Waste management is critical for communities and urban populations in the current scenario. While the generation of waste has risen massively across the world, it has been majorly driven by population growth, economic growth, and urbanization, along with increasing consumerism and lifestyle habits. In this context, a Statista report presents a staggering issue of mega proportions.
By 2050, global municipal solid waste generation is anticipated to have grown by a whopping 70%, hitting 3.4 billion metric tonnes. With such huge waste volumes to deal with, there is a need for authorities and governing bodies to ensure adequate waste management solutions and disposal services. Yet, these reports also estimate that less than 20% of waste gets recycled annually, with vast quantities still dispatched to landfill sites and even open dump sites, which are even more hazardous, particularly in developing nations. This is where the need to motivate local populations to get involved in managing waste becomes indispensable if we are to leave a sustainable planet behind for future generations.
Local Populations and Waste Management- A Few Strategies
Some strategies to motivate local involvement in waste management include the following:
- Community-based schemes for waste management in UAE or other countries. They involve local communities in collecting, sorting, and recycling waste.
- These schemes can be implemented under varying conditions. The first step may involve extensive community-wide education and awareness. The second step may involve setting up a primary collection program. Community meetings with various target groups can also enhance motivation levels and participation in this regard.
- Community supervision can be an initial step for waste management. In this context, local waste management companies in UAE or other nations can be leveraged to take care of the issue with local populations involved in supervising the proper implementation of the same.
- At the next stage, community members have to be encouraged to be a part of all project stages, right from evaluating current scenarios to designing, planning, executing, and considering alternative collection schemes.
- The usage of garbage containers has to be promoted amongst residents of communities along with emphasizing the use of lids. There should be widespread awareness programs on not using plastic bags.
- Authorities can also engage waste management companies in UAE or other regions to collect household waste and keep public places clean.
- Designated bins and sites for waste disposal can be identified and set up, while sorting mechanisms and recycling sites can also be implemented afterwards.
- Programs can initially begin with volunteers before spreading to the entire committee. Financial incentives and municipal benefits can be offered to communities and neighborhoods for successful waste management programs as well.
- Simultaneously, local residents can be encouraged to keep vigil throughout their areas, watching out for those who are disposing waste inappropriately or flouting rules. Fines or penalties can be implemented by the municipal authorities based on inputs from local residents.
Once households in a neighborhood start managing waste properly, sorting it from the source and recycling it whenever possible, there will be an entire social system that will evolve at the public level too. Any such practice that is repeatedly executed will ultimately become an entire social system that local residents will be automatically motivated to uphold and maintain.
Signing Off
The first part is always chalking out proper techniques and strategies for managing, disposing, and recycling waste and how it can be done better at the household level. Thereafter, with municipal incentives and encouragement, along with community-wide volunteering and awareness programs, building motivation for waste management programs amongst the locals will not be as difficult in the long run.
