In this age of technology where man craves more gadgets in his hand, there is more than double that amount of waste that is being generated and hence recycling becomes more important. In this maze, the developed nations are playing a major role with the USA generating more waste than the entire world about 262m tons of municipal waste.
It is the accumulation of plastic waste that is degrading the world environment day by day. According to sources, the USA is recycling only about 4% of waste the rest is either dumped in open or are hoarded outsides factories and in the backyard of the resident area. These are either taken away by the rivers that eventually enter the oceans and threaten marine life or inappropriately burned in the open. Whereas the waste generated is much less when you compare it with our country and its population. In addition to this, we also practice strict single plastic use laws and some organizations carry out the recycling process.
The inability of the western countries to solve this problem has made it the worse nation in keeping the environment clean. It has also added heightened global warming. India, whereas is making every effort to clean and make her country breathable. Startups are taking up this cause to clean the earth from unwanted waste. Swapeco is one such organization that is built with a strong foundation of cleaning the environment. The motive is to pick scrap from doorsteps in exchange for cash or grocery and sell it to suitable shopkeepers who further the process of dividing it into reusable or recyclable items.
In most parts of the country, the practice of collecting scrap from roadside or homes is being carried by unauthorized raddiwala or kabadiwaala. Swapeco has upgraded this system and ensures doorstep pick up of scrap by its dealers. Apart from that, lightweight bags to are being banned from many cities that contain polyethene a harmful substance for nature. About 60% of the total waste is recycled in India through various methods whereas America is recycling only 34% of its waste.
Since India has banned imports of waste plastic from other nations it has made efforts to concentrate on the existing scrap. This has come after China realized that its country is becoming a dumping ground and that it should put a ban on the import of plastic waste. The USA has suffered a great deal from this as it exported around 1.1 billion kg of plastic waste in 2018. That has led the United States and the European Union to struggle to find new export markets. The major concern is the organized or formal sector issue in the western countries which makes them send the scrap to developing nations for recycling.
The harm to nature does not end here according to certain reports it has been stated that the USA amounts about three times more than its population in carbon footprint emission. This has been mainly because of the burning of trash collected on open grounds. In comparison to that India’s rank is way low.
These countries should make stringent laws for recycling and reuse in their nation rather than seeking help from other countries. It should take lessons from India and open up companies that work for creating a clean environment.
Also read – How to Separate Recyclables at Home before Recycling
