Dear Goanetters,
this email is more than a month overdue, so apologies for the same. In
an attempt to share practical information in simple waste management
techniques, I've started an interactive column on Gomantak Times that
readers can learn from as i'm sharing information that's currently
usable and valid. The column appears every Thursday on pg A10, and
usually has an environmental focus, so do read it if you are interested
and let me have your feedback as well. If any of you would be interested
in reading the ones that you missed in print, I've put them up on my
blog, so you can view them at the link mentioned below...
This is a sincere attempt to get people to something, rather than just
create reading material. So please do let me know what you want to know
about, or if you have any suggestions, tips, or need any advice in
setting up your own waste management plan.
Have a nice day!
Clinton..
+91 9890936828
Goa Going Green - 11th Sept'08
1st of the series, where I introduce the column, as well as talk about
the current status of environmental problems in Goa, partiularly with
waste management.
http://klintvaz.blogspot.com/2008/10/goa-going-green.html
Time to Quantify Your Waste - 19th Sept'08
Following the series, I speak about how one can begin, with a home waste
inventory, that makes recycling easier to be done on your own.
http://klintvaz.blogspot.com/2008/10/time-to-quantify-your-waste.html
A Little Less Conversation, More Action - 25th Sept'08
Probed on by Sorella, the daughter of goanetter Alfred Tavares, I wrote
about how easy it is to just start waste management on your own, and I
cited examples from my own life and background.
http://klintvaz.blogspot.com/2008/09/little-less-conversation-more-action.html
Learn the Art of Separation - 3rd Oct'08
Back on topic, I cite examples in Goa where recycling is already
happening. I go on to explain how one ought to separate recyclable waste
and list the different waste separation categories in Goa. Also a sneak
peak of goanetter's Livia Abreu's recycle bin in Portugal! :)
http://klintvaz.blogspot.com/2008/10/learn-art-of-separation.html
Get on the Recycling Cycle - 9th Oct'08
The latest in the series focuses on comparisons between Recycling in
Europe and Goa, and then goes on to specify how one can recycle in Goa,
benifits of recycling and various recycling schemes in operation in Goa
today.
http://klintvaz.blogspot.com/2008/10/get-on-recycling-cycle.html
Get on the Recycling Cycle
Summer sun down on my back and slurping away some vanilla ice cream, I
found myself laying in a green meadow, engaged in a deep conversation on
the subject of ‘recycling’ with Sorella, a close friend in Sweden. We
were just back from an environmental discussion about consumerism and we
were both upset about the continual increasing quantum of waste being
produced by us humans world over. While I still think that we ought to
first reduce our unnecessary consumption and reuse stuff as far as
possible, the concept of recycling makes sustainable sense rather than
disposing non organic waste in any other way. “Here in Sweden, we try to
recycle as much as we can.” explained my friend. She continued, “We put
in our waste into different bins, and the municipality comes by and
picks it away. Even bigger items like furniture and electronic
appliances get recycled, but then we need to take it to a recycling
center instead.” I’ve always tried to find out what happens to inorganic
waste in every country that I visit and so, during my travels, I had
seen many of these systems operate. In the city of Gothenburg in western
Sweden, citizens pay a fixed fee to the municipality for recycling.
Similarly, in Zurich, Switzerland, citizens pay as per the quantum of
recyclable waste that they individually generate and the city
authorities recycle waste for their citizens. In all cases, including in
Portugal and Germany, the system worked only if people separated their
waste into different categories. Countries similar to ours like Nepal
and Egypt may seem years away from catching up, however this is where a
lot of interesting developments by concerned individuals seem to take
place in the field of recycling.
My friends there were surprised to know that here in India, it’s the
other way around. Here, we don’t have any recycling system supported or
set up by the government. And while we wait for that to happen, a few
concerned citizens have already setup informal recycling systems that
work better than the west. My friend however, was most interested to
learn that we actually get paid to get rid of most of our recyclable
waste!! The difference is that recycling is not some new trend or some
kind of activity that is imposed by law, as in the west. Here in India,
it is a way of life. Recycling seems to be embedded in our Indian genes!
