The world generates about 2.01 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste annually, with at least 33 percent of that is not managed in an environmentally safe manner. In many countries, most of it is left in the landfills at the city outskirts leaving a stinking smell and vultures hovering over heaps of hazardous material.
Until recently, the production and consumption model were primarily linear, i.e. it consisted of a sequence of stages from resource extraction, production and consumption to the discarding of waste. This system is highly inefficient and unsustainable in time. We live on a finite planet in which consumables (fuels, materials) are limited for a demanding and growing population. Also, both productive processes and waste generated very often have a high impact on the environment and living beings.
Thus, it is important for us to come up with an innovation that helps us utilize waste as raw materials. The energy that can be produced from the methane gas can be used to produce electricity, or it can be used as a fuel substitute. Besides the biogas, a stabilized sludge is formed in this process, from which high-quality fertilizer can be made.
Specific innovations in USA, Germany, Australia, Brazil and Columbia are gearing towards sustainable waste management. USA has an eco-friendly robotic machine in the Baltimore River, which is powered by the sun and river currents, and it cleans debris and waste from the river and deposits it in a dumpster barrage built into the machine. Over a million pounds of trash has been pulled out of the water by Mr. Trash Wheel since it was installed in May 2014. If the Indian subcontinent too could build such machines, it would reduce garbage by a huge percentage.
Germany has a company which produces biodegradable leaf plates to curb plastic pollution. After the ban of plastic in India, Indians are in a constant search of finding a replacement of the material. What better material could replace it, than biodegradable and safe leaf-made items?
While we learn from modern nations and use technology, we can also learn from our forefathers and use and reuse natural resources reducing dependence of plastic in our everyday life. For instance, in India using neem twigs as toothbrushes, bamboo for cutlery and straws which, are of course completely reusable and making biodegradable, highly absorbent sanitary napkins from the banana plant, etc.
We need to use products responsibly, putting into practice the rule of the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.
Arhana R
The Carbon Newsprint
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