Satyamev Jayate: Can waste management be implemented at the household level?

Most of you must have watched the recent Satyamev Jayate episode "Don't waste your garbage". It was an eye-opener, indeed. It raised many questions but also answered a lot of them. Effective waste management techniques and simple solutions to the garbage-problem were provided. It also revealed some startling facts about the state of garbage in our country, its mismanagement, the hazardous impacts of dumping sites on the environment and the humans, and the corruption involved in this sector. 

But what after watching the episode, what are we going to do about it, apart from cursing the government and the municipalities? 

As the popular adage goes, 'Be the change you want to see'. We, at the individual level, should do our bit to initiate the change. The ways and means to manage waste at our homes were also shown in the episode. The first obvious step towards it was segregating the garbage that is produced in our homes. Separating wet waste and dry waste at the source will solve half the problems of waste management in our country.

What is wet and dry waste?
In simple words, wet waste is the waste that is produced in the kitchen- leftover food, stale food, stalks and skin of fruits and vegetables, tea leaves, coffee powder, match sticks, pencil shavings, etc. Essentially, all the waste that is organic and can be decomposted is called wet waste.
Dry waste includes plastic, paper, glass, metals, etc or to put simply, the waste that is generated outside the kitchen. 

What should we do with garbage?
Our task is very easy. We just need to keep two different coloured dustbins at our place instead of one. One for wet waste and the other for dry one. And then you just need to put your garbage accordingly in the respective dustbins. Not a very difficult task, is it? 

What after that?
As we all know, wet waste can be converted to compost, useful gases, manure. Dry waste like paper, glass, metals can be recycled and reused. You can make compost at your house or there can be a composting plant in your housing society. If each society or a locality has a composting plant, your wet waste can be utilized to make compost which is a rich plant food. This compost can be used in gardens and fields. Don't give away your garbage to your municipal corporation's 'kachrawala' if they don't keep the two types of wastes separately. If you are determined enough, you can insist upon your municipal corporation to set up a composting plant in your ward, collect wet and dry waste separately from every household, utilize the wet waste for making compost and recycle the dry waste. This may seem unachievable in the beginning but with united and dedicated efforts of each one of us, it may not really be a herculean task. And once you start managing your garbage effectively, your waste will be your wealth!

Why are we not doing it?
Imagine garbage accumulating at your houses and forming big heaps and mounds. Would you like to live in such a place? Then why are there piles of waste in our cities? Isn't our city our home? Then why do we throw garbage around and litter on roads? Ask yourself, will you do it in your own house? Are we too selfish to care about our own town, our own city, our own nation? Or are we so lazy that we cannot even take a little step to save our environment? Spare a thought, but don't just think. Implementing these measures will make a big difference. Make your city and your nation a beautiful place to live in.