Journal of Global Resources

Volume 2

January 2016
Page 121-126
ISSN: 2395-3160 (Print), 2455-2445 (Online)

16
WHEN HASTE MAKES WASTE, THEN, WHY WASTE IN HASTE
Malti P. Sharma
Associate Professor, S. K. Govt. College, Sikar (Rajasthan), India
Email: malti.sharma0@gmail.com
Abstract: It has been seen that life on all parts of the globe is changing at a very fast pace.
New modes to cope up with the changing scenario are coming up. This gives rise to new
requirements, new problems and new solutions. One such issue is the fast consumption of
resources. Some resources are of single time use, whereas, some others can be repurposed
and used many times. The current article reflects on the reduced use, reuse and reprocessingof waste material to mitigate exhaustion of resources. The concept behind it should beunderstood by each and every global citizen. There are ways in which each one of us cancontribute to the world production by sensible repurposing or recycling of existing natural andmanmade products. Multiple use of a single commodity is a very concrete option which will
help future generations. All major aspects of this concept are being taken into account in thispaper. Suggestions for better recycling attitude are also on the anvil.
Keywords: Consumption, Reduce, Reuse, Reprocess, Repurpose, Recycle, Exhaust
Introduction
We have been thinking on these lines for some time past. There is a chain of logicalarguments to be considered as regards our hasty lifestyle and the waste caused thereby. We
are submerged neck-deep into a way of life that catapults our activities at a supersonic speed
and affects our society and surroundings. When we do not pay attention, it endures itself.
Gradually the detrimental effects begin to harm us manifestly. Once we are endangered, it
becomes incumbent to pay attention to the problem and resolve it. This issue has beenaddressed time and again by thinkers, environmentalists, politicians etc. President Theodore
Roosevelt, remarked at the Conference on Conservation of Natural Resources, “It is time for
us now as a nation to exercise the same reasonable foresight in dealing with our great natural
resources that would be shown by any prudent man in conserving and widely using theproperty which contains the assurance of well-being for himself and his children” (Roosevelt
1908). Therefore, the idea of reducing, reusing, reprocessing, recycling and repurposing
becomes essential to be discussed globally.
Conception of Reprocessing
We who are born on this earth are the blessed ones who have been given a huge support
system by nature, consisting of almost all things that we need to live a lavish life. Along with
that, we have produced many things artificially. If we go on living thoughtlessly, like we donow, we may end up consuming all the resources and leave little or nothing for our children.
Our needs are unlimited. Many things we use can be used only once. This means, they can be
consumed one single time and are over forever. On the other hand, there are many otherthings which can be put to further use by changing the form or mode of usage. This method iscalled reprocessing, recycling or repurposing. It is a very important notion of multiplying thevalue of available resources many times. It can be used in many new ways for many new
purposes. In Manmade Closed Ecological Systems it has been rightly said, “The paradox oflife lies exactly in this: its resources are finite, but it itself is endless. Such a contradictory stateof affairs is feasible only because the resources accessible to life can be used over and over121

again.” (Gitelson 2003) This is why we should consider the prospects of reprocessing things
which are outworn in their present physical state.
Significance of Reprocessing
Reprocessing is a very significant option for today’s world. We are not authorized to consume
all the available natural resources and leave nothing for our descendants. So, we must
reprocess the unused or reusable goods. It is very beneficial for the eco-system, given the factthat those things which are of no use in their current state can be improved and re-used. Manythings can be converted into a new form of substance or even a new form of energy. We
ought not to dispose of our old things, rather change their form and increase their utility value.
Neil Seldman from Institute for Local Self-Reliance said that, “We are recycling not only toprotect the environment, but for economic reasons as well. Disposal is simply too costly andtoo dangerous. The challenge is to redirect the flow of raw materials going to landfill intostrengthening our declining local economies. The solution to pollution is self-reliant cities andcounties.” (Seldman 1990) The basic idea should be that of, “reduce, reuse and recycle”. For
this we have to transform our thoughts as well as actions. We have to endorse the utility andsignificance of reprocessing unused or out-of-use things from our household and offices.
Advocating Reprocessing
We should reprocess our old things for many significant reasons. The main being:• Those things which are capable of being reused should be judiciously reused rather
than being thrown away. This way their optimum value is derived before they are totally
discarded.
• The new form, in which many recycled things are introduced, is very valuable.
• Material that becomes trash is conserved as valuable commodity by reprocessing. This
reduces the amount of dirt spread around our living places.
• Substantial energy is saved by this process. Recycled matter is a source of greater
energy in comparison to the initial one.
• Reuse of things saves the value and energy that would have been spent in making a
fresh commodity of the same type. The quantity of new products will also be reduced.
• Garbage heaps and landfills pollute the environment. Water and air are directly
affected. Recycling reduces the amount of garbage and increases the amount ofvaluable commodity.
• Great amounts of energy are used when making products from raw materials.
Recycling requires much less energy and therefore helps to preserve natural
resources. Recycling helps to save a lot of money. Many products get recycledcheaper than making their virgin form. If they are prepared via the reprocessing form,
they will save a lot of money and enhance our economy.
• Reprocessing and recycling generate employment as well as revenue.
• Reprocessing is indirect patriotism. It is a way of serving the nation. Citizens have amoral duty to help the nation in whatever way they can. By saving the natural
resources, money and energy we can contribute to the growth of our nation.
• Reducing the toxicity caused to the environment means we are leaving a cleaner
atmosphere for our children. We can raise our heads in pride.
• Habits of recycling are spontaneously transferred from one generation to the other. If
we practice this process regularly, our children will adopt this habit automatically.
Hence, it is an automatic cultural improvement.
The Garbage Havoc
Most commonly, the things used for modern life style create the maximum amount of garbage
and need to be recycled. Among these, mainly paper used as wrappers, plastic sheets used122

