Educating on waste management - creating a conscious planet collectively

I have been wondering, what happens to the toilet waste generated by us, where does it collectively go? How is it treated? Why was the knowledge of such a simple question not in my understanding all this while? Especially for something that I produce everyday, for an activity that is performed by all everyday.

It then occurred to me, I was never introduced to the waste management life cycle knowledge in school or college, and we never bothered finding out. Out of sight, out of mind.

Importance of including waste management life cycle in school syllabus:

• Relevance of this knowledge:

At a very young age, we will be able to understand what happens to what we consume and the waste we generate, where it goes, how it gets treated thereafter. We may not realise the importance of this at a young age. But as adults when we become active buyers and consumers, we will definitely think of the larger life cycle of the product, that goes beyond us. Or atleast question it.

• It is all us, just in a different form:

When we look at the overall life cycle of an item, say a fruit we consume and excrete and the processing of the waste matter, we will start to think of it as a part of us, just in a different form. 

• Normalising professions related to sanitation:

It will help in normalising waste processing and related jobs, aka humanising  our 'kachrewala' , rag pickers, waste segregators, sanitation workers etc.

• Taking a different approach to consumerism:

It will affect how we now consciously approach consumerism. We will subconsciously be aware of what will happen to the products after we 'consume' them. This sub-conscious thought is the seed for humanity to be sensitive towards 'Dumping' our waste on planet Earth.

• Building a mindful generation for a greener planet:

If this is done at a very young age, it will subconsciously stay with the population, even in their growing and adult years. So when the same child becomes an adult, they will be more mindful about the waste they generate and where it goes. It may not even require a difficult Govt. regulations to control waste generation through manufacturers, retailers even individual consumers. We could be subconsciously raising a more conscious generation.

Hence, making an effort to teach children in school about waste management life cycle is very important. There has to be a start, to create a more mindful generation, a generation that will be more aware of how they treat, and what they eat.