Plastic Bags as Garbage Bins

An easy way to maintain a clean environment is to ensure that garbage is dropped in their respective bins and not on the streets. This may seem obvious, but sadly, is not so, for lack of civic sense sometimes stems from lack of garbage bins in the city itself.

Observation:

Garbage disposal has always been a problem, not only at an individual level, but also at the level of governments. Ensuring that people do not litter the streets is possible only when sufficient grabage disposal units are provided at every other corner. But providing these big bins alone does not solve the problem. Collecting the garbage from the bins / emptying them into larger containers and more importantly, handling the potential issue of the bin itself being stolen overnight is something that requires lot of thinking. Paris (France) has done a beautiful job in tackling this problem. This post details how this has been done.

Suggestion:

The solution to the problem of garbage disposal is quite simple:

1. Instead of garbage bins, shift to garbage bags hanging from circular holders (see picture). These would be large transparent polythene bags, that are sturdy enough to hold few kilograms of garbage.

2. Ensure that the city is liberally sprinkled with garbage bags, one every 50 mts.

3. Garbage collection is made extremely simple with this design, for the bags simply need to be dumped in the trucks without the added task of emptying the bins. A new garbage bag can then be placed in the holder. This also reduces the accidental spillage of garbage from the bins that may take place when the bin is being emptied.

4. Transparent bags provide easy visibility to the contents inside. Apparently, this model was adopted in Paris after a bomb scare in the garbage cans. Transparent garbage bags also overcome the potential problem of bombs / undesirable objects being hidden inside.

5. Last, but not the least, these garbage bags hardly require much investment or infrastructure. Placing them liberally all across the town / city would instead bring down the additional cost that would otherwise be incurred in keeping the city clean.

Garbage bags thus seem a sure-shot way to clean up the city automatically, develop civic sense in people, make garbage collection a far easier job and also bring down the cost of keeping the city clean. So, go ahead and spread this idea in your own city and make it clean!

Log and Garden-Spade Benches

This post is inspired by my recent visit to the "Tulip Gardens - Keukenhof" in The Netherlands, and motivation by a dear friend who suggested that I re-start my blog after a long hiatus. So, here is a design for a seating facility that is simple, yet so creative, and blends really well with the surroundings.

Who doesn't like to sit in the garden and bask in the Sun? Not many of us have that kind of luxury. But for those who do have, this design is really simple, very friendly (no use of plastics), innovative and at the same time, blends very well with the backdrop of a nice, small garden / park. The log of the bench can be that of an old tree that has practically reached the end of its life cycle, and the back-rest of the bench can be made out of the three-pronged garden spades, with the prongs fixed to the log, and the handle serving as the back-rest (see picture) . The spades sticking on to the log gives a rustic, rural feel to the entire design. The seats are not only easy to make but as the spade handles are well rounded, they are safe for children as well.

To sum, small gardens / parks can easily be equipped with log benches that not only serve the purpose well, but employ a design that is creative, stylish, simple and also extremely practical.

Replacing wooden wheels of Bullock Carts

The bullock cart (also known as a bullock wagon or bullock team) is a common means of transportation used traditionally since ancient times in many parts of the world. They are still used today where modern vehicles are too expensive or the infrastructure does not favor them. Bullock comes from the old English for castrated male cattle. Used especially for carrying goods, the bullock cart is pulled by one or several bullocks or oxen. The cart (or a jinker) is attached to a bullock team by a special chain attached to yokes, but a rope may also be used for one or two animals. The driver and any other passengers sit on the front of the cart, while load is placed in the back.

Observation:

The invention of the WHEEL definitely brought about a revolution of its own. It made transportation of goods much easier. Traditionally, the Bullock Cart wheels are made of different types of wood and sometimes, the rim is covered with metal sheet as well.

Suggestion:

It is a well known fact that rubber tyres fitted on wheels use lesser force as compared to wooden wheels. Charles Goodyear, and John Dunlop have established this quite conclusively. However, when the entire world is moving towards better cars and tyres every day, there are still thousands of bullock carts that still have wooden wheels.

The result:

• Excessive load on the bullocks, leading to fatigue and health issues related to the animal.
  
• Speed of the carts is slow.
  
• Efficiency of the bullock-carts is low.

