Wealth from Waste: Folk Culture

January 22, 2022

Waste is a natural by-product of the phenomena of life and growth of societies. It is viewed as unwanted or unusable material that has been disposed or discarded after primary use. Plants shed leaves, animals excrete. Humans in their day to day life create a boundless heap of waste of countless variety.

Efficient handling of waste is an important factor in the developmental progress of any nation and the health of its people. Effective management of waste is now a national priority as seen through the Swatch Bharat Mission. This seeks to sensitize every citizen, especially the young, and make them a partner in creating a clean nation.

To bring about an awareness about waste management and how it can be converted to wealth, the folk culture club organised a programme on “Wealth from Waste” on January 22, 2022.

The students took the initiative and converted old unusable items into baskets, Lamp shades, pen holders, night wear slippers from cardboard, paper basket and several other useful materials were prepared and demonstrated before the audience and the resource person.

Mr. Raviraj, Dr. Satheesha K, Ms. Swathi, all Assitant Professors, were the judges. Ms. Bhakthi Joshi, II B.A secured the First Prize. Ms. Jenvitha and Ms Shabiya, II B.A have been placed as the second and third prizes winners respectively.

Prof. Hemalatha, convenor of Folk Culture Club, proposed vote of thanks. Ms. Varsana, the secretary assisted for the smooth conduction of the programme.

Objective:

The objective of the programme was to understand

  • The challenge posed by waste and its impact on environment and health;
  • How day-to-day activities generate waste;
  • Classification of different types of waste and mechanisms for their disposal;
  • Concept of 5r: refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover;
  • Hazards posed to health and environment and safety measures to be adopted in handling waste;
  • Innovative processes that generate products from waste creating wealth;
  • The scope of livelihood generation through entrepreneurship.

The outcome of the programme was:

Students knew to classify the different types of waste, the Concept of 5 Rs namely Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Recover, innovative process to generate products and make wealth from waste, and self-employment opportunities.