There are a lot of plans which are chalked out by all civic authorities to make Bangalore garbage free.

But here are some simple things which you can do to make a huge difference-

1. Prevention is better than cure, so our main focus and priority should be on minimising waste to reduce the amount of waste generated.

For instance, we urge people to stop using plastic bags. But, government needs to provide an alternative to this. Shops should be set up to sell cloth bags at cheaper rate. If cloth bags are available, then people will buy them and use them. As a result, usage of plastic bags will be reduced. I have searched everywhere but, I haven’t found any shop selling these. Some shops which sell, sell at a high rate.

2. We should separate and recycle food waste completely. Restaurants and all food vendors too should segregate food waste. Fines can also be imposed.

3. We should move towards 100% recycling. Singapore had started a national recycling programme. Here, recycling bags and bins are provided to every household for storing all recyclables which can be collected weekly.

4. We should work closely with organisations like Daily Dump. Organisations should also be encouraged to get involved in upcycling and and advertise about their work on big banners on the roadside. Advertising is very important.

5. Urge every housing society to have their own decomposer unit. Training should be given to every housing society as lack of knowledge is a big hindrance. Many are still unaware of these issues.

6. In Bangalore, waste is collected in open. This is the worst practice I have seen. In Surat, there are big closed garbage bins to collect waste in every ward and these bins can be directly lifted onto trucks and transported. There will be no dogs, cows, flies, scavengers, bad smell, etc. Incase of huge waste collection, underground bins can be installed like is being done in Johannesburg.

7. Caged trucks can be used for waste collection like in South Africa. They can have different compartments to collect different types of waste. Private companies should be roped in for waste collection and transportation.

8. Electronic waste should be dealt with separately. IT companies should be roped in for specialised recycling of such waste.