India faces a huge waste collection problem which needs the public to take action. And a mechanical engineer responds to this by designing trash bins that can meet the country’s waste management needs.
At 87 years old, Mr. Ganga Narayan Ghosh could easily choose to live a retired life in peace. But he refuses to do so because he felt the urgency to help his country.
“I simply wish to see a clean and healthy India,” he says. Mr. Ghosh left the corporate sector as a mechanical engineer and his successful engineering business when he was 49 to dedicate his life to social work. Now he is making trash bins.
Source: Garbage Solutions’ Facebook Page
And they aren’t just any trash bins. It took him a visit to 192 cities in India and 80 cities of six continents to personally see how garbage collection is, before coming up with the design.
His patented designs are specially made for three reasons. One, the bins are totally covered to prevent the animals from grabbing the wastes inside. Two, the bins are elevated to inhibit it from being submerged. Three, which is the most unique, each bin has a sloping bottom, that helps in emptying waste due to gravity once the front hatch is opened.
“The opening through which garbage is pushed inside by the users will allow the material to fall downward in a heap. Cubic bins can never fill up all the way to the top anyway,” says Mr. Ghosh.
Moreover, the trash bins, which vary in three sizes, allow for easier garbage handling. They are all made of steel.
The small bin, standing atop a pole with a swivel, is easy to empty. The collectors just have to place the handcart underneath and turn the bin on its swivel for the entire content to slide out. Once released, the bin springs back to its original upright position. This type is ideal for bus stops, railways stations, parks, and footpaths. It costs about $18 to $22.
On the other hand, the medium-sized bin is about the size of a human. It has a container that is easily detachable from the wheel base. This type is best for small communities, housing complexes, markets, and schools, available for a $149 to $179 a piece.
Meanwhile, the large bin with a staircase is designed to load the garbage directly into a truck, apart from the conventional shoveling into cane baskets done by collectors in India. It has a sloping bottom which allows for easily sliding of the contents to the open
trucks. One will need $746 to $821 to purchase this trash bin.
Mr. Ghosh is now based in the United States but makes sure he travels to India annually to create a network of committed people to work on his project.
Source: The Better India
