Blogs

At first light, a wetland begins to stir. Mist rises from its still waters, frogs croak in the reeds, herons take flight, and insects hum in the undergrowth. Beneath this quiet surface lies a complex web of roots, microbes, nutrients, and water flows, a living system that regulates water, nurtures biodiversity, and stabilises the climate.

Every morning, as we open our doors, we see the legacy of our consumption. Plastic bags flutter across streets, garbage bins overflow, and the smell of decaying organic waste lingers in the air. These visible signs of waste are only part of the story. The more invisible scars of dump yards, open dumps, and harmful emissions remind us that waste is everywhere.

Used mobile phone back cases are scattered around the market | CAG 

Geneva was meant to be the turning point. For ten tense days, the Palais des Nations carried the weight of a world desperate for relief from plastic pollution. Delegates arrived with briefcases full of ambition, and they left on the morning of 15 August with no agreement. The headlines quickly called it a failure, “Talks collapse, no deal reached”. But silence in Geneva did not mean surrender.

As the sun rises over India’s 649,000 villages, life awakens in a familiar rhythm, milk cans clank on bicycles, children trek to school past grazing cattle, and the earthy scent of the land fills the air. Yet alongside this pastoral serenity lies a festering problem: waste.

Imagine a land where rivers shimmer with life, not plastic waste. A future where beaches are strewn with seashells, not discarded bottles. This vision isn’t unattainable; it's a glimpse of what India could achieve if it tackles its plastic pollution.

What if waste wasn’t a problem, but an opportunity? Can you imagine a town where waste doesn’t pile up? Nestled in the quiet mountains of Shikaou Island, Japan’s town of Kamikatsu with a community of 1500 residents,  has achieved the seemingly impossible: a zero-waste lifestyle, inspiring the world to rethink sustainability. The town has proven that even small communities can make a big impact when it comes to zero-waste.

Chennai's long-standing waste management issues had one last hope for decentralised management in the form of Micro Composting Centers (MCC) and Material Recovery Facilities (MRF), which were at least imperfectly functional.

ஆங்கிலத்தில் வெளிவந்த பயோ பிளாஸ்டிக் பற்றிய கட்டுரையின் தமிழ் மொழியாக்கம்                                              &nbsp