as covering material and disposable cups, plates and containers, glass used for fancy things,
aluminium cans made for drinks and liquid supplies, bottles used for mineral water, containers
used for packing food, paper napkins etc need to be considered with utmost urgency. The firstand foremost step in this direction is that if we do not need something, we should not bring it
home. This is the idea behind “reduce”. Unnecessary accumulation leads to abundant
production which results in abundant trash. If at all something is to be brought home, it should
be in a position to be reused after washing or maintaining. The material used in making thethings we purchase, determines how much less or more garbage we produce. If every citizen
takes care of reducing the amount of garbage, the atmosphere will be a lot cleaner than
expected. Less garbage leads to lesser pollution, thereby lesser misuse of global resources.
David C. Korten has rightly advocated the cause of havoc created by scattered garbage. He
says, ‘To achieve true sustainability, we must reduce our 'garbage index" - that which wepermanently throw away into the environment that will not be naturally recycled for reuse - tonear zero. Productive activities must be organized as closed systems. Minerals and other nonbiodegradable resources, once taken from the ground, must become a part of society's
permanent capital stock and be recycled in perpetuity. Organic materials may be disposed into
the natural ecosystems, but only in ways that assure that they are absorbed back into thenatural production system.’ The same has been repeated in A Not So Radical Agenda for a
Sustainable Global Future: A feature of the People-Cantered Development Forum, “Perhaps
one of the best indicators of sustainability is the "garbage index." In a full world, sustainability
requires the virtual elimination of waste, i.e., zero garbage (including pollution). This requiresthat all productive activities be organized as closed systems. All non-biological resources,
once taken from the ground, should become a part of society's permanent capital stock and berecycled in perpetuity. Organic materials may be disposed into the natural ecosystem, but only
in ways that facilitate their natural reprocessing and productive use.” (Korten 1995) It has also
been seen that handling garbage for reuse is also a technical issue. All types of garbage can
not be mixed into a heap. Very often problems arise from the type of garbage too. Katherine
Boo, in her work, Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Under
city, has taken up the concern thus, “Rich people’s garbage was every year more complex, rifewith hybrid materials, impurities, impostors. Planks that looked like wood were shot throughwith plastic. How was he to classify a loofah? The owners of the recycling plants demanded
waste that was all one thing, pure.” (Boo 2012) We should note that collecting and disposing of
garbage is also a big and systematic task. Also, that, when garbage is controlled, better
options will flow by themselves. This can be converted as organized employment which is apositive aspect of the garbage havoc.
Lifestyle Matters a Lot• Our lifestyle has a direct effect on the use of global resources. We can contribute
immensely by monitoring our ways and habits.
• There are many local recycling centres round the corner. All reprocess-able material
which is out of use can be taken to such places and be converted for better use.
• The use of polythene bags is very detrimental for the environment. They create
pollution and clog the drains. Discouraging their use in shopping is a healthy practice.
• A single newspaper circulated round the nation, entails felling down of trees inabundance. We can calculate the number of newspapers being printed every day andthe proportionate felling of trees. If it is replaced by e-paper, trees can be saved inthousands every day.
• Purchasing re-cycled or re-processed products can encourage the system and help
reduce wastage. Every day manufacturers are finding new ways to create items thatare recyclable including paper towels, cardboard boxes, plastic containers, crayons, ink
cartridges, paint, garden supplies such as hoses, furniture, wallpaper, and evengarbage cans.
123

•
•
•
•
•
•
•

It is a good habit to carry a cloth bag for shopping groceries. This will reduce the use ofpolythene bags and unnecessary paper bags.
Small packings mean many types of packing. They release many polythene covers andouter glossy covers. In contrast, large packing or bulk packing help reduce waste.
Documents and receipts can be had as a soft copy instead of a paper one.
Paper packing and cardboard packing help avoiding Styrofoam or plastic packing
Instead of packing gifts, we can give them in reusable cloth bags
Composting kitchen waste is a useful way of recycling biodegradable waste
Saving money by buying recycled products adds to the family economy in a positiveway.

