Turning garbage into gold
View(s):Having grown up in the suburbs, with a garden big enough for 2 or 3 large trees, garbage disposal was never a problem. There was a rubbish pit in the backyard, some way from the house, into which all the bio- degradable litter would be put into. Once every 6 months, the pit was covered over and a fresh one was dug close by. By the time that was full the earlier pit was ready to be re- used. So garbage disposal was never an issue— till I moved to Colombo.
It took me less than a week to realize that we had a lot of rubbish and no where to put it. Every day the kitchen garbage bin was emptied into the black garbage bags and left on the roadside for the Municipal Council garbage collectors to come get it. After all, we paid taxes! It’s their problem!
But that’s not the whole story. Overpopulation in urban areas means that tonnes of garbage gets collected every week without enough bare land in which it can decompose safely. The result is mountains of foul- smelling, disease- making garbage. This is especially saddening when we realize that most of this garbage can be safely and responsibly disposed by ourselves, with minimal effort and cost.
Let me introduce a neat solution to this smelly problem: the compost bin. An average- sized compost bin takes upto just 4sq. feet of space, which even an apartment- dweller can afford to find in his/ her communal yard. Set it up in a convenient location, add a layer of earth about 4-6 inches thick to the bottom, water it and you’re ready to go. All that needs to be done is add garbage and some greens (lawn- cuttings, leaves, branches etc.) to it once in a while and if you’re too busy to turn it over with a shovel, give it a good shake every 2 weeks so that it mixes well. And the best part? No smell.
A plastic compost bin can be bought for just Rs. 5000. That might sound costly, but consider the amount of bio- degradable waste thrown out of an individual house and multiply that by the no. of houses in your neighbourhood. THEN think about the people who live near the dumping sites of the garbage that YOU throw out each day. Garbage pollution causes malaria, dysentery, typhoid, cholera, infections, asthma and a hundred other diseases in people just like us. Garbage pollution can be minimised if everyone contributes by disposing their own bio- degradable waste responsibly (and not leave it out to feed stray dogs). That leaves non- biodegradable garbage like plastic, polythene and glass.
There will always be a “bothal karaya” (‘bottle- man’) who will take your glass and metal items. As for plastic and polythene, they are an issue, but at least we can reduce the amount of garbage we throw out if we separate the degradable and non- degradable items from the get- go. Throw them out separately, and you’ll be surprised at how much less you have to give the collector.
Also, the compost will be ready for use in a month. You will be amazed at how pot- plants flourish when the compost is home- made and doesn’t come with a price- tag!
This coloumn was written by a STITCH volunteer. For more information visit www.stitchmovement.com or follow us on Facebook/Twitter (ID: StitchMovement).
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