Sustainable Waste Management System (Bangladesh)

Now that we have completed the first three stages of our project:

1. Education through workshops

2. Field work (lake clean up) 

3. Innovation and mentorship 

we will take a step forward and begin to take follow up actions. We will be installing permanent trashcans in the streets of Dhaka (starting with Gulshan), with the permission and support of the Gulshan society (which had been granted last summer). We look forward to not just put up these trashcans but also to create awareness among the citizens there so that littering can be stopped and more people begin to use these trash cans. Once successful with the couple of streets in Gulshan, we will expand out work to other parts of Dhaka.

At present we are also doing some research to find out why the lakes of Dhaka are so polluted. What might be a solution? How is the sewage system organized? (we heard somethings like the sewage system actually opens up into some of the laskes of Dhaka) and that a project that was undertaken to stop this has been halted. We will be contacting WASA (Water Supply and Sewage Authority) and figure out if we, the youth can help in an effective way, to re-start this project or undertake a project by ourselves to bring out a solution. 

Second stage of EnviOutcomes Team's project Mission Cleanation

Date: 15.10.2011 [Spreading Awareness]

The EnviOutcomes Team hit the roads in Gulshan and Dhanmondi to spread awareness among the general people about the 3 R's (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle). Many appreciated the concept and listened while some frowned and walked away. However they succeeded in educating many and spreading the idea of becoming more environmentally friendly. They also handed over stickers of the 3R's (Recycle, Reduce, Reuse) to restaurants nearby and talked to both the servers and customers.

Date: 05.11.11 [Main Event of Collection and Separation] 

At this point the team collected plastics, papers, and other recyclable materials from restaurants, homes and the streets. After a day-long search through Dhanmondi, Lalmatia, Banani, Gulshan, they loaded the trucks with the misplaced trash collected, along with the garbage from the schools where they had provided bins earlier to teach kids about waste management. On the way newspapers were collected from homes and neighborhoods. After separation of the waste materials, the loaded trucks were sent to store-houses of the recyclable plastics, papers etc. from where they were sent to their factories outside Dhaka or Bangladesh to be recycled.

Links:

• See all the pictures of the project!