My dream of a ‘zero waste’ Goa
Posted: 16 Jun 2010 02:52 AM PDT
Based in Goa, where piles of waste are causing disease to spread, Clinton Vaz
is passionate about finding solutions to the city’s increasing environmental
problems. Whether it is his efforts to create a recycling culture or organising
various grassroots campaigns to save local wildlife (he currently champions the
‘Save the Frogs’ campaign to protect Goa’s endangered frog population), he
works to raise vital awareness of Goa’s green issues. Below he talks about his
plans for a cleaner Goa, and the ways in which he is working towards this.
At the moment my priorities include putting together a hazardous waste policy
in Goa to separate and dispose of electronic waste, batteries and bio-medical
waste. With Goa’s current garbage crisis, we need public watchdogs to ensure
that these systems are followed. I’d also like to see an end to the dumping of
e-waste from the West, labelled misleadingly as “unprocessed raw material”.
My aim is to establish a low-cost, low-tech and sustainable waste management
system that looks nice, doesn’t cause problems and runs on its own. We can all
do this with individual or community composting units and a recycling bin
system that pays for itself when sorted out in local communities.
My dream is to see a “zero waste” Goa, and so far we are doing well. Despite
our problems, Panjim now recycles almost 85% of its waste. Compare that to
Europe where only about 36% of waste is recycled and saved from going into
landfill, according to the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs.
Courtesy: guardian
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