The necessity of a cleaner India has become a national priority. The message has been spread to every corner of this great country. Everyone has heard it. The awareness campaign by the government has been successful beyond the wildest dreams of many who have yearned for a clean India for a while now.
Now is the time to cash in on the awareness this massive campaign has generated and convert it into tangible and sustainable benefits. Hopefully the increased awareness will lead to better civic consciousness. We have to utilize the better civic consciousness to facilitate better waste disposal. The time to build effective waste disposal systems has come. An essential link in the chain of infrastructure that is needed to keep our public spaces clean is the bin.
The bin is the essential starting point in the waste disposal chain. Variously called the dust bin, garbage bin, trash bin or can it is a receptacle for people to drop their litter. An effective trash bin is not just a simple fixture; for it to be useful it has serve its purpose effectively. An effective garbage bin needs good planning and forethought.
1. Usage: No bin is useful if it is not used. For a bin to be effective people have to use it. For that we need good civic sense. Although civic sense has been lacking in India for long time things might be changing for the better.
2. Design: Too often we see ugly dust bins in our country. Just because they contain refuse, litter bins need not be ugly. They should be designed to be aesthetically pleasing, to blend in with the surroundings and yet easily visible and clear in their purpose. They should be designed in such a way that they are easily emptied and cleaned. They should be durable.
3. Safety: A unique phenomenon in India is the theft of bins especially for scrap metal. The ubiquitous oil drum used in many countries for this purpose does not work in India as it is sure to be stolen, often by organized gangs. The bin has to be firmly anchored to the ground. The material used to construct the bin has to have low value. This does pose unique challenges.
4. Regular emptying: An overflowing bin is as useful as no bin at all. It is unsightly and counterproductive. There has to be a system to clean and empty the bins regularly. The frequency should be determined by both the rate at which the bin gets filled as well as the rate at which the garbage decays. If extensively used it should be emptied multiple times in a day. Even if used infrequently it should still be emptied at least once day a day in warm country like India before any biodegradable waste starts rotting.
5. Cleanliness: Just because a bin contains garbage does not mean it should be dirty. It should look clean from the outside. It should add character and beauty to the surroundings. It should be cleaned properly on a regular basis. Liners or bags might help in keeping the inside surface clean.
6.Adequacy: There should be enough bins for a certain area. The number and spacing should be determined by the number of people using the area, the type and amount of garbage generated and the habits of the people frequenting the area.
7.Maintenence: All things break down with regular use. Bins are no exception. They should be properly maintained with repair and replacement as needed.
8.Segregation: Segregation of waste at source makes it much easier to dispose of in the appropriate way. It adds value to the waste making it easier to process and recycle.Now in a country where the habit of using the bin is not common, it might be a challenge to make people segregate waste, but every effort should be made to educate people.
9. Responsibility: There has to be a system for regular servicing and maintenance of garbage bins. People in charge have to be accountable. The workers should be responsible. The local government body has to be responsible or a corporate entity should do it with stringent oversight.
If we can place, service and maintain an adequate number of bins at optimal spacing in all our public spaces, people would use them more regularly. This will lead to a cleaner India. Jai Hind.
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