What can be done about it :

The Government of India can undertake replacing all the wooden wheels with that of rubber tyres suitable for farming. This would not only decrease the load on a vast majority of animals , but also increase the efficiency of work (be it transportation or farming). A small increase per bullock-cart would accrue to a huge amount for the entire country. Second hand tyres are not that exorbitant. The owners of the bullock cart may not be financially well off to invest in the tyres themselves. However, where the government can spend millions, a few thousand more for the 'common man' would go a long way in improving the condition of people and the bullocks in many villages of the country.

Reusable Cloth Bags To Replace Polythene Bags

The credit for this post goes solely to my good friend Nandini Paniker. She wrote to me about the reusable cloth bags in response to an earlier post of mine titled "Multi-compartment Shopping Bags". Her idea is as follows:

Observation:

Vegetables and fruits when bought from the daily vegetable market, or even the supermarket, need to sorted later. This not only is an added burden on time and energy, but is also quite a monotonous task. The other alternative is to use 'Plastic / Nylon Covers' which again is not advisable from an environmental point of view.

Suggestion:

Nandini suggested carrying cloth bags to the markets, which would be extremely helpful in segregating the groceries right from the point they are picked up. The cloth for these bags need to be really thin, so that they can be directly put into the refrigerator, and the vegetables can have ample ventilation to breath.

Citing example of her mother, Nandini also suggested that these cloth bags can be readily made at home from old saris. My mother, too, on hearing this idea has made many such bags, and is having a much simpler time sorting vegetables every week. (A photograph of the bags that she stitched is uploaded above) A sample bag can be given to the local tailor, who can then churn out such small bags out of the surplus cloth left after stitching. It would not only lead to an increase in his revenue, but will also help people become more aware of the environmental issues related to use of plastic.

Thanks Nandini for a brilliant idea!

Increasing the efficiency of Pedi-Cabs

The "Cycle Rickshaw" or the "Pedi Cabs" is a very important and basic means of transportation for the common man, especially in developing countries. Not only does it provide pollution free means of conveyance, but also one that is affordable. The only place that it may really lag when compared to other means of transportation is the speed.

It is estimated that close to 2 million cycle rickshaws ply on Indian roads, carrying about 6–8 billion passenger / year. The exact number could be even greater, since there are no reliable records available. In some cities and small towns, they are the major means of transport. They provide employment to more than two million rickshaw pullers, are maneuverable, completely non-polluting and hence an environment-friendly means of transport.

Observation:

A normal pedi cab, as shown in picture, would have a speed of about 10 km/hr. The driver sweats it out in the Sun, gets tired due to the laborious nature of his work, but is still not able to earn enough since the rickshaw does not achieve the desired efficiency.

If I understand correctly, the height of the rickshaw body has a direct effect on the speed and efficiency of a vehicle. If the height is decreased, the torque decreases, the stability increases, and hence the speed increases. Bases on these observations, there are a few suggestions.

Suggestion:
In an attempt to bring back the glory days of the Cycle rickshaw, the structure of cycle rickshaw needs to be changed.

1. The early models used to weigh over 120 kgs, but this can be reduced to 90 kgs by means of an integral tubular frame that has excellent structural qualities. The weight can be further reduced by a fiber glass body which is so popular in VELO TAXIS (Germany).
2. The provision of a multi gear system specifically designed for rickshaws will give the rickshaw driver a tremendous advantage. He will gets less stressed and can ply more in a day without harming his health.
3. Most importantly, reducing the center of gravity by lowering the seating area of rickshaw or peddy cab would not only improve the stability of vehicle, but also increase efficiency. Independent studies on the rickshaw drivers plying these modern rickshaws have shown that they can ply them for a third longer and average earnings have gone up by close to 60%. Not only this, the speed of these rickshaws would greatly increase from 10kmph to 15-20 kmph.
   

A live example of the disparity in designs of Rickshaws can be seen in the pedi cabs of Delhi and that of Nanital. The ones in Delhi are built much higher off the ground, and hence are much slower. On the other hand, the ones playing on the roads of Nanital are faster due to a minor change in design.

A lot many variations have already been proposed for Pedi cabs, right from having a small motor, to solar powered ones. A lot of work is already being done to improve the Pedi Cabs. However, until the time VELO TAXIS or its equivalent is introduced in India, steps can definitely be taken to improve the efficiency of Rickshaws by a simple lowering of the foot board and the seat , making the lives of drivers much easier and better!

Floating Gardens To Tackle Food Scarcity

Observation:

The earth is covered only with 1/4 th of land, while the remaining 3/4th is purely water. Arable land is an even smaller percentage of the total land available. There is indeed scarcity of land for both habitation, and cultivation. With population growing by leaps and bounds, there are bound to be issues arising from using agricultural land for habitation purpose. Consequently, the agricultural produce is hardly sufficient for all in this world.

