One of the most annoying things about mess time, other than having to rush before time to get a hot plate of food, was watching students throw away large portions of uneaten food. Most of this wastage could be prevented if students cared about the impact food wastage has on every aspect of our lives especially the economy and environment.
India is the second largest agricultural producer in the world.
This means the kilos of food we waste adds to the existing deficit of ₹58,000 crores. If that wasn’t bad enough, we are also depriving the soil of all the nutrients found in these foods by dumping them improperly.
So, what can we do to stop wastage and increase the fertility of soil? Compost.
This is an everyday pro-environment solution for biodegradable waste. It sounds daunting, but actually, all you have to do to compost food waste is divide biodegradable waste from your kitchen into decent portions and mix them with soil. Simple!
The mixture or the compost replenishes the soil with the lost nutrients, leaving it fertile and healthy. Composting is an important, inexpensive and effective step for the Indian economy and environment.
The great Amitabh Bachchan explains its potential in a Swacch Bharat campaign.
Halima is an intern at Youth Ki Awaaz.