Hyderabad: Hyderabad generates nearly 4,000 tonnes of waste daily. Of this, only 30 per cent is being recycled, as segregation of waste at source still remains a major challenge. Lack of awareness, improper waste management, and dumping without segregating results in improper usage of waste.
Experts stress the need for integrating local shubraks (GHMC staff who pick up waste) into the ‘Wealth Out of Waste’ initiative in order to enhance the existing system.
Many individuals and resident welfare associations, at the local and community levels are initiating measures to reuse the waste in a bid to become zero-waste households.
Rao Chelukani, president of United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations and the president of the Standing Committee of Tarnaka Residents Welfare Associations, said, “Our aim is to segregate dry and wet waste at the household level. The wet waste is composted and used as manure for gardening in the locality. While the dry waste is sold to rag pickers and the money used for welfare activities of the association.” He added, “Some cities have been transforming urban waste into pellets to be used as a fuel, while others use it to create material that can be used for laying roads.”
Major Shiv Kiran of the Resident Welfare Association of the Methodist Colony and a solid waste management expert said, “If segregation at source is done by every household, there will not be any landfills like Jawahar Nagar. We have taken up a similar initiative with tetra packs. The waste cartons are recycled into exam pads, stationary, wooden articles, particle boards and more. Plastic recycling is done by a few private recycling units,” Major Shiv said.
Until a year ago, many RWAs involved in the ‘Wealth Out of Waste’ programme collected both dry and wet waste from these associations using their own trucks and even paid RWAs for it. But, with the frequency of these trucks dropping to once in 15 days, people have gone back to their old ways.
IT employees take steps to recycle
Hyderabad: Many IT employees and associations are now taking a step to create wealth out of waste. From old school notebooks to newspapers and plastic bottles, everything is being used to create something useful.
“All of us do keep thinking about how to make use of these articles. My friend and I came up with this idea of using old business cards as ear phone holders. Every morning, we spend about 10 minutes untangling them. Instead, we just put two holes in a card and fixed the ear phones into it. It is easier to use them and keep it back safely by twisting them to the card,” said Anusha Shripriya, a corporate employee.
Her colleague Aakash Aggarwal uses refill ends as jump clips. “Refills once exhausted are of no use. But if you can chop it at the tip, it can be used as a jump clip. I use it to pin me to-do lists or other sheets on my board,” he said.
Some also conduct exhibitions within their office premises for sale of these goods. They include paper jewelry, ear rings, paper bags and other bags made out of recycled goods like old jeans or rice sacks.
“The bags made by old or ripped jeans are also like a fashion statement,” said Haritha Rao, a techie from the city.