Suggestion:

Oceans receive ample amount of rainfall (fresh water) which largely goes untapped. Also, the sunlight received in may parts of the ocean is in abundance and also suitable for growth of plants. The problem: there is no land there to tap the rainfall and sunlight

The idea here is to make small floating platforms, about 2 feet deep (since most vegetables do not really require depth more than that) appropriate material. These farms can be self sufficient making use of the solar/wind energy for power requirements. These small blocks can be then joined together to make a large farm / garden which can be positioned in the oceans that receive good rainfall and sunlight. During some change of weather, these platforms can be relocated to a different part of the world. These can even be brought to the shores from time to time, the produce harvested, and a new crop planted again.

This same technique can be used for creating huge gardens of flowers, vegetables, pulses, corn , poultry farms to rear chickens and pigs etc. This methodology would specially be useful for countries that are suffering from serious shortage of food, or those which do not have enough land for cultivation.

Similar projects have been implemented by countries such as Japan for making "Floating Airports". Although, the platforms here are not quite floating in this case, and cannot be relocated, but these definitely solve the problem of not having enough land.

An elementary research shows that people have already come up with this kind of an idea, there are even books on this , and if I am not wrong, there are a few places where "Floating Fish Farms" have been implemented as well. However, I still feel that not many people are aware of this and this methodology to increase agricultural produce is still largely untapped. If implemented, millions of people would benefit from it!!

Reflective Surfaces to Reduce Fuel Consumption

Observation:

Almost all vehicles manufactured these days come with a built in Air Conditioner and a Heater. This is quite essential, given the excessive heat/cold outside, especially during certain times of the year.

However, as soon as the Air conditioner is switched on, the load on fuel consumption increases drastically. The main reason being: the car shell itself becomes quite hot when it absorbs the radiations from the sun. The AC goes into an overdrive, not only trying to cool the air inside, but also the metallic shell. Also, since darker colours absorb more heat, the fuel consumption for them is much higher as well. Hence, a Black BMW, though may look sleeker than a White BMW, consumes much more fuel than its white counterpart.

Suggestion:

By law, all the vehicles should be made to have their rooftops as a "Reflective Surface" that would reflect the Sun's radiations instead of absorbing them. Also, the colours permitted for the external shell of these vehicles should only be light colours. People might argue that few cars are hardly going to make much of a difference in the level of fuel consumption. However, we are not talking of few cars, but of millions. A simple reflective paint on these vehicles can do wonders!!

Extrapolating this very idea, even office buildings, institutions for education, health care etc, where Air conditioning is extensively used, should go for Reflective Rooftops, so that the load on the AC can be brought down. Roofs should include high reflective surfaces which reduce the cooling load on the buildings and therefore reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

This would esspecially be of great economic importance in countries that are generally warm throughout the year and require lot of Air conditioning due to the weather conditions there. Also some form of economic incentives can be provided to people such as lower taxation, import duties etc. to get them to follow such energy saving methods.

After all, fuel such as Petrol/Diesel is a Non-Renewable form of energy. We have limited resources, and it is the duty of each one of us to use it judiciously. However, to expect each individual in the world to be concerned about the environment, is probably being too optimistic. Thus, in my opinion, it is imperative that laws must be passed that ensure use of such reflective surfaces.

Uses of Tyres

An interesting use of old tyre that my sister came across while touring Switzerland.

Observation:
Punctured, eroded tyres are of little use on the road. The material that they are generally made of is difficult to re-cycle and re-mould, and burning then produces a horrible smell. The best way to use them is either cut it and make some contraptions, or to use it as it is, for different purposes.

Suggestion:
The old tyres can be filled with concrete, with an upright signpost in the center. This type of contraption can be really useful where mobility of signpost is required. The signposts can be picked up and put in different locations in no time. These can be quite useful in fairs and exhibitions as well.

I did a casual search on the net, and came across quite a lot of other useful suggestions on the uses of old tyres. The links are as follows :

• http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf284146.tip.html
• http://www.ni-environment.gov.uk/usedtyresleaflet.pdf
• http://www.tirecrafting.com/

There was also an article that mentioned the Government of Spain thinking of passing a law to use old tyres while building roads. If other governments could also pass such laws, it would really help in preserving the environment by re-cycling products that have once served its purpose.

