Diwali waste to wonder: Eco-conscious students of Delhi University step forward

Students from various colleges of Delhi University (DU) have set out to try and rid Delhi-NCR of the waste left behind after Diwali festivities.

The city dwellers are feeling the blues ever since their Diwali celebrations and the aftermath of firecrackers has left them gasping for breath. But there’s no stopping for the young guns in Delhi University, who have taken it upon themselves to not just sit back and feel helpless about the smog, but get up and take initiative to improve the situation by upcycling Diwali waste.

Students of SRCC's Enactus wing will be collecting firecracker residue for upcycling.

Students of ARSD College have so far collected over 70kg of floral waste and submitted it to an NGO for upcycling.

“We’ve been collecting used flowers around our college and homes. So far, around 12 of us have managed to collect over 70kg of floral waste that would have been otherwise discarded and forgotten,” says Tanushika Chaudhary, a final-year student of BA (Hons) English at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College (ARSD), who got together with her peers to clear the rubbish post Diwali. “We’ve identified several NGOs that convert floral waste into incense sticks and organic colour. All we want is the concept of a no-waste Diwali to become mainstream,” she shares, adding, “Our environment is a finite resource and we must not take it for granted. Before Diwali, we slave for hours to ensure that our home and surroundings are spick and span. And just a day after the festival, there’s so much waste that gets generated and honestly, it’s shameful.”

Youngsters from SGTB Khalsa are converting single-use plastic into a variety of stylish bags.

Sharing similar thoughts are the students of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College (SGTB). “The amount of plastic waste generated at Diwali is actually massive considering festivals should bring happiness and not make us worry about pollution in the environment,” says Aditya Ghosh, a second-year student of BA (Hons) Business Economics and president of the college’s Enactus unit, adding, “It’s not only firecrackers, but the wrappers that the products came in, the non-biodegradable packaging that’s used for gifts, and the plastic carry bags that are still readily available in spite of the ban. Single-use plastic is responsible for the death of over 1 lakh marine animals every year, and whatever is not flushed into the oceans is sent to the landmines which is another looming threat for us, especially in Delhi. Hence, we’ve decided to collect single-use plastic to convert it into different kinds of bags. From plaskits and planters to pouches and laptop sleeves, we’ve vouched to make plastic a fashion statement to give our planet a new lease of life.”

“In spite of the ban, countless crackers were burst during the entire festival and even afterwards. While AQI and noise pollution are serious threats, one of the more worrisome concerns is waste management,” opines Sundaram Solanky, second-year student of BCom (Hons) at Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) and president of the college’s Enactus unit. He adds, “We’ve decided to utilise the waste generated from the bursting of firecrackers by collaborating with the scrap dealers and waste collectors, as part of our outreach programme that also provides them with an additional source of income... We will be segregating the waste collected into cardboard and chemicals, and then upcycle it. After emptying the contents of the used or unused fireworks, including all of the metals and gunpowder, we give it a good brush and the cardboard is added to the compost heap. Cold sparklers can be used as plant ties... We also plan to make our own green firecrackers, which will store a variety of plant seeds, which once planted help increase the green cover in the environment.”