Thank you for the overwhelming support on my previous blog where I shared the story of a Monster virus (COVID-19). Today, I'll narrate a tale centered around a bag, often referred to as the "Trash Bag". The story unfolds each morning as we take a fresh plastic bag, typically black or sometimes white, and place it in our dustbin. Throughout the day, we continuously add various items from all corners of our living spaces - vegetables and fruit peels, food scraps, paper waste, packaging waste, cardboard boxes, plastic containers, broken glass, used menstrual pads, electronic waste, discarded medicines, and anything else we deem unnecessary. This bag acts as our savior every single day, gathering all our waste from various corners of the house.

The next morning brings the familiar scene of the municipal sanitation vehicle arriving, accompanied by the soothing melody of "Swachh Bharat ka Irada, Irada kar liya humne", providing a sense of comfort & relief. The vehicle is equipped with two compartments - one green and one blue - for sorting different types of waste. The sanitation worker comes out and collects our 'Trash Bag'. Despite the worker's best efforts, segregating this 'Trash Bag' now proves to be daunting, leading to everything being indiscriminately dumped into his vehicle. After collecting all the waste from the neighborhood, the worker proceeds to a nearby municipal dustbin, adding 'the beloved Trash Bag' to the already overflowing pile.

What happens next is, intentionally, this 'Trash Bag' is now left for a few hours (24-48 hours), allowing stray animals to search for food in the trash pile,, to reduce the load of a waste burden on landfills. The 'Trash Bag', cries out in despair, fearing its fate of being burned or buried, neither of which it desires. It pleads those in its vicinity to grasp the gravity of its situation, pleading for empathy and understanding. However, amidst the turmoil, it bears witness to a heart-wrenching tragedy unfolding before its very eyes: a dog inadvertently sustains an injury from a broken glass, while a pig is hurt by a sharp blade. Meanwhile, the cow, incapable of distinguishing the difference between banana peels and polythene bags, unwittingly ingests plastic along with its food, ultimately leading to its demise. The 'Trash Bag', now burdened with guilt, regrets its unwitting role in these calamities, shedding tears as it witnesses the harm inflicted upon innocent creatures, including marine life. It's a stark reminder that our simple negligence in one step, has dire consequences for the animals around us.

When neighbors complain about the garbage not being handled properly, the sanitation worker decides to burn all the trash as a fast fix. In just a few minutes, the big pile of trash turns into ashes. While it may appear efficient, the implications of such actions on air quality and environmental health are profound.

The emotions experienced within the 'Trash Bag' are filled with grief, where the vegetable & fruit peels (wet waste), long to return to their natural home (soil), emphasizing their belongingness to the earth. They express a desire not to be mixed up with other materials, as they can easily decompose and nourish the soil once again (defined as 'composting'). Meanwhile, the other assorted items (dry waste) feel a sense of unease at being mixed & jumbled together, fearing the prospect of being consumed or left to waste away. They yearn for a greater purpose in life, hoping to be repurposed or recycled rather than discarded carelessly in so-called landfills. However, the perceived way of tossing everything into one 'Trash Bag' by us, exacerbates this problem. Amid all this chaos, the 'Trash Bag' begs not to be taken to the transfer station, where it observes a lone person struggling to sort materials from the jumble of mixed waste. It doesn't want to witness the difficult task of waste pickers separating our waste when it's been mixed carelessly.

OK let me ask you a question, have you ever prepared khichdi? It's a straightforward dish - just combine lentils and rice, and you have khichdi. But if I were to ask you to separate the rice and lentils after khichdi is cooked, could you do it? Certainly not. Once khichdi is made, it's nearly impossible to separate the rice and lentils again. In the same way, expecting someone to separate your mixed waste, like wet and dry waste, seems unreasonable & impossible. Is it still reasonable to hold others accountable in such circumstances? It's a thought-provoking matter.

Often, the sanitation workers are unfairly blamed for neglecting cleanliness, and the government is faulted for insufficient services. Yet, we overlook our duty to manage our waste. The initial step begins with segregating our waste.

