Waste not waste
K. JESHI
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A three-month programme will introduce school students to the concept of solid waste management.
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Photo: S. Siva Saravanan
In the dump: Organic waste and non-degradable waste should be trashed separately.
"Manage waste effectively and reduce garbage” is the message of the solid waste management campaign. Launched by Siruthuli, an NGO that works for the restoration of water bodies in Coimbatore, the programme will create awareness on effective waste management through school students.
“Segregation of waste at source and the best garbage management practices will be discussed among students,” says Rekha, Siruthuli co-ordinator.
The process is simple. Maintain two dustbins — red and green. Dump vegetable and fruit peels, left over food, coffee and tea waste, garden waste, dry leaves and twigs in the green bin. Dig a compost pit in your backyard, dump the waste to convert it into manure.
Siruthuli also wants to promote the use of terracotta pots, for those living in flats. Designed by Daily Dump, a company based in Bangalore, the pots come in varying shapes and in a variety of designs. The organic waste from the kitchen can be dumped, and allowed to compost in these pots.
The red bin can be used to dump non-degradable waste. Used battery cells, paper, notebooks, plastic, bottles and polythene covers can be handed over to rag pickers and recycled.
The three-month programme will introduce school students to the concept of solid waste management.
The first batch includes students of ABC Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Peelamedu, and ALG Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Puliayakulam.
Interaction
The Siruthuli team will interact with students on the objectives of the programme and they in turn would take the message across to individual households and the general public. “The students can adopt neighbourhood areas to spread the message. The efforts of the children and the school will be suitably rewarded,” Rekha adds. The students will participate in door-to-door campaigns and distribute pamphlets.
“Twenty-five students of Std. VIII and two teachers will be involved,” says B. Lakshmi Prabha, principal of ABC School. “We want to create a clean and green environment. Such activities make them aware of the environment and the need to preserve it,” she adds.
The students will be taken through a presentation on how to practise waste management techniques at home and school. It begins with segregation of waste. Next is composting. The degradable kitchen waste is collected in a compost pit or bin for use as manure for the garden.
The students will also involve in a “no plastics” campaign during the programme. The students will come out with hoardings, cartoon strips and pamphlets on solid waste management during the creative workshops and participate in seed collection drive.
Guest lectures, follow up on maintenance of compost pit, extending the concept to neighbourhood, demonstration on paper and cloth bag making, interaction with residents and shopkeepers in the neighbourhood follows during the course of the campaign.
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