Question

Rag pickers act as saviors for municipal corporations . Elaborate on their role in waste management

Answer 1

Ragpickers act as saviours for municipal corporations. Municipal solid waste involves household waste ,construction and demolition debris, sanitation residue, etc. Ragpicking is the cheapest mode of waste management,as they do this job in less time and wages. It helps in segregation of waste at ground and initial level. The ragpicking carry a magnet with them ,by which they segregate the metals from the garbage. Ragpickers also help to segregate the waste into biodegradable and non biodegradable ,and avoid mixing of two.
Some others examples are that they collect scraps of cloth and paper which can be turned into cardboard,broken glass could be melted down and reused.

Answer 2

Due to drastic growth in utilization of resources , the time is right for the proper management of discarded material to reduce undesirable effects on human health and the environment. The characterization and quantification of solid waste were greatly influenced by nearby communities and their economic status, while their sorting from primary collection points to dumpsites has been accomplished by other communities; rag pickers in most of the places. This task by these communities plays a crucial role in reducing the amount of recyclable and reusable material sent to land fill.