Garbage collector- not a clue how to pronounce it. Too many consonants but a good score for scrabble surely !
Anyway if you are not into recycling log off and get back to work (or re read the one about flip flops. I want one of my entries to get 100 hits and we're on 74 for that one so far!)
So I know I have briefly talked about this before but I am trying to figure out why no one is taking up a huge money making opportunity. So- people (women) appear very house proud. Most houses have this is a sort of lower middle class to middle class area). The house/flats take up most of the space in the yard and are often 2 or 3 separate floors with external stairs (extended family living on separate floors) with enough space for a car and a few mopeds ( no one parks their car on the road) and one or 2 banana trees or papaya plants at best. There is usually an open terrace on the top for drying washing and grains or leaves or onions or anything else that needs drying out ( and in my case for me to sunbathe and read my book when everyone else is inside trying to keep their skin as fair as possible- no women ever, ever sits in the sun if she has a choice).
The women (might be a maid, all but the poorest have one maid at least) will sweep their yard every morning and the little bit of road in front of the gate. They will not necessarily pick the rubbish up just push it to the neighbour’s boundary. If they do pick it up they might put it in their own bin or just throw it into the nearest bit of land that hasn't yet been built on. If they put it in their bin then any day (including Sundays) they can put their bins out at their front gate and the pourakarmikas will pick it up.
As of 1/10/12 home recycling came in for the first time ( we should have 3 bins- 1 for compost, 1 for plastic and 1 for non recycling). Blimey it is so not popular. People of all classes saying that dirty stuff is government’s responsibility – so most people ( other than the equivalent of the Guardian reading , green leaning folk who were doing it already ) don’t and the fanfare that launched it ( on 30 ft billboards with TOO realistic pictures of nappies and sanitary towels; rotary club marches about civic responsibility ( yep!) and daily newspaper articles ( Bangalore papers report Government corruption, death on the roads and rubbish collection and very little else )) has long been forgotten. It doesn’t matter anyway because the pourakarmikas( Oh I can hear you trying to read that out loud- keep trying) don’t have separate compartments in their wee hand carts to divide rubbish so it would all get mixed up again anyway. The carts are small and they get overloaded quickly so the pourakarmikas dump the rubbish on waste ground too( hello!!). There are a few western looking dustbin lorries that I think are then supposed to pick these piles up but the landfill sites are all full so there is nowhere to take the rubbish. They used to dump it in a nearby village but last month the village revolted and was probably pretty revolting by then) and said no to the dumping. When no one paid attention they then set a few bin lorries on fire.
So probably every 2nd corner has a huge mound of garbage. Lots of this rubbish will be in plastic bags that are then ripped open by the omnipresent cattle strolling and feasting on the all-day buffet that is household rubbish.
Alongside the household rubbish will be loads of coconut shells, bashed motor cycle helmets, discarded flower garlands from yet another festival or puja, plastic packaging and huge lumps of granite (that you could sell if in the UK) from various road and drain projects. Granite is the paving stone of choice in Bangalore as well as the fence post and actual fence ( 8 x 3 ft panels moved into place by people in flip flops of course! ) ).
So finally getting to my money making point - RECYCLING IS BIG BUSINESS IN BANGALORE . Every second street has a place where you can take cardboard, cloth, plastic (all types) , paper etc and be paid by the weight. Certain people scavenge in the rubbish and sift out the stuff to take for weighing. Farmers have offered to BUY the compost and come into the city to pick it up as the ground is so dry due to lack of rain that they need replacement fertiliser. So how come someone isn’t starting a business to do just that? I suggested that setting up a wee social enterprise and getting a ‘contract’ for the rubbish recycling around the school sifting plastic and sorting cardboard etc might be the perfect move on occupation ( and paid job) for the young people with learning disabilities that the charity I work at supports who are now too old for the school. They could encourage people to sort their recycling bins( give them the bins to do it). It would be practical work ( only for those who wanted to do it of course) and get away from the sometimes sympathy sales items of soap, candles and jute bags that most charities in India seemingly make. It would really enable them to contribute in a way that the community would notice and appreciate.
Nope. I think that there is a certain class or caste thing at play here. I think that it is considered too dirty to delve into rubbish and that possibly the untouchables used to(still do??) this sort of work. I tell you if I was sticking here I would be bloody tempted ( if I could have patience with the beauracracy – ok so that would never happen) . Where there’s muck there’s brass. I remember being really impressed that one of my Dad’s pals in the 70’s had his own helicopter. His job – Hanneys waste paper recycling – way ahead of its time!!
