At Sobha Althea Azalea (SAA), Bangalore, we wanted a composter that any community could build locally, without imported machinery or big money. The previous managing committee team had the circular mesh rings made. Building on that, we added a bottom mesh layer, a central aerator and a lid, and the rings became working composters.
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When Almitra Patel’s red car drove into our gated community, she and Myriam Shankar Kraftt did more than grace the opening of our compost mill: they quietly stirred our community into action. Their presence meant more than words on a page can carry.
Almitra is 90. Her 20-year fight in the Supreme Court gave India the solid waste management rules we follow today. Myriam is the founder of EcoGram and of the Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT), and has spent years helping communities across Bangalore manage their waste.
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“Hunger is the trigger to eat. Thirst is the trigger to drink water. What is the trigger for me to segregate waste?”
This question on waste segregation popped up from an audience while I was at A V Rama Rao Auditorium, Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bengaluru, on January 30. I was moderating the inaugural session of “The Science of Sustainable Urban Living” conceived and executed by Bangalore Apartment Federation, Bengaluru Science and Technology (BeST) Cluster—an initiative by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Science and Technology Cluster.
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Anyone who has studied these so-called ‘eco-bags’ for years and observed keenly how well they ‘biodegrade’ can confidently say that consumers are being sold the environmental equivalent of light cigarettes: still harmful, still carcinogenic, but with better marketing.
Can you recall how tobacco companies convinced millions that ‘light’ cigarettes were safer? Same scientific-sounding terms, same false sense of security, same devastating results. Today’s plastic industry seems to have borrowed that playbook perfectly, but with a cruel twist: they’re targeting people who specifically want to avoid plastic.
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Given the overwhelming scientific evidence highlighting the harmful effects of the so-called 24-hour ‘composters,’ some discerning volunteers in apartment complexes have successfully prevented these machines from being installed or have educated their communities about the dangers of using those already installed by their builders. Unfortunately, those who fail to research thoroughly and are swayed by the slick marketing tactics of the machine-makers continue to fall prey to this menace. This isn’t a new problem.
My dear fellow composting enthusiasts, here comes my most comprehensive course in composting.
Here goes our new three-tier composter: EBONY. We named it so because ‘black’ has been the flavour of seasons for quite sometime now.
I will simply put out its salient features and I am sure that itself will speak for volumes.
INFRASTRUCTURE
First things first: Ebony fabric containers are crafted out of a material derived from recycled PET bottles. That lends this composter a very high eco-friendly quotient.
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After Eartha, we thought we were done with designing community composters. However, we hit a roadblock as transporting a few units of Eartha to places like New Delhi, Mumbai or even Pune, meant attracting a massive shipping fee which many interested buyers found inhibiting.
After all, who doesn’t like to hold fine-grained compost after weeks of anticipation? It’s the ultimate reward for any composter. Be it a rookie or seasoned one. The effect is therapeutic and the ritual/routine is a definite stress-buster!
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Forty years of organic farming means not just gaining expertise in this field. It means one has turned it into a profession of hope. Notwithstanding the rough-and-tumble of every waking hour. The endless stream of work. The never-ending learning curves. The back-breaking manual labour under the scorching sun and the searing cold. The constant pressure (if I can say that) of tending to your farm to prevent it from withering. You put yourself through all the rough and tumble, weather all the weather patterns gracefully. Because you believe in what you are doing.
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Ten billion cells per gram, loaded with saprophytic bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes which can break down complex organic compounds, teeming with thermophiles that can spike up the temperature in your composter to 60-75 deg.C, and topped off with essential enzymes. This is a 12-strain microbial culture—geared to quicken the composting turnaround cycle and enrich the soil. It works a treat on tough-to-break-down meat, oils, spices, dairy leftovers, cellulose and lignin contents in your kitchen and garden rejects.
This is but just a sneak peek into the EXCELERATOR’s composition.
Here’s more….
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A new concept. A new design. Excellent execution and finish. The result is a classy EVA-V2. Hand-moulded, hand-finished and hand-delivered.
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The disturbing phenomenon of little girls reaching early menarche — some younger than 8 years — set me out on a search for organic milk in 2012-13. I didn’t want my little girl to grow up on growth hormones passed on to humans primarily from cows and buffaloes (and other meat products if you are a non-vegetarian). I didn’t want her to reside in a body ravaged by the hormonal upheavals that her tender age could hardly come to terms with.
