Being a garbage man is not an easy job. It means getting up early, lugging heavy bags and cleaning up what others carelessly leave lying around (like in Amsterdam, where people put their waste next to the container when it is full).

In India, garbage men used to be part of the ‘untouchables’, the lowest caste within the traditional system. Officially, that system no longer exists, but in practice they still experience exclusion and discrimination. And that while their work is of inestimable value to society.
The least we can do is make their work a little easier. Simply by separating all our waste at home. That way they don’t have to go through piles of rubbish with their hands at the garbage dump later.

For the cows!

Separating waste isn’t just about recycling – it’s also about protecting life, both human and animal. In Delhi, I encouraged my team to separate food scraps. Why? For the cows that roam the streets and often eat plastic-laden waste, which can have disastrous consequences for their health. It may seem like a small gesture, but it can literally save lives.

My team initially protested. “Why bother? The garbage man will take care of it.” But slowly, something started to change. We introduced waste separation in the office, and now it’s something we’re proud of together. Proof that change is possible, if you do it together.

A vision for cleaner neighborhoods

Our dream? To spread this habit to the neighborhood and to the families of our team. We’re already thinking about a small campaign to make waste separation the norm.
It will take time. Just like in the Netherlands, where it took decades for no one to carelessly throw rubbish out of their car windows anymore. But every step counts. And with some patience, repetition and dedication, we can make the world cleaner and healthier. One container at a time.