“Eewws! and aaahs!” swirl over this theory of mine. I often have people questioning how I would feel if someone gave me a dustbin for my birthday; and while I understand that dustbins don’t necessarily make for the most romantic surprise, I say they sure do make for a wonderful one – in that dustbins are both useful and practical, not to mention that dustbins as gifts is a pretty innovative thing.[break]
I must confess that this theory is not my own. I actually heard Abhay Deol mention how he thought dustbins would make for great gifts in one of his interviews quite some time ago, and ever since then, I’ve been a strong reinforcer of the theory.
If you really get into it, then you might agree with me when I say that all other gift ideas seem to have been exhausted and barely seem to qualify as something “creative.” So our endless pursuit for an original idea seems rather futile when everything has been so hyper-commodified. And in such a scenario, I can’t help but feel that dustbins may be the solution for they are not the kind of thing that would be on the top of one’s mind to give as presents, yet they are precisely the thing that everyone can derive utility value from.
Think about it. While passing by a road, or even in our own houses, I’m sure we’ve had moments where we feel like we don’t have enough dustbins. This thought crosses my mind at least a few times a day when I’m out and about and going about my business. I pick up so many random things along the way that sometimes I just wish I could make a dustbin appear out of sheer need.
Especially in places like Kathmandu that does try and make up for an actual dustbin by placing those green, tin containers around some of the more “posh” areas of the city, the effort to put dustbins should be made double. I say this, concerned by the kinds of dustbins we have in town – it seems like there should be a dustbin for a dustbin in Kathmandu for they all look filthy to me. They look as if they have the capacity to contaminate just by going near it.
But it’s not just the dustbins, or the lack of it, in the streets that are of concern to me. Also worth dwelling upon are how many dustbins we have in our houses and how we make use of them. Most houses I visit seem to have dustbins in the kitchen, for example, but not in the living room or common room. Sure, a kitchen absolutely needs a dustbin, but I think it would be much more convenient in the common room as well. And if you’re following my argument, then what I’m hinting at is that we should have a dustbin in every single room and bathroom in the house.
And if such a need is created, then this means that there are more chances that your chosen gift – dustbins – will be widely accepted and appreciated. Moreover, if you, like me, just browse through the home and décor section for any departmental store, then you’ll notice the array of dustbins that have come up to cater to every kind of need. But for the more fanciful, the option of handpicking and customizing your dustbin is always open, of course.
The best part about this is that whether you pick an angry-bird dustbin or a plain old, regular plastic dustbin, they are something everyone can use. Unlike gifting somebody, say perfume, which they might not necessarily like but will be forced to use, dustbins are something that everybody needs, thereby rejecting the possibility of the person not wanting it or not liking it. Indeed, dustbins are a practical thing to give.
And if anyone should be insulted by such a gift, then we know that they don’t capture the whole “go-green” spirit very well. Besides, what else could be there that could serve a more frivolous, if I may, purpose and at the same time contribute to the greater good?
So go ahead and gift the next birthday-approaching person an environment friendly gift and see how it lights up his face. In case there is a reason for dissatisfaction, then you at least have the option to lecture him on the importance of being an environmentally conscious citizen. The value of that knowledge alone should make for a great gift.
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