.5 lakh metric ton (2019 Press Information Bureau) = nearly 35,000 Asian elephants. Ultimately only 20% of all waste is recycled, the rest is leeching onto our lands, waste-streams and the air we breathe.
Anything you buy will eventually be thrown by your future self or your mother! To resolve the adverse impacts, the government, manufacturers and organizations are leaping forward through optimized waste management systems. However, each individual plays a higher role in their contribution to managing waste; that may be at home, office or school. The simplest way is to start by understanding the quality and quantity of waste generated by you.
Some commonly found waste have been outlined with 3 (REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE) waste management solutions:
1. ORGANIC WASTE – Fruit and Veggie Peels, Cooked food, Rotten food, garden waste
Organic waste in landfills mixed with toxic chemicals undergoes the process of anaerobic decomposition which releases 23X more carbon dioxide. Nearly 50% of food produced is wasted and homes contribute to more than half of that (50kg per person per year).[i] Making food-wise choices at home by planning, sharing and donating will positively impact economically, socially and environmentally.
REDUCE – Forgotten food is buried in some deep corner of the fridge. Track your meals and plan your meals in advance to ensure all prepared food is eaten by you and not the bin.
REUSE – Leftovers from last night’s boys’ game, no problem. Watch this show (BEST LEFTOVERS EVER!) and learn how home-cooks turn leftovers into healthy and delicious meals.
RECYCLE – Start COMPOSTING, rot that waste! Compost is also known as black gold, the best fertilizer to grow the food we eat. All you need is one bucket, a stick and willpower.
2. PLASTIC – Food & Product Packaging, Shopping bags, Disposable cutlery, Synthetic Clothes
Plastic waste is one of the worst categories of waste generated. Most plastic is difficult to recycle and ends up in our water streams or atmosphere (burning releases toxic chemicals – study[ii] published that every second one double-decker bus full of plastic is burned = 70 million MT/year). Each one of us consumes about 5gms of plastic every week through our food and water – the equivalent of one credit card (World Wide Fund 2019). We are living in the plastic age, if you look around and identify – most of the things we own have plastic in them.
REDUCE – Most microplastics come from various sources – textile fibers, personal care products, cigarette filters and larger plastics. Choosing to purchase 100% natural fabrics – silk, cotton, linen, hemp; last longer than fast fashion wardrobes.
REUSE – ECO BRICK challenge. Collect, clean and dry plastic bottles and low-grade plastic to make eco-bricks which are utilized to make toilet structures, homes and furniture.
RECYCLE – Plastic waste like any other waste is collected, transported, segregated, cleaned and then treated. Segregate your waste at home and dispose of all plastic waste to an authorized recycler.
3. OTHER – Ceramics (broken cutlery, basins), Rubber, Metal (cans, foil, broken utensils), Paper (Cardboard, printing, books, magazines, packaging materials), Fabric (clothes, rugs, bedsheets, socks), Glass (bottles, jars, mirror), Hazardous Waste (E-waste (anything that plugs into the socket), Medical, Nappies, Sanitary napkins, Batteries, Bulbs)
Any product you consume is made of multiple raw materials, the production generates waste and finally becomes waste. Fire up Power of Consumerism – demand environment-friendly products from producers. Economic and industrial activities generate various kinds of hidden waste – agricultural & forestry, mining & quarrying, construction waste, hazardous waste, biological & biomedical waste. This significantly harms the environment in physical, chemical and biological networks.
REDUCE – every time you think of shopping, think for 7 days (Do I REALLY REALLY NEED IT?) or at least search options that are eco-friendly, natural ingredients, eco-certified.
REUSE –SUNDAY = FUNDAY! Gather your family with some old newspapers, cardboard boxes, plastic bottles, glass bottles, scissors, glues and lots of colors. Refurbish your waste creatively by making lamps, birdfeeders, bookcases - Imagination is more important than knowledge (Albert Einstein).
RECYCLE – responsibly dispose of your E-waste by finding authorized recyclers near you. Assemble from friends and family with any kind of broken laptop, keypad, mixer, battery or bulb and hand over to authorized recycler.
4. WASTEWATER – Grease, Oil, Wash-Water, Waste Detergents and Dirty-Water thrown away, Rainwater
About 80% of the water running through our taps and flush tanks ends up in the drains. On average we consume 220 liters of water per day (220 lpcd[iii] urban resident). In India, 78% of sewage generated flows back into oceans and rivers untreated along with microplastics. [iv] This ultimately finds its way into that delicious bombil fry you had for lunch. Damaging our health and destroying glorious marine ecosystems (coral reefs, sharks, jellyfish). Oceans will cease to exist very soon and you should be concerned because more than 50% of oxygen is produced by oceanic plankton. [v]
REDUCE – connect low-flow aerators in your taps and showerheads thereby reducing the amount of water consumed
REUSE – cooking rice for dinner tonight? Condition your hair (for smooth and shiny hair) or water plants (great nutrients) with the excess water.
RECYCLE – to ease the life of workers at sewage treatment plants, shift to DIY natural cleaners. These can be made using everyday kitchen ingredients – lemon, vinegar, jaggery, baking soda.
Just about the end of our Trash Talk for today! Know that every individual possesses the power to be the change and create change. Every action will count towards a sustainable future for us and our grandchildren. Conduct this simple analysis, understand your contribution and apply the 3Rs – REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.
[i]Food Waste Index Report 2021 by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and partner organization WRAP
[ii] According to the report, published by Tearfund, Fauna & Flora International, WasteAid and The Institute of Development Studies, a double-decker bus full of plastic is burned or dumped every single second. When calculated annually, that is equivalent to 70 million metric tons.
[iii] LPCD (liters per capita per day), as per the report 2019
[iv] Analysis and reporting by Centre for Science and Environment and Down To Earth magazine
[v] National Oceanic Service
Source: Google, New Agencies, Canva, Reports
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