Hello my fellow Eco-warriors it’s been such a beautiful journey learning, reading and working with you all. I am extremely grateful to Tunza Eco-Generation for this opportunity to be able to make earth a greener place. In this report of mine I am going to talk about an issue that I have faced effects of directly. We have heard about waste with many other names be it trash, garbage, rubbish so let’s clear all this confusion up and start off by defining- what is waste ? 

According to the Busch systems waste is ‘something that is thrown away because it is no longer useful. Items should only be considered waste if they cannot be recycled. Generally, waste is disposed of to a Landfill where it can be properly handled so it cannot contaminate groundwater or harm the surrounding environment.’  According to me waste are the unwanted materials that have little to no use because it might be broken, old or even defective. Waste might not seem something that would cause a lot of problems but in fact it has become the root cause of not only environmental hazards but also of health issues if an individual is exposed to them in prolonged periods. Waste has played a pivotal role in the process of environmental degradation. Let’s discuss how- most of the times whenever you see garbage lying on the road, people littering on the streets the chain reaction to such actions is incredibly harmful and can lead to several problems like the air, water pollution and soil contamination. 

Let’s now understand how these problems occur- in case of soil contamination we would have imagined the garbage to end up in a landfill but in reality when it actually is spilled, buried and this leads to the release of harmful components in the soil.In case of water pollution- as we all know that water is a universal solvent. If garbage is thrown into rivers, streams the chemicals contained in it are easily dissolved and which not only cause harm to to the quality of water but also cause great harm to the marine life. Let’s now talk about the air pollution which is specifically caused by waste- if waste is not properly burnt in a landfill the fumes released from it can cause great harm not only to the landfill workers but also to the surrounding population. 

Now since we all know how harmful mismanagement of waste is and what all harm it can potentially cause let’s now discuss the probable ways to reduce waste and how we can be cautious- 1)we must first of all buy things that are urgently required suppose your clothes have a slight tear in them don’t rush to buy new ones instead sew them hundreds of these clothes end up in landfills and sometimes even improperly disposed off on roads. Instead of purchasing single use products like plastic bottles use glass ones they are long lasting and don’t cause harm to the planet as well since. 2) practise composting 3) understand the use of the right garbage bins for the right kind of waste(namely solid waste, liquid waste, biomedical waste and organic waste.) this segregation makes the disposal of waste much easier and safer for not only us but for the workers as well. 4) Use the Three R’s reuse, reduce, recycle 

Now, let’s talk about how India has stepped forward to control mismanagement of waste and what are the initiatives taken regarding it. 1)Carry bags made of virgin or recycled plastic less than 50 microns (thickness) have been prohibited also    Commissioners of 46 cities with million-plus population and 20 state capitals, and 118 towns located along the Ganga have been directed to prohibit manufacture and use of plastic carry bags below 50-micron thickness 2)Complete ban on plastic sachets used for storing, packing or selling tobacco 3)India has pledged to ban all single-use plastics by 2022 4)These rules are uniformly applicable to all states

Being a very firm believer in using natural and organic products and also being an advocate for the environment since a young age I have worked on countless initiatives regarding waste. I started out by becoming an integral part of my school’s Nature Club where I initiated proper disposal of waste in garbage bins after recess and interval times to maintain cleanliness and hygiene and proper disposal of waste on our campus. I have been stringently following the norms and have removed almost all single use plastics from our home. I have talked about waste  management and have made advertisements through radio about it to inform the general public about it. I have been actively talking about waste as a menace in the MENA region at the Youth Environment Assembly by the UNEP MGCY. I have  supported groups like Innerwheel in their drive to reduce waste by campaigning with them in our school when they had a plantation drive and encouraged us to use Eco friendly bags. These are just some of the things that I have done to reduce waste and promote awareness amongst people regarding it.

Let me know below what you have done to solve this problem and if you learnt something new about the impact of waste on environment. 

Green Cheers 

Anoushka