Following a successful partnership where we helped create data for ROB’s dustbins and toilets proposal (http://www.transparentchennai.com/2011/03/07/spatial-mapping-of-chennais-beaches-by-rob-and-transparent-chennai/) we are teaming up again! This time we will help visualize their efforts to categorize the kind of trash found in the Adyar estuary, which they are doing to get an idea of what kind of garbage finds its way there. What they hope this will do is start a bigger conversation about the responsibilities of citizens with regards to the trash they generate.  After the categorization (based on type of trash, name of the company etc) they are planning to choose one product and trace its entire life cycle (from manufacture to where it finally ends up). We are really excited because a lot of their work can be mapped and the audits, which are every Saturday at 4:30 P.M at broken bridge will be video taped with vlogs and blogposts coming out every two weeks! All of this will be featured on our website- watch this space!

Below is the first post that they have written-

Last Saturday, both veteran and first-time Reclaim Our Beach members took a trip to Broken Bridge in order to survey the garbage found around the area. The stunning views of the water on both sides – the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean to the East and the tranquil Adyar Estuary waters to the West are spoiled by the layers of trash and lack of concern for the beautiful area. That afternoon, we began our journey to learn about this garbage: what types of products are most prevalent? Which corporations are present?  How and why did the garbage end up here? The point of this audit was not to clean up all of the trash, since it was found (from past clean-up experience) that within weeks it all just piles up again. Instead, we were (and still are) determined to understand how the process of this trash works, educate people, and change how we think about consumption.

It is startling to walk around the Broken Bridge. Along the shore of the Adyar River, a haven for over 143 species of migratory and residential birds, are countless silver wrappers, soda bottles, and even chappals and clothing! There are enough plastic bottles to cease manufacturing, enough schoolbags to send more children to school, and enough thermacole to build a raft. Yet, all of this trash ends up on the marshy land, disturbing nature and tarnishing the beach.

Starting with Zone 1 (depicted in the map below), we split up into teams of two and three and got to work. One member wrote down the information as others picked up and examined the trash. There were 6 main types of trash – plastic, rubber, thermacole, aluminum, silver foil, and composite, which were then divided up into subcategories. It was important that the corporation name was recorded for each piece of trash – PepsiCo, for example, for Slice Mango Juice.

A few hours later, as the sky darkened and complaints of hunger became more frequent, we put down our pens and trash. Although there was still much garbage on the land, we had each learned more about it. We had encountered trash that was from here in Chennai, all over India, and even occasional items from Europe or Southeast Asia! When researching the items that we found, most of them were manufactured by some huge corporation: PepsiCo and Uniliver were the most recurrent, but we also found many items belonging Nestlé, Britannia, Kraft Foods, and more. The main culprits found in this area were water, juice, and soda bottles – there were over 20 different types of drinks found – and silver foil packets that once contained food. Standing out among these normal pieces of trash were some eccentric ones, such as a purse and a completely intact helmet.

As you can see in the map above, there are 11 more zones that we must inspect. With eight people, it took us two hours to do just one zone. So, we need your help! If you are interested in helping the environment, learning about consumption and waste, or looking for a fun way to spend the afternoon, stop by the broken bridge on Saturdays at 4:30 for the next couple of weeks! We would really love your help.

- Elina, a member of ROB

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