Sometimes, a very big change requires nothing more than a very big heart. The sincerity of one’s convictions will do the rest. When Vani Murthy decided that she would do her bit to save the planet by segregating her waste each day, she didn’t expect her enthusiasm to spread like wildfire. It did, though, and while most people limit their grandiose ideas of saving the world to a lot of tall talk, Vani quietly performed the simple task of segregating her waste. Separating waste is a process everybody promises they will do from tomorrow, but it usually remains a good intention. In part this is because most people don’t know how it's done, or what to do with the segregated waste. Handing it over to the BBMP collector is a waste of time, for they dump everything in the same landfill anyway.
“Most people know why waste management is important, but many don’t know how to go about it. Besides, there is the looming issue of backend support,” says Vani. She has put together a parallel system of collection, which has now resulted in different collectors for paper, plastic and e-waste doing the rounds in Malleswaram. “Dumping is done outside the city and surrounding areas are very much affected. That’s why we tell people they are completely responsible for the garbage they throw away,” says Vani. “I knew I was generating way too much trash and when I spoke to the local kabadiwalla about what he does with the plastic I dispose, he said he throws it away too.”
That’s when she realised that only high-end plastic is kept for recycling purposes, and the rest ends up in the nearest drain, if not a landfill. That was set to change. “Representatives from the ITC came to Malleshwaram, addressed our Residents’