Reprocessing as an Employment Generator
While it is true that reprocessing helps in maintaining the environment, it has other multifarious
benefits too. The process itself demands a lot of manual labour. Generally, all waste like
paper, plastic, aluminium etc are put in dustbins in a mixed form. Man power is needed toseparate different types of waste. This is one type of occupation. After that men are needed toprocess them into different new forms. This way, a lot of employment is created which helps
the families of the poor and contributes to the economy of the nation. Also, the process ofrecycling is a great threat for the climate. Measures have to be taken to balance the effect on
the climate. The governing bodies and responsible agencies have to take measures to get thework done properly. For this, huge numbers of people are required to work and bring therequired results. By reprocessing, the final amount of waste created is mitigated. David Morris,
co-founder and vice president of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance has advocated this cause
in this manner, “The case for recycling is strong. The bottom line is clear. Recycling requires atrivial amount of our time. Recycling saves money and reduces pollution. Recycling creates
more jobs than land filling or incineration. And a largely ignored but very importantconsideration, recycling reduces our need to dump our garbage in someone else's backyard”.
It is important to note here that, David Morris has served as an advisor to the energy
departments of Presidents Ford, Carter, Clinton and George W. Bush. He has worked a lot on“Waste to Wealth” signifying the importance of recycling. His ideas of generating employment
from garbage issues have been appreciated world-wide. Hence we agree that employment
and environment both get a benefit.
Specifications and Truth about Reprocessing• The matter which is thrown as waste is not actually all waste. More than half of it canbe reprocessed and reused.
• Packing things in attractive packing material is only a fashion, not a requirement. This
results in unnecessary waste. If it is curtailed, the product will virtually cost less andpollution will also be reduced.
• Studies have shown that of all the automobile parts, 80 percent are reusable.
• Many metals have a tendency to be easily reused. Aluminium cans are very readily
recycled and reused.
• Glass in the form of bottles, jars, drinking tumblers, jugs and other household crockery
get broken or damaged out of use every day. The total amount of discarded glass per
day goes in tonnes. This glass is 100 percent reusable after reprocessing.
• Since glass does not decompose, it creates a lot of waste. Reprocessing and reusing itis the only way of reducing its quantity as garbage.
• Paper industry consumes a lot of wood resulting in the heavy felling of trees. If recycled
paper is used instead of the fresh one, a magical contribution can be made to avoid
deforestation. This is directly favourable for mitigating pollution also, so, it has a direct
and multi-dimensional advantage.
124

•

•

Decomposition of plastic is also very time-taking, so, it pollutes land on a large scale
and for a longer time. That is why polythene bags lie scattered in landfills, because
they do not decompose soon. It is advisable to reprocess and use them, rather thanallow them to create dirt.
Metals and glass, when recycled, can also be used as energy resources. It’s better to
use them in this form, rather than allow them to pollute the atmosphere.

