British-based global NGO, Muslim Hands International has launched a broad-based ‘Solid Waste Management Project’ in Mirpur, Azad and Jammu Kashmir (AJK), and emerged as a pioneering effort in state aimed at to revolutionizing the way solid waste was collected and managed.
When contacted. Head, Media Wing, Muslim Hands International, Qamar Atta, Raja told APP here that the project had not only focused on the collection of solid waste, but also placed a major emphasis on resource recovery, where the collected waste materials were recycled, reprocessed, and composted for further use.
Elaborating the salient features of the gigantic project, Qamar said al that as part of the project, each registered household was provided with two dustbins: one each for kitchen waste and general waste (such as plastics, glass, tin, etc.). These dustbins were provided free of cost to the users, after a minimal monthly service fee was charged for waste collection”, he added.
“Segregating waste at the source (households) was key to unlocking the full potential of the recycling and composting processes, ensuring materials were sorted appropriately before processing”, he said adding that additionally, the project team ensured that waste was collected at regular intervals, multiple times a week, guaranteeing consistent service, a cleaner environment, and facilitating the recycling and composting process .
He further said that such initiatives not only would contribute significantly to environmental prosperity but also facilitated a shift from a linear economy to a more sustainable circular economy model, through the reintegration and reutilization of the collected waste materials. “We successfully prepared compost from organic waste, marking a significant milestone toward creating a healthier environment”, the media wing head said.
Qamar Atta concluded that in future, this compost would be used in Muslim Hands’ plantation drives and distributed among locals to encourage planting.
“It will also serve to foster a sense of achievement among the community members, who will take pride in using compost made from their own waste, further nurturing their responsibility for the environment”, he underlined.