Using Expired Explosives to Increase Afforestation

This is solely my father's brainchild...

He came up with a fascinating idea wherein the expired explosives of the military can be put to CONSTRUCTIVE AND GOOD use.

Observation:

There are huge masses of rocky lands in the country, wherein there is dearth of green cover. The main reason for the lack of growth of plants in these areas is that the surface is ROCKY, and hence not suitable for germination, and the roots of the plants to penetrate the hard surface.

Suggestion:

The idea is to drill holes in these rocky areas and use the expired explosives to blast the rocks. This would lead to appearance of CREVICES which would be sufficient for the seeds to germinate and the roots of the plants to seep in. The rains during monsoon would provide the adequate water required, which would now seep down these crevices instead of getting washed away.

Purpose served: Expired ammunition has been put to good use to increase afforestation, and the water table too would increase at almost no additional cost.

The results may take some time to show as it would require the plants at least a couple of cycles to grow and survive. But an increase in vegetation by even 10% in an otherwise rocky and barren area completely devoid of vegetation is worth the wait !!!

Spitting and Defecating in Pulic

Spitting or expectoration is the act of forcibly ejecting saliva or other substances from the mouth. It is normally considered rude and a social taboo in many part of the world, though spitting can still be occasionally observed in some places. It is possible to transmit infectious diseases in this way.

Observation:

It is difficult to comprehend how people like to spit. Be it cough, paan, chewing-gum or plain saliva, some people just love to think that the roads are their own property, or rather, not their property and hence are free to spit wherever they please. The same goes for defecating, specially urinating. Boundary walls and tree trunks are a special favourite with most.

This not only spoils the envirmonment, making it highly unhygenic and dirty, but also spoils the beauty of a place and is taboo for any city wherein its residents are not concerned about the impression they give others. The trade-mark red spit of "paan" is omnipresent. Be it platforms, subways, boundary walls, inside local trains, bus stops, it can be seen almost everywhere.

Suggestion:

What can we do to put an end to this? Education is one major area that everyone can look into. But it definitely is a long process. Fining those who spit/urinate in public is another, but deploying more personnel to keep tabs is a costly propostion.

One way that I can think of is to arrange for 'SPIT PANS', especially in public places such as railway platforms, subways and bus stops. This would at least encourage a few people to spit there. However,am sure most would not!! And there is no stopping these kind of people, who don't seem to have any conscience. Thus, the best way to improve the looks of the public buildings would be to 'colour about 2 feet of the walls from the base to match that of the paan-spit'. In that case, even if these people were to spit, it at least wont be visible, making the environment look much cleaner and better. If we can't put an end to spitting, at least we can MASK so that the city looks much cleaner from an aesthetic perspective.

Sweeping Machines

Observation:

I'm sure all of you have at some point of time noticed the waste strewn all over the roads, platforms etc, and wondered why this is not being cleaned. In this age of technological advancement, ever thought about the "Sweeping Machines" instead of the "Sweeping Humans"?

Suggestion:

The self propelled, ride-on type machine models are designed and adapted to work on Indian road conditions / dust load.Traditionally, manual labour is deployed for sweeping the roads, station premises. During manual sweeping, more than 50% of the dust gets air-borne and the same settles down again on the roads.this impairs the cleaning efficiencey substancially and continues to be a nuisance due to vehicular and wind movement. In effect, the cleaning job remains incomplete. Further, the air-borne dust poses health haards not only to the cleaners, but also the the common passerby.There is also a tendency on the part of the sweepers to push the litter / dust on the railtracks, drains or leave them in one heap on the roadsides. While the roads and the platforms in the process appear clean, the drains become choked, and the railway tracks, a breeding place for most rodents.

The use of sweeping machine has lots of benefits:

• It is a faster means of cleaning.
• The collection of dust and litter is easier, operators of machine are not tempted to push the waste and dusts on the tracks / drains.
• The dust that is air-borne is much less leading to fewer health hazards to cleaners and passerbys.
• The collected material can be dumped or re-cycled at specific places.
• The sweeping speeds of the machines are much faster as compared to manual sweeping ranging from 4-12 Kms per hour.
• The same number of people employed to sweep the roads can cover a larger area ensuring better cleanliness throughout the city.
• The container capacity ensures that the machine is not required to be emptied at the dumping point frequently.

If the state governments and the Municipal corporation purchase these kind of sweeping machines , it would result in a much cleaner and healthier city!