say no to plastics: How to collect garbage without plastic bin liners | Chennai News

Are you worried that now that there is a plastic ban, what will you use to line your waste bins? The first thing you should do is look at what shouldn’t be in your bin. A good starting point is learning to segregate your waste correctly. Have three waste bins.

• One is for wet or biodegradable waste which is essentially your kitchen waste, vegetables and fruit peels, etc. Biodegradable waste is usually plant or animal matter which breaks down naturally.
• Use one bin for dry waste. This includes plastic, metal or glass that do not have the capacity to naturally decay and decompose. Dry waste can be stored for long periods without fear of smell and decay, and should be periodically sent off for recycling.
• Use the third bin for sanitary waste, such as sanitary napkins, diapers, syringes and other medical waste. These are hazardous and should be safely wrapped keeping in mind that there are human beings handling our waste.

Making segregation a habit in your home can ensure the discarded materials are processed without causing health and hygiene problems to others. Wrapping organic waste in plastic bags hampers composting organic waste from households.

If you already segregate, go one step further. Set up a simple compost unit at home or share one with your neighbours. Place all cooked and uncooked food waste in it. Keep the moisture in check to avoid the smell. Within a month you will get the hang of it and you would have prevented 10-20kg of waste going to the dump yard, or simply ending up on your street.

Will using a biodegradable or bio-based plastic bag help? Not exactly. These are chemically identical to the regular plastic which are fossil-based. Many of these labels are fake. Moreover, biodegradability does not automatically mean that a product will degrade in any environment. The plastics will only degrade in industrial composting plants under very specific conditions as degradation is dependent on factors such as temperature, time, humidity and the presence of bacteria and fungi in the specific environment. Even Western countries lack these facilities and instead export their waste to developing countries like India, that are already burdened with waste.

Your actions to prevent waste going to landfills can reduce methane emissions, groundwater contamination and air pollution for you and your family.

Want to learn how to segregate and compost? Write to us at [email protected].

The writer, Satyarupa Shekhar, is the Director (Urban Governance), CAG

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