In Bengaluru's ongoing battle with urban waste management, a new challenger has emerged that's proving particularly difficult to tackle - the sentimental yet problematic world of trophies, mementoes, and awards. These keepsakes, once symbols of achievement and memory, are now creating significant headaches for the city's recycling infrastructure.
The Episodic Waste Epidemic
Saahas Zero Waste, a prominent solid waste management company operating in Bengaluru, reports receiving substantial quantities of what they term 'episodic waste' from various sources across the city. This category of waste, which includes awards, trophies, plaques, and ceremonial mementoes, poses unique challenges for recycling systems designed for more conventional materials.
The company specifically notes that educational institutions and resident welfare associations contribute significantly to this growing problem. These organizations frequently host events, competitions, and ceremonies that generate large volumes of such materials, which eventually find their way to waste management facilities.
Why Mementoes Are Problematic
Unlike standard household waste, trophies and awards often combine multiple materials in ways that make separation and recycling exceptionally difficult. A single trophy might contain metal, plastic, wood, and glass components fused together, requiring labor-intensive manual disassembly before any recycling can occur.
The episodic nature of this waste stream adds another layer of complexity. Unlike consistent waste flows that recycling facilities can plan for, these items arrive in unpredictable surges following events and ceremonies, straining processing capacity and creating logistical challenges for waste management companies.
Seeking Sustainable Solutions
The situation in Bengaluru highlights a broader environmental concern about single-use or limited-use items in our celebration culture. As awareness grows, some institutions are beginning to explore alternatives to traditional trophies and mementoes, considering digital certificates, experiential rewards, or items made from easily recyclable single materials.
For now, Saahas Zero Waste continues to develop specialized processes to handle this challenging category of waste, though they emphasize that prevention and reduction at the source would provide the most effective long-term solution to Bengaluru's episodic waste problem.
