Every year India generates more than 36 million tonnes of waste including both household and industrial waste. Where does all of that go? Into landfills, into oceans and eventually into our food chain. Solid waste leads to several deaths every year but isn't there any way to solve this menace? Well, there is.
The government of India launched the "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" on Oct 2, 2014, to clean India. PM Modi even talked about gifting a clean India to Gandhiji on his 150th birth anniversary. Now just 1 year is remaining and still, a lot more needs to be done. Well, it's never too late to start something. Not for Gandhiji, but for ourselves also, we need to come forward to treat solid waste properly.
We have heard a lot about environmental problems but now is the time when we discuss environmental solutions. There are a lot of methodologies we can apply to treat waste. Let's go through some of them. The biggest example is Sweden. Sweden is being hailed as the world leader in waste management and energy recovery. Every year Swedes produce millions of tonnes of waste but the agencies with the help of the authorities are able to 'recycle' almost 100% of that waste. In 2016, Sweden treated nearly 4.6 million tonnes of solid waste and only 1% of that went to landfill. Yes. Can you believe that? Swedish waste treatment plants are so effective that only 1% of waste goes to landfills. The country currently has 32 such plants. Waste comes from both households and industries and is separated on a 50-50 basis. 50% goes for recycling and 50% goes for energy recovery.
It all starts with the local citizens separating their waste into categories of food scrap, plastic items and metals. That is the biggest reason for their success. When the waste reaches the treatment plants, the newspapers are turned into paper mass, bottles are reused or melted into other items, food is composted and becomes soil or biogas. The trucks which are used to pick up rubbish run on the recycled electricity or biogas produced. They even purify wastewater to the extent of being potable. Even the pharmacists accept the leftover medicines. During the energy recovery process, after the waste is burnt, only 15% of the initial mass is left. 3 tonnes of waste produces as much energy as from 1 tonne of fuel oil. After burning, the metallic parts are separated and recycled. Materials like porcelain, tiles are used for road construction. The remaining 1% goes to landfills. Now, with the burning of waste, the problem of smoke arises. But Sweden has a solution to that too. Though 99.9% of smoke comprises CO2 and water, it is also filtered. The dry filters are deposited and the dirty sludge after washing the fumes is used to fill the abandoned mines. See, so many innovative ideas. Sweden has performed this process to such an extent that now they are running out of waste and have started importing it. They mainly import from the UK and other Scandinavian countries.
Now, just think about your nearby dump yard. That high mountain of garbage on top of which there are vultures soaring every time and every time you pass by near it, there is a stench. Imagine if that dump was just 1% of what it is today. Feels good, doesn't it? Yes, it does. So we need to come forward. Now is the time. We need to come forward for ourselves, for our future generations. Such movements become a revolution only when the local people participate in them. Take initiatives and begin from your home by separating wastes in different categories. But remember that we also need to control and reduce waste production. Our number is already near 7.5 billion, and the problem will be huge very soon. Sooner than you realize. Start finding methods to use less plastic. Stop asking for straws when you go to have your drink next time, use cloth bags when you go to buy your groceries, start finding more innovative ideas yourself. Just have a look at this video.
There are a lot of things we can do. Waste space occupancy should be reduced by shredding solid waste whether they are clothes or cardboard. There are many innovative ideas. One such idea pioneer is Russel Maier. Russel has started a campaign by the name "Ecobricks". People are encouraged to fill plastic bottles with unused plastic bags and with other non-biodegradable materials. These bottles can then be used for construction purposes in place of bricks, thus the name "Ecobricks". These bottles are filled to set a particular density to achieve a building block that can be used again and again. Though the bottles are susceptible to UV radiations, still they can be used to make beautiful structures and will control plastic pollution.
Another idea is by Narayana Peesapati of Telangana whose company makes edible cutlery. They mix millet, rice and wheat flour to make spoons which can last up to 3 years. Even if you don't want to eat them, just discard. They will decompose within a week. After all, it's food.
Plastic bottles can also be used in road construction. Plastic waste can be turned into plastic pellets which replace Bitumen. Roads made from these are 60% stronger, cheap and last 10 times longer. A startup named Macrebur has already started doing this in the UK. Shopkeepers should start charging deposits for bottles which are refunded when they are returned. This way bottles can be reused. The beach clean-up at Versova, Mumbai was a great example for inspiration. All these things appear to be painful at first, but eventually, we will become habitual to them. It is only our constant effort that will solve the problem. In the 2015 Swachh Bharat ranking, Indore was at 86th position, but due to the strong will of municipal commissioner Manish Singh and mayor Malini Laxman Singh Gaur, now Indore ranks 1.
It is time for the Indian government to rise. Indo-Sweden bilateral trade stands at US$2 billion. The government should discuss with Swedish government over sharing their technology. The government can even ask youth organizations and NGOs to volunteer to separate household waste into different categories. We, the people of India, should come forward, with full faith and determination in ourselves and make this country a beautiful place to live and then we can send a message to the world.