The dustbin has become a story of dreams and pride in the life of a 20 year old boy who lives in the crowded streets of Delhi where rubbish has a way of piling up in a rate that is far much faster than the decontamination rate. Without Aarav Sharma (the names were changed) a young environmentalist who has already recycled over 450 tonnes of waste with not only work, but respect, as well, the life of 70 waste pickers.
Aarav began his story when he was in lockdown because of the COVID-19 and came to understand the quantity of plastic and paper that was thrown away every week and how he took it to the landfills. It started as a regional clean neighbourhood initiative but it turned out to be a city-wide project in the form of Project Sansaar that led to the establishment of a circular economy. He began to connect households, offices and schools to waste collectors in which case recyclables were separated before being collected. Aarav helped in reusing garbage into reusable materials, plastic into park benches, paper, into notebooks and metal into art installations in partnership with the local recyclers.
But it was not only the garbage that he was interested in it was the people. Aarav realized that waste pickers who form the primary labor force of the recycling chain are hardly appreciated and compensated. The project Sansaar that he launched came with equitable payment, health insurance and skill training so that they could secure decent lives. The former informal workers have IDs and a consistent source of income. It was her first recognition in life to a 45-year old Rukmini Devi who was picking scrap manually throughout her life, but her project at Aarav was the first in her life.
In the present time, Project Sansaar collects waste at several localities in the city of Delhi, and collects about 15 tonnes per week. Another collaboration that Aarav does with the municipalities and non-governmental organizations is the conduction of zero-waste events and local segregation campaigns. His action has reduced dumping locally, created awareness on waste management and moved the other students to act.
It is not the cleaner city like Aarav says but it is the cleaner conscience. What happens in his story is the consequence of a young man who is in quest of direction rather than passivity, and as such, change does not happen in big systems, but in a small one, steady and continuous. It is a metropolis that does not understand how to stop polluting and overconsuming, and the action of Aarav is the wake-up call the fact that a sustainable future can be created by one person dedicated to it.