Looking back to the 1980s or even earlier, I distinctly remember my mom and teachers instilling moral and behavioral values in me. They stressed the importance of cleanliness and the simple act of 'throwing all the waste in the dustbin' & we are following the teacher till today. These lessons were deeply ingrained in us since childhood, and we've religiously followed them, passing them on to our children now. We must not overlook the irony that, in our efforts to maintain clean homes before Diwali to welcome the Goddess Lakshmi, we often litter our surroundings. We forget that Lakshmi Maa will come through the same dirty roads to our homes. However, our comprehension seemed confined to the basic idea of maintaining cleanliness and disposing of trash properly. We never ventured further to explore where all this waste eventually ends up?

If your science teacher mentioned that the waste goes to landfills, let me tell you, there's hardly any land left for such disposal. Often, waste is either openly burnt or illegally dumped into the ground, with dire consequences for our air and water quality, which become contaminated irreversibly. If only someone had taught us that the waste we produce is our responsibility, we would realize that waste isn't worthless & is priceless & I will tell you, how.

Let me unpack this "typical household Trash Bag" for you: around 60-70% of it is kitchen waste, the easiest to sort and ideal for composting. The remaining 30% holds significant value and can be given to local recyclers for proper management. the remaining 10% is hazardous waste, which should be safely handed over to the worker.

Indeed, there's potential to earn money from this practice. This isn't a new concept; I remember seeing my grandmother and mother accumulating wealth through this simple practice. They would dedicate a room solely for storing recyclable materials, and every month, they would sell these items to recyclers in exchange for kitchen utensils or other essentials. Witnessing their joy was perplexing to me at the time, but I now realize it was the "Real Joy of sustainability". Over the years, we seem to have lost touch with this essence of joy and sustainability.

Now, I'll leave these questions for you to ponder:

1. Do you still perceive waste as merely waste & not see it as a resource?

2. Who do you believe bears responsibility: the government, political leaders, our sanitation workers, or us?

3. Should someone be held accountable for the waste we generate?

Think about this: Do you think of cooking in the same way? Do you assign someone for your cooking or your family's cooking requirements? Or do you simply take the initiative to cook for everyone? When it comes to waste management, however, we often don't feel the same sense of responsibility. We fail to recognize it as our duty. If I would say, composting is as easy as cooking, initially, you might feel nervous, reminiscent of the first time you made tea or cooked a meal. However, as you learn the process, you'll begin to enjoy it and feel a sense of satisfaction. The same applies to composting. If you're interested in learning, feel free to reach out to me, and I'll be happy to assist you.

So, to solve this very huge problem of waste menace, I propose two simple steps: 1. Segregate your waste into two categories. 2. Compost your wet waste and recycle or repurpose your dry waste. And lastly, become an ambassador for #zerowastetolandfill.

In closing, here is a heartfelt plea from the 'Trash Bag':

'From kitchen scraps to plastic waste, I hold it all, with solemn grace.

But deep within, a silent plea, For a destiny beyond what's seen.

I dream of fields where flowers bloom, And trees whisper tales of no gloom.

Where I'm not bound by earthly chains, But embraced by soil's gentle reins.

So let us heed this humble plea, To tread more lightly, to set waste free.

For in our hands lies the power to sow, A future where waste finds its rightful flow.

With every choice, let's make amends, And pave the way for a world that mends.

For in the tale of this humble waste bag, Lies the hope for a brighter path to snag.

As we bid farewell to the tale of the 'Humble Trash Bag', let us not forget the profound lesson it imparts. In its journey from collection to disposal, it speaks volumes about our relationship with waste and the environment. It reminds us that every action we take, no matter how small, has an impact - be it on the earth or the creatures that inhabit it.

May we carry forth the wisdom gleaned from this story, and strive towards a future where waste is not merely discarded, but repurposed and revered. Let us tread lightly upon this earth, mindful of the legacy we leave behind for generations to come. For in the fate of a 'Trash Bag', lies the potential for a more sustainable and harmonious existence.