This creates a range of problems like diseases, land pollution, underground water pollution, and even the least expected air pollution. All of these affect the whole of Chennai and not just the areas where waste is dumped. You can change this by throwing it differently and disposing of it right, you’ll be sending almost nothing to the landfill.

It’s okay if you didn’t know this till now. It’s okay if you knew and didn’t act on this till now. You can start by joining the #TrashItRight movement right now, and we are here to help you get started and support you along the way. A small step that each of us can take within our own homes to segregate waste correctly, can affect a huge change.

  1. Get a TrashItRight kit: 2bin-1bag (Already have one? Great!)
  2. TrashItRight (wet/organic waste into the green bin, reject/bio-medical waste into the red bin, recyclable/dry waste into the bag)
  3. Take a picture of you with 2bin1bag, post it on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter, using the following hashtags along with your kuppai journey! #TrashItRight #NammaOoru #nof #GreenChennai2020 #SwachhBharat #LessToLandfill
  4. Tag www.facebook.com/nammaoorufoundation, 5 of your friends and challenge them to take it on
  5. In Facebook search for the “Trash It Right” photo frame and put it on your profile pic.

Small drops make an ocean… Small efforts create a movement…Be part of the #TrashItRight movement. Be a changemaker!!

Click here to download the instructions.

2 bin 1 bag Segregation Kit

Two color-coded bins and a Bag make an ideal source segregation kit.

  • Green bin for Wet Waste – Vegetable /fruit peels and solid food residue and garden remains. Remember to drain out all liquids.
  • Red bin for Rejects such as hair, nail clippings, sanitary waste, sharps.
  • The bag can be used to collect recyclable materials like paper, plastics, packaging, etc. that are clean and dry.

Home Composting Kit

Two 50 litre aerated bins with lid; One 9 liters bucket to store the Bio-clean mix; Set of 2 bio-clean bricks to start the composting process

  • Loosen up the bio-clean brick with water. Each 700 gm. brick will need about 850 ml of water. Pour water slowly over the brick and wait for it to expand and crumble.
  • Store the loosened bio-clean mix in the airtight bucket given.
  • Create a base bed in NOF’s aerobic bin as a first step to start layering your wet waste to start the composting process.
  • Base bed should be 1/5th of the height of the bin or 20% of the volume.
  • The base bed can be created with cardboard pieces, fresh compost, bio-clean mix, or a combination of any of these.
  • Spread your wet waste collected in your green bin, over the base bed evenly.
  • Non-vegetarian waste can be added too to your composting bin.
  • Cover it up with a layer of bio-clean mix.
  • Make sure the bio-clean mix layer covers the organic matter fully without any exposure to keep away flies and insects.
  • Ensure oil, liquids are not added to the organic matter.
  • On a daily basis while layering wipe off the ‘sweat ‘or moisture from inside the lid.
  • Repeat the process till the bin is full.
  • Once full, set aside the bin and start the second bin.
  • Within 30 days from the date of setting aside, your compost will be ready.
  • The final compost should be moist (not wet), powdery with an earthy smell.
  • There could be partially composted material that can be put back as base bedding in the next bin.
  • The compost harvest can be sieved for use as potting mix along with soil or as it is can be used as soil top-up.

Be smart. Segregate at source and compost!

Click here to download the instructions.

Two 300 litre aerated bins with lid; One 50 liters bucket to store the Bio-clean mix; Set of 2 bio-clean bricks to start the composting process

  • Loosen up the bio-clean brick with water. Each 5kg brick will need about 8 liters of water. Pour water slowly over the brick and wait for it to expand and crumble.
  • Store the loosened bio-clean mix in the airtight bucket given.
  • Create a base bed in NOF’s aerobic bin as a first step to start layering your wet waste to start the composting process.
  • Base bed should be 1/5th of the height of the bin or 20% of the volume.
  • The base bed can be created with cardboard pieces, fresh compost, bio-clean mix, or a combination of any of these.
  • Spread your wet waste collected in your green bin, over the base bed evenly.
  • Non-vegetarian waste can be added too to your composting bin.
  • Cover it up with a layer of bio-clean mix.
  • Make sure the bio-clean mix layer covers the organic matter fully without any exposure to keep away flies and insects.
  • Ensure oil, liquids are not added to the organic matter.
  • On a daily basis while layering wipe off the ‘sweat ‘or moisture from inside the lid.
  • Repeat the process till the bin is full.
  • Once full, set aside the bin and start the second bin.
  • Do mark the date on the bin to keep track.
  • Within 40-60 days from the date of setting aside, your compost will be ready.
  • The final compost should be moist (not wet), powdery with an earthy smell.
  • There could be partially composted material that can be put back as base bedding in the next bin.
  • The compost harvest can be sieved for use as potting mix along with soil or as it is can be used as soil top-up.

Be smart. Segregate at source and compost!

Click here to download the instructions.

