I remember the context of the conversation having arisen because I had asked him why some countries had strong international influences and our Nepal lagged far behind. He told me that those countries were experiencing their zenith, and a day would come when Nepal would also make its way to the zenith and conquer it.[break]
I really liked this theory since then.
To make way to the zenith, however, isn’t an easy task. To address this, we undoubtedly have to solidify our educational system, healthcare system, transportation system. We know these extremely important yet tired arguments.
The truth of the matter, however, is that there are so many other dimensions that require our consideration but often go unnoticed.
One among them is waste management.
It’s with pity that I’ve to say that Nepal is still struggling with this tier of development.
“According to the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS; 1997), only 17 percent of urban households have their waste collected by waste collectors. Furthermore, modern waste management techniques, such as source separated door-to-door collection systems, material recovery and recycling facilities, sanitary landfilling, and private sector participation have not yet been introduced in most municipalities,” according to a report published by WaterAid in December 2008.
Illustration: Sworup Nhasiju
To quote from the same report again, they highlight how waste management entails “a process of optimizing the waste management system as a whole with application of a variety of suitable technologies. This includes the following activities: reduction of the amount of waste generated, proper segregation and storage of waste at source, efficient waste collection, street sweeping, waste transfer from preliminary collection vehicles to haulage vehicles, transportation of waste, waste composting and recycling, landfilling, hazardous waste management, public education and participation, formulation and enforcement of policies and regulations, organizational management, financial management.”
And, all the while, waste management to me meant throwing the garbage in a dustbin. However, it clearly is so much more.
To further my sentiments, I want to share an experience I’m currently undergoing in the city of Nagoya, Japan.
Nagoya is a quaint little place, and at first sight, there’s nothing that jumps at you and takes your breath away. However, the waste management system here is so intricate, carefully planned and efficient that I’m not exaggerating when I say I stood in front of a pile of labeled dustbins for two minutes, trying to figure out where I should dump the milk carton. It definitely felt like a moment of epiphany! And as such, I feel compelled to write down my thoughts in the hope of being able to emulate a similar pattern in our respective routines.
There are usually three dustbins lined up in the trash corner here, in Nagoya, if not more: one for combustible garbage, the second for non-combustible items, and a third for recyclable ones. There may be more, depending on your location; but the point is essentially to classify the garbage in their rightful places as best as possible.
The waste is classified into each kind so that the waste management system can be more efficient and effective. Breaching any of the code of conduct of the system immediately lands you up with an extortionate amount of fine.
While I stay here and look at all the color-coded bins – each for a different class of garbage – and as I make conscious efforts to abide by the rules, I think of home.
Although the aforementioned report presents a rather positive picture of the efficiency of our Nepali waste management system, I’m unsure how accurate it is. Many of our streets lack proper waste bins, and the way I see it, to expect them to be classified according to the types of garbage is more of an ideal than actual. Yes, how we handle household wastes may be a more uplifting picture, as many of the environmentally conscious citizens have indeed started separating recyclable from non-recyclable waste.
But the road ahead is still a long one. We need to encourage more awareness campaigns about such possibilities, and this movement needs to come from professionals with experience in the field: we need to understand that throwing away waste can actually be a very clean process.
Once the understanding grows, then perhaps it will propel us a bit forward to the top in this zenith-nadir cycle. With hope, a day will come, too, when Nepal will reach the zenith, thus proving my grandfather’s prophecy.
The writer is student of Political Science at Thammasat University who enjoys exploring life and all that it has to offer.
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