Importance Of Waste Management And Recycling

What is waste segregation and how is it important for our society?

How do you feel when your bed is not made or table not clean? Definitely, not good. Cleanliness is not just next to Godliness, it is also next to a focused mind. And, the mission of Swachha Bharat begins at home-level with you. That’s why we are discussing waste segregation and its importance today.

What is waste segregation?

Well, in simple words, ‘Waste Segregation’ refers to isolating one waste category from other. The four broad categories are – wet, dry, biodegradable and non-biodegradable.

  • The non-biodegradable waste could be recycled if collected unambiguously. It will eventually save the unnecessary production of several products
  • The organic waste could be dumped into the soil. It helps in nourishing it. Wet waste is generally found to be organic in nature
  • Dry waste could also be renewed and recycled depending on its current position. It is generally inorganic in nature
  • The biodegradable waste may be decomposed methodologically to add humus to the soil and eventually make it more fertile

Use of dustbins –

To make the process of dumping waste categorically easy, we may keep three bins in our house (each colored differently). The yellow bin is for the biodegradable waste. The green bin is for the waste that can be recycled and the black one is for the waste that doesn’t fall in either of the sets.

Why do we need waste segregation?

Waste that is dumped in an ‘unethical’ manner ends up polluting land and water. It also adversely affects our health. For instance, insects and germs feed on the garbage heaps. However, if we had already segregated our waste into the four categories we just discussed, the same waste would have added fertility to our lands, stopped over-production of goods and most importantly, created a healthier atmosphere for each one of us.

Last year, The NDTV Dettol Banega Swachh India campaign celebrated Rashtriya Swachhta Diwas on Gandhi Jayanti. The team ran an aggressive 12-hour Cleanathon, which was anchored by campaign ambassador Amitabh Bachchan and NDTV's Vikram Chandra. The Cleanathon encouraged people to participate in masses and propagate the belief - it takes a very small commitment on an individual’s part to build a Swachh India, a country we always dreamed of. The commitment we asked from everyone was to Claim, Clean and Maintain 10 Guz (yards) around their surroundings. The breakthrough campaign brought together eminent personalities, policy makers, celebrities and the 'swachhta' champions for a cleaner India. Let’s contribute our heart and sweat to Cleanathon again on the upcoming Gandhi Jayanti. As we know, the change begins with us.