WE MEAN TO CLEAN's Recommendations to Achieve a Swachh Bharat - III

In this blog series we have looked at an overview of our waste situation and some different aspects of waste management. Here we shall go through certain minor aspects, even some lifestyle changes that can go a long way in achieving a Swachh Bharat.

Just Say No To Plastic

It’s a choke until death. The Earth is choking until plastic fills every inch of land and every cusec of water. It is giving rise to plastic pollution which is adversely affecting wildlife, their habitat and our ecosystems. 

• World Economic Forum report says that by 2050, fishes will not find any oxygen, hence space to live because of the plastic debris.
• Plastic, when dumped into landfills release harmful greenhouse gases.
• A foam plastic cup will take 50 years, a plastic beverage holder 400 years, a disposable diaper 450 years, and fishing line will take 600 years to degrade.
• Start by reusing, plastic cups, folders and taking your own bags for shopping.
• When it is dumped into landfills, it generates greenhouse gases.

Plastics can be recycled to make plastics but did you know that plastics can only be recycled for a finite number of times? Thus, replacing and minimizing their use is better for our ecosystem.

Go Paperless

Papers are manufactured from tree sap, used and fills 35% of landfills. It’s a foolhardy choice. It gives away value even after being crushed - even paper can be recycled only for a finite number of times - more and more recycling breaks the fiber. So, why not use it judiciously?!

• From paper cups to napkins everything ends up in landfills from the trash can.
• Start using old clothes like rags for cleaning around the house, instead of paper towels.
• Switch to hand towels from paper napkins in your kitchen.
• Avoid using paper plate in house parties.
• Usage of recycled paper notebooks.
• Replacing of paper in offices to totally digitized formats.

These are some of the methods if followed in a habitual manner can surely lead to a certain change.

You may also be interested in reading lifestyle changes one of our volunteer has adopted and has inspired others to follow.

Use of End-of-Life Products and Quality Standards

It is visionary to ensure that an end market exists for the recycled products. Sale of the end product can provide the revenue for the efficacy of the process. 

• Use of the end-of-life product is fundamental to realizing the full environmental benefit of composting.
• Obtaining a recognized standard for the quality of the compost end product increases consumer confidence and assists with its use in a variety of applications. 
• To ensure, it is important to have a high-quality, uncontaminated feedstock which is monitored and maintained throughout the year.

Separate collection of biodegradable wastes is imperative to ensure the delivery of clean, uncontaminated organic waste feedstock. In Italy, the compost produced comply with an Italian law on fertilizers. This enables the compost to be used in experimental agricultural applications, to be sold to householders or given away for free trials. We can utilize such methods here also.

Recommended Trees Species: Equilibrium Method

The nature has always worked on the principle of balancing. Trees always come to rescue to mankind. Keeping in view the nature of pollutants expected from waste generation or from the pollution through landfills and vehicles, a green belt of the following trees species can be selected for plantation:

• Babool (Acacia nilotica)
• Sheesham (Deldergia Sissoo)
• Neem (Azadirachta Indica)
• Jamun (Lagerstroemia speciosa)
• Karanji (Prongamia pinnata)

One can plant ecologically beneficial trees, mentioned above, together with other trees, plants, herbs and shrubs to maintain biodiversity.

In the last part we shall look at the aspect of general awareness.