Question

1. The chart given above gives details of waste generation in big cities. According to a study conducted by IIT Kanpur, 15% of this waste can be collected by rag pickers. Write a note on the importance of rag pickers in reducing wastes.
2. How can schools and educational institutions aid in reduction of waste?
3. What can be the cause of lower per capita waste generation in
   1. Bengaluru
   2. Mumbai
4. As a student of geography, explain why the per capita generation of waste in Ahmedabad and Chennai is high.

Answer 1

1. Rag pickers play a vital role in waste management by manually sorting and collecting recyclable materials like plastics, glass, metals, and paper from mixed garbage. By doing this, they divert a massive volume of trash away from municipal landfills, preventing them from overflowing prematurely. They act as the backbone of the informal recycling economy, saving municipal processing costs and conserving natural resources.
2. Schools can aid waste reduction by teaching students the practical application of the 3 R’s (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) through interactive environment clubs. They can set an example by setting up separate bins for dry and wet waste across the campus. Additionally, institutions can enforce strict bans on single-use plastics and encourage students to use cloth bags and reusable steel bottles.
3. The causes of lower per capita waste generation are as follows:
   1. Bengaluru: High civic awareness among residents, active community composting programs, and strict local municipal penalties on plastic usage help keep individual waste low.
   2. Mumbai: A vast portion of the population lives in space-constrained setups with lower luxury consumption. Additionally, a massive network of informal scrap dealers (kabadiwalas) collects recyclables directly from homes before they reach municipal counters.
4. Ahmedabad and Chennai show high per capita waste because of rapid industrial growth, intense commercial activities, and rising economic prosperity. Higher income levels in these urban centers lead to high-consumption lifestyles, which involve heavy use of packaged goods and single-use disposables. Furthermore, a lack of strict source-segregation habits among citizens causes a larger volume of daily household waste to enter municipal landfills.