Our waste problem is not the fault only of producers. It is the fault of an economy that is wasteful from top to bottom —a symbiosis of an unlimited greed at the top and a lazy, passive, and self-indulgent consumptiveness at the bottom— and all of us are involved in it.
Wendell Berry
If you are used to throw away trash without feeling bad, you better start feeling bad now.
Or you can also change your habit.
Don’t wait until somebody else does it: be the first to change.
If you can’t find any dustbin nearby, keep it for a while. It won’t kill you right away. Imagine if you start caring today, and you start to inspire others.
That is possible. Very possible!
Together we can, together we will!
Zero waste programs as ours include many different kinds of people all around the world working together to develop zero waste plans, adopt resolutions, and create innovative plans to reduce their waste disposal levels to zero. They are modelling efficiency and sustainability, proving that our air, soil, and water do not have to be polluted, and that our natural resources don’t have to be trashed.
The target here is to bring to the waste management system viable solutions through strategies to generate wealth, rebuild the soil, protect public health, and recover materials for manufacturing.
Though they are grounded into deep environmental concern, some are bringing joyfulness and gracefulness into them …
“What we are living with is the result of human choices and it can be changed by making better, wiser choices.” Robert Redford
That is why, after the Solid & Plastic Waste Management Rules, the Karnataka Police Act, the Karnataka Municipalities Act, Khushi Parisara has elaborated a comprehensive Memorandum of Understanding shared last January with stakeholders, reminding (rather requesting) more or less simple actions, among which to model public behavioural change through good example.
We really want to counter act the easy (and confortable) propensity to keep the blame game going “Oh! Municipality does not do it!” or “Oh! The people, you know, they don’t understand! you can’t change them!”
For that, Taluka Panchayat and Bus Stand were chosen to launch the Zero Waste Kumta Project. Last 18th March it was launched at Taluka Panchayat.
The preparation was lightly long as the long ingrained habits die hard, extremely hard!
At first, certain people are ready to do something if … they have to do nothing.
They can always escape from doing by getting the work done by others.
Once it was mother that came and cleaned behind, then wife, then daughter, maid, pourakarmikas …
The staff in charge of the cleanliness of TP was extremely unsure about their capabilities to manage it and they called outsourced people to rescue them.
KP has shared knowledge on basics of waste segregation, waste streams and importance of the gujri, on the need of caring premises as own houses.
At first, uninformed staff methodically dumped
disposing waste away …
just beyond the wall of the compound … out of sight
One member of KP tried to explain how to “correct” the situation …
… not that difficult.
Means, how to clean.
But no, it seemed very, very, very difficult to this staff
So difficult! To clean and keep clean seemed do not go with them.
Not because they like dirty (perhaps, who knows?). But because others should do their work.
Some inferior people, able to get dirty …
Not them!!!!
They managed to get someone from TMC to do the job
and from Khushi Parisara to separately collect a huge amount of plastic bottles for recycling
After, the remain was naively eliminated through ingrained practice
Even sharing knowledge, motivating and instructing it was very hard to make the first movements.
The patron, Mr. Gunagi, Executive Officer, was tirelessly giving encouragement, direction, support …
Among many changes, a pit for wet waste was dig
informative and warning posters were fixed all around,
bins were distributed
especial ones also for plastic bottles and batteries/cells
walls fixed to preserve urinals from sight
before after
At the end everyone found a good place to do their best
The function was launched
our patron presented the project
that the public followed attentively
and Roopa, vice-president of Khushi Parisara developed the basic topics through a slide presentation
The assessment of this endeavour shows that, despite many instructions, follow up, discussions, the staff was not properly, nor thoroughly taught and involved.
Further accompaniment is required.