Social Welfare Aspect of Reprocessing
Creating new products is not the only advantage. All unwanted but reusable things in thehousehold can be used by other needy people. Many charitable institutions, trusts andindividuals collect things from people who do not want to use them further and distribute themamong the poor and less privileged groups. Household appliances, clothes, woollens,
eatables, gadgets, stationary, furniture, electronic items, old automobiles etc have many nonprofit organizations as takers. They pay a token amount and use the things for welfare. Thisway, unutilized things are given a new life. Moreover, it adds to the moral values and quality ofcivic and social life. Some welfare communities become so advanced that they become a lifechanger for people who are sitting idle and for things which are lying as junk in the unattended
corners of our houses. We can say that, “Reprocessing in a way, reprocesses our lives too”.
Reprocessing of E-Waste for better taste
General things are easily considered for re-use, but, we must pay attention to another fact.
These days, electronic gadgets are very much in use. A quick turnover is very much in fashion
especially by the younger generation. So, many types of equipment which are yet functional
but out of trend get discarded. We should pay attention towards such electrical and electronic
junk. This is known as e-waste and has a poisonous chemical nature. For lack ofdecomposition, it creates a lot of pollution. By reprocessing we can convert it into secondary
raw material which can be used for making better products. Some recycled things can also be
converted into energy. The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment should be used rather
than dumped to create health and environmental hazards. They can also be repurposed totheir elemental state by dismantling into metal, plastic, fibre, wood, rubber etc. They can thenbe reused in some other form. A sustainable way of life is today’s requirement and we canvery well espouse such advantageous changes in our daily life.
How to Become a Part of the Mega Reprocessing Effort
Reprocessing can easily be done on an individual scale. It calls for a little contemplation andconsideration. One has to make very small efforts in this direction with genuine inventiveness.
• There is no universal rule. It depends a lot on what are the things that can be reprocessedin case of an individual. A very small step initiated from the household items can be agreat beginning. One has to look around at the surroundings and mark things forrecycling. Then, start as an individual. Once this method works successfully, it can beshared with other members of the family and neighbourhood. In this manner, domestic
goods can easily be recycled and the practice shared with more members.
• Another important guideline for reprocessing is, reducing consumption. If we accumulateless and consume less, we will waste yet lesser. Only essential things should beaccumulated. Also, those things which can be reused, should be used so. Many things
can be shared within the family, neighbourhood, and colleagues. This will reduce therequirement for more production hence reduces wastage at many levels.
• Using recycled things is also a healthy practice. Many products have a symbol indicatingthat it is recycled. We should encourage the use of these. Many other virgin products havea symbol indicating that the thing need not be disposed of as waste after a single use, it isrecyclable. An attentive look at these factors can help a lot in reusing them.

125• We should also be very conscious about what things can be reprocessed. Very commonlyused things like metal, aluminium, glass, paper, plastic, electronic items, spare parts ofautomobiles and machines etc are scattered all around us. We can collect and deliver
them to the recycle centres. This way, a lot of garbage will turn out to be reusable.
• The knowledge of what to recycle and which are the agencies to be approached forrecycling is very important. This is common information which should be used very often
to help get things recycled.
• Our grocery is a big source of waste because all things purchased from market come inmultiple packaging. We generally throw the outer packaging. We should collect them andreuse or send for recycling.
• Composting is another very important factor. Each household throws, peels, leftovers andother parts of food in the garbage. This rots and creates dirt and foul smell in theatmosphere. If this is used for composting, it will provide a healthy resource for plants andalso save the atmosphere from stinking by reducing pollution.
• At workplace there are many things discarded every day. Somewhere paper is thrown,
somewhere plastic and Styrofoam is thrown, at some places, disposable cups and plates
are thrown. All individual waste has its own reprocessing place and value. We should
underline the nature of our waste and make efforts to reuse and recycle it.
• Traditional and much publicized methods are not the only ones to be used. Each one ofus has the capacity to think about new ways and methods. We can create our own
strategy of reprocessing things and contributing to the society.
• Individual contributions are as important as the institutional or customary ones. We all
have a role to play on our own level. We should contribute freely in this regard.
Conclusion
We have seen the morphology and anatomy of garbage and talked about reprocessing it for
multiple reasons. It is true that if we endorse this cause on a large scale, it will be of great
advantage to the individuals as well as society. Many countries have been very particular
about the proper dealing of garbage. The award winning author Tristram Stuart, has
campaigned a lot through his speeches and environmental campaigning. He says, “In Japan,
Taiwan and South Korea, the government in a matter of years has put a lot of energy behind
recycling food waste as livestock feed. It's environmentally friendly, it provides cheap livestock
feed for the farmers in those parts of the world, and it avoids sending the food waste tolandfill.” Repurposing is a noble deed. If we spread this message in the society on a large
scale and glorify the concept, we may be able to introduce this idea amongst more people whoare in a state of civic slumber and who need to know that they can change their own life andthat of others by adopting this practice. We owe it to our children that we leave ample
resources for them and our grandchildren as well.
References
1. Gitelson, I.I. Lisovsky, G.M., MacElroy, R.D. (2003) Manmade Closed Ecological Systems (EarthSpace Institute, 9) Taylor & Francis, United Kingdom
2. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/recycling.html#14fbTqIvH1m646jw.99 Retrieved 24
August 2015
3. http://www.davidkorten.org/search/node/garbage percent20index Retrieved 30 August 2015
4. http://www.doonething.org/quotes/recycling-quotes-3.htm Retrieved 21 August 2015
5. http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/recycling Retrieved 24 August 2015
6. http://www2.epa.gov/aboutepa/quotations-about-environment Retrieved 24 August 2015
7. Katherine Boo,(2012) Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercit,
Random House, USA
8. Korten. David. C.Living Economies Forum, A Not So Radical Agenda For A Sustainable Global
Future : A feature of the People-Centered Development Forum, Release Date July 6, 1995

126