Here everybody recycles our newspapers to the nearby grocer, and ensure
that old clothes are reused by the less fortunate. In the villages, we
sell our plastics, metals and glass to waste pickers.
But there have been problems. City dwellers have long disregarded these
practices, and rather dispose everything in one big bag, citing lack of
time. The recycling industry is blacklisted, and often blamed for
causing local environmental pollution. Those interested in recycling
usually do not know how to go about it. The fact is that there is a vast
informal recycling industry in India that needs to be supported,
improved and upgraded. Provided you separate your waste into a minimum
of two fractions, recyclers will pay citizens (per kg.) about Rs. 3-5
for Paper/Newspaper, Rs. 4-6 for Cardboard, Rs. 0.50-1.20 for
Coloured/Uncoloured Glass, Rs. 8-10 for hard plastics & general metals,
Rs. 8-10 for PET Bottles, and higher values for specific metals. Rs.
70-75 for Aluminum, Rs. 150-170 for Brass and Rs. 230-250 for Copper!!
Recyclers in Goa are even willing to pick up these fractions from your
doorstep provided you (or your community) have accumulated a cycle load
or rickshaw load of waste before calling them.
While some might argue that the focus of recycling ought to be more on
reducing waste rather than making money, demanding this minimum amount
of monetary refund for your waste is a very important step in supporting
this recycling industry. Firstly, recyclable fractions anyway have
higher monetary values attached; therefore you are simply taking
advantage of a small fraction of this value. Fixing values for each
recyclable fraction also prevents unscrupulous recyclers from picking up
mixed waste altogether and then dumping the non recyclable fractions in
the open environment. This therefore, reduces environmental pollution by
the recycling industry as waste is more streamlined. Source separated
waste is more profitable and less hazardous for the rag picker as
opposed to rummaging through mixed waste in communitiy bins that might
contain sharps or disease. Finally, this additional money, obtained from
recycling can also go towards your own households waste management
infrastructure such as waste bins or a compost bin. Thus, in this way,
everybody benefits, and recycling pays for itself to become a
sustainable system.
Recycling also can happen with the assistance of Green Manufacturers &
Producers. In Goa we have quite a few examples. Beer manufacturers in
Goa take back empty bottles, providing a refund of Rs. 4-5 per bottle.
The Goa Dairy offers to take back used milk bags in exchange for a pack
of milk. 100 washed clean milk bags can be bundled and handed over to
any Goa Dairy milk booth in Goa in exchange for a free milk packet. A
joint collaboration by a few NGOs, Pepsi, CocaCola and Bisleri offer to
take back used PET Bottles and clean plastic bags in exchange for a
monetary refund. PET Bottles over 1Lt. fetch Rs. 0.30 each. PET Bottles
under 1Lt. fetch Rs. 0.15 each while a kg of clean plastic bags fetch
Rs. 6 per kg at the collection centers established in Colva, Margao,
Panjim and Calangute. While both these initiatives have started since
2001, most Goans remain unaware as publicity has been poor. Since 2006,
TetraPak takes back their drink carton waste at a collection center in
Panjim while Titan takes back its watch batteries at all their service
centers in Goa since 2007.
Recycling centers exist all over Goa, with most of them located around
bigger cities. Visit one such recycler and give him your recyclable
waste. Please contact me if you need specific details or if you need any
assistance while using any of the services mentioned above. Let's hear
from you! Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL PROTECTED] You can even
post a letter to us at 'Goa Going Green' C/o Arati Das, Gomanatak Times,
Gomantak Bhavan, St. Inez, Panjim, Goa Photocredit: Clinton for 1 & 2.
This is the 5th article in the eco-talk series that appears on a weekly
column on Gomantak Times. This article appeared on GT, 9th October, 2008
Pg. A10
