Hyderabad: Hyderabad
generates nearly 4,000 tonnes of waste daily. Of this, only 30 per cent
is being recycled, as segregation of waste at source still remains a
major challenge. Lack of awareness, improper waste management, and
dumping without segregating results in improper usage of waste.

Experts
stress the need for integrating local shubraks (GHMC staff who pick up
waste) into the ‘Wealth Out of Waste’ initiative in order  to enhance
the existing system.

Many individuals and resident welfare
associations, at the local and community levels are initiating measures
to reuse the waste in a bid to become zero-waste households.

Rao
Chelukani, president of United Federation of Resident Welfare
Associations and the president of the Standing Committee of Tarnaka
Residents Welfare Associations, said, “Our aim is to segregate dry and
wet waste at the household level. The wet waste is composted and used as
manure for gardening  in the locality. While the dry waste is sold to
rag pickers and the money used for welfare activities of the
association.” He added, “Some cities have been transforming urban waste
into pellets to be used as a fuel, while others use it to  create
material that can be used for laying roads.”

Major Shiv Kiran of
the Resident Welfare Association of the Methodist Colony and a solid
waste management expert said, “If segregation at source is done by every
household, there will not be any landfills like Jawahar Nagar. We  have
taken up a similar initiative with tetra packs. The waste cartons are
recycled into exam pads, stationary, wooden articles, particle boards
and more. Plastic recycling is done by a few private recycling units,”
Major Shiv said.

Until a year ago, many RWAs  involved in the
‘Wealth Out of Waste’ programme collected both dry and wet waste from
these associations using their own trucks and even paid RWAs for it.
But, with the frequency of these trucks dropping to once in 15 days,
people have gone back to their old ways.

IT employees take steps to recycle

Hyderabad: Many
IT employees and associations are now taking a step to create wealth
out of waste. From old school notebooks to newspapers and plastic
bottles, everything is being used to create something useful.

“All
of us do keep thinking about how to make use of these articles. My
friend and I came up with this idea of using old business cards as ear
phone holders. Every morning, we spend about 10 minutes untangling them.
Instead, we just put two holes in a card and fixed the ear phones into
it. It is easier to use them and keep it back safely by twisting them to
the card,” said Anusha Shripriya, a corporate employee.

Her
colleague Aakash Aggarwal uses refill ends as jump clips. “Refills once
exhausted are of no use. But if you can chop it at the tip, it can be
used as a jump clip. I use it to pin me to-do lists or other sheets on
my board,” he said.

Some also conduct exhibitions within their
office premises for sale of these goods. They include paper jewelry, ear
rings, paper bags and other bags made out of recycled goods like old
jeans or rice sacks.

“The bags made by old or ripped jeans are also like a fashion statement,” said Haritha Rao, a techie from the city.