Bangaloreans get Environment-conscious

What do you do with things you do not need anymore? Discard them? Environment-conscious Bangaloreans either recycle, sell, donate or gift them.

Sample this: more than 300 people visited a two-day event held recently for sale of second-hand goods. The flea market, called Second to None, was held with an aim to reduce the quantity of garbage that goes into the city’s landfills.

About 35 sellers took part in it and more than 60% of the items were sold. Encouraged by the response, the organisers are now looking for space to organise the market for the second time in October end.

One of the organisers of Second to None, Anu Gummaraju, said that people’s interest had grown in their initiative and they had received many queries.

She says finding takers for things that would have otherwise been discarded makes sense, money-wise and environment-wise. She adds that a flea market is a great place for bargain hunters as well as for those looking to get rid of things. People may find anything and everything at the flea market, be it computers, sewing machines, furniture, appliances, decorative items or even clothes.

Divya Bhandarkar, a resident of Brigade Gardenia apartments in JP Nagar, encouraged the residents to segregate waste at source and now about 250 households do exactly that. The usable items are donated to Samarthanam Trust. She says the building association is interested in taking the programme further.

Recycling muse
Bhandarkar committed herself to the task after noticing the contrast between foreign countries and India in terms of cleanliness. Having been to Japan, Australia and the US, she saw how there was no garbage strewn around the roads. “Suddenly you come back and see the difference. If they can do it, why can’t we!” she asks.

In fact, she says Indians living abroad strictly follow the rules regarding waste disposal there but revert to their apathetic ways upon returning here. She says she has met people who have followed the practice of waste segregation in foreign countries but are reluctant to do it here. Unless the city corporation or the respective building association makes it mandatory, there are little chances such people will mend ways, she says.
 

Attitude change
Gummaraju says the attitude towards consumption, sense of ownership, importance attached to new things is changing. Earlier people were averse to use something that has been used by someone else but now that mentality was losing ground. Bhandarkar too feels eco-friendly mentality is seeping in.

She says her works such as awareness campaigns, celebrating green day and speaking to people have brought positive results.