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I have had the privilege of guiding scores of volunteers from across India in kitchen and garden waste composting over the decade. Never once did I witness the enthusiasm and the spirited follow-ups that CRPF Head Constable Krishna Murthy exhibited from start to finish. He belongs to the 82nd battalion, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and is posted in Bishamber Nagar, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
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‘If you write what you yourself sincerely think and feel and are interested in, the chances are very high that you will interest other people as well.’ – Rachel Carson.
Several months rolled by in sweet anticipation of seeing my first book in its physical form. It’s finally here!
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So many Earth Day messages and almost all advising others to “save Mother Earth”!
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No designer or innovator should love one’s own creation to the extent that she or he becomes blind to its drawbacks. Hardly ever do we get to see a product that is complete in its first avatar itself. All products do need finetuning, don’t they? But that is possible only if the creator heeds customers’ feedback and gets back to the designing table. Eartha has emerged from that table, made multiple trips to the factory, moved through the seasons, and is now ready to weather the whims of all sorts of weather.
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By Pinky Chandran
The movie Contagion’s grim visuals of uncollected garbage lining deserted streets was one of the most profound images that stayed with me even after the movie ended. It continued to haunt me as I consumed media reports about increasing COVID19 positive cases. Continue reading
SWM byelaws are expected to be specific and pragmatic with an intention to implement laws or policies that enable the regulating authority to perform its duty without any ambiguity. However, the SWM byelaws drafted by BBMP recently are far from that.
Here are those seven reasons to never start composting…
1. It’s quite easy, but we’re all constantly looking for a bigger challenge so this will clearly not get remotely close to satisfying us. Continue reading
In what can be termed a highly disappointing turn of events, the views of SWM Joint Commissioner Sarfaraz Khan on composting have hit the green activists hard. Going by the buzz in various WhatsApp groups created to share tips and experiences on composting amongst green activists as well as enthusiasts from various walks of life across the city, the joint commissioner’s take on the same that appeared in today’s Bangalore Mirror has left them bewildered. Continue reading
If you have read all the CCMs documented in this blog, you will know that I have always picked out low-cost and sustainable methods including DIYs. But there are reasons for reviewing this completely machine-driven composting system. Continue reading
Stonesoup Founder Malini Parmar, a committed sustainable menstruation activist, shares her experience of turning her two daughters into ‘cupverts’ in this interesting article. Read on…
“Can my daughter use a cup?” How many times have I heard this question? The answer is highly nuanced and there is no straight “yes” or “no”. Before searching for an answer, I recommend that parents watch this TEDx talk first, “The Virginity Fraud”. Continue reading
Solid Waste Management Round Table’s SwachaGraha Compost Connect (SGCC) campaign was officially kicked off today with two farmers picking up a tractor-load of kitchen waste compost from Sobha Althea-Azalea, Yelahanka, Bengaluru. There are still many more heaps of compost to be loaded up.
Farmers located on the outskirts of the city meet members of Solid Waste Management Round Table to discuss Swachagraha Compost Connect campaign in Bengaluru on December 4.
Sometimes, things take longer than you think they will. And then, they happen faster than you thought they could.
SwachaGraha Compost Connect (SGCC) is one such dream project conceived by Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT), Bengaluru, that will work towards connecting urban compost producers with rural farming community with the sole intention of sending the precious organic waste coming out of our kitchens and gardens back to the soil in the form of compost. Continue reading
Endlessly Green is pleased to share these two case studies of SWM projects being executed by Mumbai-based Green Communities Foundation which is a waste management consultancy for societies and corporates. This blogpost lays bare how certain simple processes can help you execute segregation and composting in communities no matter which part of the country you live in. Continue reading
(L to R) Stonesoup co-founder Smita Kulkarni, SWM activist Shanthi Chowdhary and SWM volunteer Padma pose proudly with an Aaditi installed in a lane in HSR Layout. It is being managed by Padma and neighbours.
There’s something undeniable about a good product design. It fits in.
This observation goes well with Aaditi—a scalable aerobic composting system—designed, manufactured and marketed by Bengaluru-based startup company Stonesoup. It’s an entrepreneurial venture by SWM activists Malini Parmar and Smita Kulkarni. Continue reading
We all think household waste is relatively harmless and that rejects like plastic can be extracted out of the compost pile once the process is through. When I pored over some research papers, this is what emerged. To put it succinctly, what we throw enters the food chain, comes back and sits on our dining tables. Continue reading
Image from Unsplash
Endlessly Green is pleased to publish this informative article on composting and organic gardening written by Dunedin, New Zealand-based Cloe Matheson. Composting in cold seasons is something you might want to pay attention to. Continue reading
