Countdown to zero: Success story of Defence Colony waste-management initiative

While the urban municipal waste continues to grow into a bigger mess each passing day, community driven and managed waste management systems give hope for a sustainable solution. Such initiatives not only address the issue of clean and hygienic neighbourhood, but also of reducing dependence on the landfills. Here is a success story from Delhi's Defence Colony.

  Doors have opened and so have minds, says Usha ji

''Doors have opened and so have minds,'' says Usha ji, community mobiliser with Toxics Link's communities and waste programme, about the zero-waste community intervention in Defence Colony, in conversation with Toxics Alert.

  Focus on waste as a public health issue first! Not just as a resource for the industry

Flagging the issue of waste management as a critical public health and environmental concern, organisations, experts and professionals from across India have urged that the issue of waste management should not be reduced to projection of waste as an economic resource at the cost of the basic principal of waste reduction and its safe management.

  Global green certification for lead battery manufacturers unveiled at Auto Expo

A global green labeling system, Better Environmental Sustainability Targets (BEST) certification for lead battery manufacturers was launched at the recent Auto Expo in New Delhi.

  Delhi Government hospitals on track to eliminate toxic heavy metal mercury

Delhi Government hospitals are on the fast track to eliminate toxic heavy metal mercury from the health- care system. After the latest meeting between medical superintendents of 30-odd hospitals and representatives of the health department, it was decided that hospitals would not buy new mercury thermometers anymore.

  Wealth from waste

As Delhi grew, pushing its limits to include new colonies and sub-cities, it sat on a huge pile of garbage. The city’s landfills could take no more trash and the government’s waste management strategy was clearly not working. That’s when a few colonies in Delhi decided to act. A few Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs) and the environmental group, Toxics Link, have been working towards zero waste management to fill the gaps in the municipality’s system.

  Incentives for CFLs sans mercury safeguards pose serious environmental threat: Toxics Link and Greenpeace

In a communication to Sushil Kumar Shinde, Minister of Power, Government of India, Greenpeace and Toxics Link have expressed serious concern over the proposed market mechanism to bring down the price of compact fluorescent lamps (CFL), saying that it falls short in taking proactive measures to also handle the mercury contamination caused by CFLs and have urged that a clear road map for containing the mercury contamination from the CFLs during the entire life cycle of this product also needs to be made part of the proposal.

  Delhi Government to fund mercury awareness campaign by Toxics Link in Capital's schools

In a major move towards creating awareness on the environmental and health hazards posed by mercury, the Department of Environment, Government of Delhi, and Toxics Link have entered into an agreement on an intervention programme that will extend to 50 schools here.

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