GREEN, BLUE, RED and BLACK! We all know these colours undoubtedly. The last time when I wrote about the four-stream segregation system, I relied on AI technology to generate four types of bins according to the Solid Waste Management Rules 2026, which were enforced by the Government of India starting April 1, 2026. However, I overlooked the colour codes suggested by these rules. Both the AI and I made an error in this regard. When someone pointed out the incorrect colour code in my representative sketch, I realised my mistake. The person who commented on my sketch in a social media group was quite vocal, urging me to withdraw it from circulation. She may be a municipal official, but I’m not certain. I assured her that I would correct the error, as it was indeed a mistake. It’s common for us to feel defensive when our mistakes are highlighted, but in my case, it was simply an oversight due to my reliance on AI. It’s important to remember that we learn through trial and error in life. But what is a big deal about colour? In the SWM rules 2016, two colour bins were highlighted, namely green and blue. But the reader will agree that not many were so concerned about the colour. We used the bins interchangeably. I have seen many green bins with dry waste and blue bins with mixed waste. Let the Municipal officials touch their hearts and say, how many followed the colour code religiously. When waiting for the boarding call at an airport, I sipped a cold drink from a Tetra Pak. Not so happy with the taste, I wanted to discard it in a blue bin, but I was in a dilemma whether the tetra pak was dry or wet because the wet content was still inside. A used toothpaste tube always has leftover wet contents. Swiggy or Zomato pizza and cakes had sticky food contents in the wraps. We used to dump the dry wrap with wet contents in dry bins. Google AI suggests that it’s better to put it in general waste than to contaminate dry recyclables. But where is the general waste bin? If General bins are also placed, everyone will use the same only. Then the very purpose of segregation at source is defeated. But, don’t worry, most of us are colour blind, and we will continue to mess up with the colours for sure! My main concern now is whether the 4-stream waste segregation system will be effectively followed. When discarding waste, individuals need to determine if an item is dry, wet, sanitary, or hazardous. However, the world is moving at a fast pace, and many people don’t have the time to consider these details. Additionally, education in our country is often insufficient for understanding the basics of waste management. Even those who are well-educated try to find shortcuts for disposal. Recently, I witnessed a high-end car speeding by, and someone inside irresponsibly threw a plastic bag of food waste onto the roadside. Would this obnoxious behaviour happen in advanced nations? It is another matter that we often boast that we are the third-largest economy!
Dr V Selvarajan 