I’ve touched on the importance that educating the public seems to be in making sure SWM initiatives become successful. If the public doesn’t know about it, no one can get behind it in large enough numbers for it to be successful long term. In Chapter 11, informing the public as a key to successful SWM returns but expands into the realm of marketing.

It seems like a tough sell. They say sex sells, but how do you make compost sexy? Well, as this portion of the text explains, you can’t even get to that question until you commit to the policy of actually trying to market.

The chapter begins be re-visiting issues we are all familiar with my now in the text, but examines further what exactly the demand for compost is in Hyderabad. Who is actually interested in using it? And is there enough demand to even warrant a focus on this area? As it turns out, about 85% of the farmers interviewed for this paper expressed an interest in using urban compost in their fields citing the many benefits to their yield from using it. However, as previously mentioned, the contamination of organic waste by broken glass, plastic and metal have turned most farmers off of using it. Also, when asked how much farmers are willing to pay for high quality compost, most were uncertain. Like farmers, other consumers of compost are often unsure what a good price for compost would be, which hints at a  lack of knowledge as to the benefit of compost and the labor involved in producing it. Without this knowledge, it’s impossible to know what to pay. This uncertainty is also another turn off for farmers.

The article mentions several private companies and NGOs that have made composting their priority and summarizes the varying range of success. Private companies that invest in research appear to make the most profit from their compost, presumably because they have been able to research how to make a superior product. Private companies also have another benefit – Marketing. They can afford to market their product in a way small NGOs can’t due to lack of resources.

Another gap in the marketing of compost comes from the persistent problem of getting households to separate their trash. In some populations it is due to lack of motivation. In others, it is a simple lack of education about the benefits. This is where NGOs shine (or could shine) NGOs have a more direct relationship with the public and, if appropriately subsidized, could produce educational materials for the general public to increase awareness. This is already done to some extent but needs more support from the government.

The article touches on the role of government in educating and marketing. MHC itself shows little interest in reviving a public option for composting due to earlier failures. They appear to, at most, halfheartedly promote private endeavors. Their support of industries that are involved in Waste-to-Energy processes like pelletization stands in direct conflict with compost production. Pellets require mixed waste, whereas, compost requires pure organic waste. In this way, Agriculture and sustainable environmental practices take a back seat to energy production.

Finally, the article takes a look at Bengaluru (Bangalore) by way of comparison to Hyderabad in terms of its organic SWM initiatives. Bangalore comes up consistently in articles I read on this subject and I’m beginning to think it should be on my itinerary for my trip in September. It appears to be a hub for Biotech, agriculture and environmental studies and it is home to several successful compost companies and initiatives.

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On another note, the weather is finally consistently warm now, which means I’ll finally be starting my ‘One Piece’ project as well as visiting my local Waste-to-Energy/Compost facility. Updates to come soon! =)

 

-Ashley