Wednesday Walk: My Teacher Says About Garbage

Wednesday, November 24, 2021, teachers in my country celebrate National Teacher's Day. I can't celebrate this historic day like the teachers, because I'm not a teacher for students in formal schools. I am just a student who is remembering the services of my teachers in the school of life. Whenever I remember the services of my teacher, I always remember the song “Terima Kasihku”, a song that teaches about the importance of thanking my teacher.

Today I also thank the teachers who have taught about the importance of cleanliness and waste management. Especially to my uncle, Soenardhie Yogantara, an environmental activist who really cares about waste management. They say trash is gold. Gold is a valuable item. So, don't throw trash anywhere, because trash is a valuable item. As a valuable item, garbage is not to be thrown away, but stored properly. Keep trash in its place.

Organic waste is stored in a fertilizer or compost facility. Inorganic waste is sorted, selected and collected for recycling. Good waste management at home will produce zero waste.

Without caring about waste management, waste will become a threat to human health. Garbage that is allowed to accumulate will worsen the environment in which we live. Like what happens around my house. A lot of garbage is scattered in front of people's houses. Garbage accumulates beyond the capacity of the container. They said that the producers of the waste, the garbage that had piled up in front of their house was the result of the erratic waste transportation time. There are even times when the garbage collector is up to two weeks late.

Due to the delay of the garbage collector, many residents hang their trash on trees in front of their houses. So, the scene is very funny, there are mango trees bearing garbage, jackfruit trees bearing garbage, soursop trees bearing waste, guava trees bearing waste, breadfruit trees bearing waste, and so on.

They don't like sorting trash. They mix organic and inorganic waste into one container.

My uncle said, they are people who do not care about the importance of waste management at home. They think that they only pay enough money every month for garbage collection. This, he said, is a petty attitude in dealing with waste.

To manage waste requires humility. Arrogant people who only rely on money don't want to dirty their hands with garbage, even though their hands can use gloves. They hate trash. They are the ones who produce the waste. This is a strange mindset. Funny but annoying. That's what my uncle, the environmental hygiene teacher said.

I thank God, because I learned a valuable lesson from my uncle. With his teachings, I can manage waste. Organic waste becomes compost, and I give inorganic waste to scavengers for recycling. Garbage collectors will be very happy just to be given trash. He would sell the garbage he collected to a garbage dealer for recycling at the factory.

By managing my own waste at home, I don't have to rely on garbage collectors, although every month I still have to spend money for them.

"It doesn't matter," said my teacher who taught me the importance of sincerity in living life in this world. ***