Question

Think about the illustrative essay that you read last week and discuss what you can personally do to reduce the problem of trash and waste disposal in your home and workplace. Be sure to provide specific examples and details.

Answer 1

Ans. Waste generation and its disposal has become a matter of great concern as environmental problem. It is the duty of each and every person to follow some rules and regulations and not practice open dumping.

At home:

I have two dustbins outside my home and one in my kitchen. The two dustbins are meant for throwing the wastes and trashes as per their nature. One dustbin is for biodegradable wastes and the other one is for non biodegradable wastes. The dustbin in my kitchen is meant for mainly the ones I use in kitchen and are mostly biodegradable.

I also have a provision for vermicomposting in my backyard. I use the vegetable wastes and remnants and prepare the vermicompost by introducing the earthworm species native to my place. They degrade the wastes and make the soil fertile. The soil is rendered fertile without use of any chemical fertilizers. After every two years, I tend to change the place and grow some native vegetables there, like squash, brinjal, papaya tree, and different flowers.

The non biodegradable wastes and the rest of the biodegradable wastes are taken up by hauling trucks which are then segregated and recycled or treated or disposed. In my locality there are no open dumping practice anymore. There was once a pile of wastes, but 5 years back, it has been removed.

I tend to use less inorganic materials and more organics. I try to use as less as plastic bottles, which reduces my footprint. Whenever guests arrive, I always make it a point to ask them to throw the wastes in the registered bins and not throw on the streets.

At workplace:

At workplace, all of the employers have made it a habit to never go open dumping. Each of us have in our cabinet, one's individual dustbins. Sweepers take up the dustbins and give it to the large dustbins outside my office. These dustbins are of various types, depending upon material. For instance, separate bins for paper, glass, food items, tissue papers, metals etc. This makes it easy for the hauling trucks to send them to their required dustbins.

There are stringent policies on cleanliness. If anyone is found guilty, he is fined. Usually no one violate the rules. Moreover we also do streetplays and office programs, programs outside to spread awareness about the importance of proper waste disposal.