Citrus Bio-enzyme recipe

Bio-enzyme is a multi-purpose natural cleaner produced through a process of fermentation with the help of beneficial microbes.

Ingredients

  • Jaggery
  • Citrus Peels
  • Non-chlorinated water
  • Airtight plastic container
  • Yeast (optional)

Ratio

1 : 3: 10 : Jaggery: Citrus Peels: Non-chlorinated Water

The ratio is very important for the successful harvest of Citrus bio-enzyme. A typical batch can have 1 kg of Jaggery,3 kgs of Citrus peels, 10 liters of water. This can be set to ferment in a 15-liter plastic container. If you use a cup to measure jaggery, use the same cup to measure the other two ingredients. Bio-enzyme is forgiving of little inaccuracies, but it is recommended to stay close to the prescribed recipe. The container should be kept in a cool, dry place and protected from direct sunlight and rain.

Process time

  • With active dry yeast – one teaspoon : 3 weeks
  • Without Yeast – first time : 3 months ( 90 Days)
  • When the harvested bio-enzyme or the pulpy enzyme is used as starters for subsequent batches the processing time is reduced from 90 days to 30 days.

Process

  • Add all ingredients in a Closed air-tight container.
  • Open and release gases every day for initial 10 days if yeast is used and let it rest for the next 11 days.
  • Open and release gases every day for the initial 30 days and let it rest for the next 60 days when yeast is not used.
  • Stir the contents once a day with a wooden stick for the initial period when opened to release gases.
  • Make sure it is closed airtight after releasing gases and stirring.

Pro-tips

  • Not releasing gas build-up can hamper the fermentation process leading to a probable explosion.
  • It is a near anaerobic fermentation process opened only to let out gas build-up hence needs to be closed airtight to avoid oxidization.
  • Opening for longer periods may attract flies that may lay eggs and result in a worm population in the bio-enzyme container.
  • In such cases add more jaggery and keep it airtight so the worms die.
  • A layer of white fungi on top is a healthy sign. They are nothing but naturally occurring yeast.
  • If the top layer is blackish then there is a process violation and the batch needs to be discarded Harvest.
  • After 3 weeks/3 months depending upon whether yeast was used or not your bio enzyme is ready for harvest.
  • By now the peels should have settled at the bottom.
  • Filter the contents with a clean cloth or any plastic sieve.
  • The harvested liquid is citrusy-smelling.
  • The Colour of the harvested bio enzyme could range from Orange to brownish.
  • The clear liquid on top is known as the Clear Enzyme.
  • The pulp of citrus peels can be blended in a mixie and used as a toilet surface and commode cleare, known as Pulpy enzyme.
  • It has no Expiry date and can e stored in a plastic or glass container.

Application

Clear Enzyme

  • As a floor cleaner, 50-80 ml in half a bucketful of water.
  • As liquid fertilizer for plants. 30 ml in one Lt. Weekly.
  • As disinfectant for kitchen countertop, wall tiles, stovetops.
  • To clean kitchen chimney.
  • To clear clogged drains.
  • As a dishwasher liquid with wood ash for abrasion.
  • As a fabric detergent with soapnut solution.
  • As a body wash, as Shampoo.

Pulpy Enzyme

  • The peels and thick residue can be blended into a paste and used to clean toilet, toilet seats and bathroom fittings.

Click here to download the instructions in English.

Click here to download the instructions in Tamil.

Disposable Plastic never goes away

• Plastic is a material made to last forever, yet more than 30% percent of all plastic – water bottles, bags, and straws – are used just once and thrown away.
• Plastic cannot biodegrade; it breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces.

Plastic affects human health

• Toxic chemicals leach out of disposable plastic are found in the blood and tissue of
nearly all of us.
• Exposure to them is linked to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine
disruption and other ailments.

Use and Throw Plastic spoils our groundwater

• There are thousands of landfills all over India. Buried beneath each one of them, toxic chemicals from plastics drain out and seep into groundwater, flowing downstream into water bodies.

Single-use Plastic threatens wildlife

• Wildlife become entangled in plastic, they eat it or mistake it for food and feed it to their young, and it is found littered in even extremely remote areas of the Earth.
• Every year 8 million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans.

Plastic piles up in the environment

• Chennaites discard 18 lakh tons of mixed waste every year, out of which very little is
recycled.
• The rest ends up in landfills, is burnt, or becomes litter.

Plastic poisons our food chain

• Even plankton, the tiniest creatures in our oceans, are eating microplastics and absorbing their hazardous chemicals.
• The tiny, broken down pieces of plastic are displacing the algae needed to sustain larger sea life who feed on them.

Click here to download the instructions.

Leaf Composting Instruction in Tamil – Download here

Namma Thooimai Brochure in English – Download here

Namma School Brochure in English – Download here

Waste Management Presentation in English – Download here

Bio-Enzyme Making Instructions in Tamil – Download here

Bio-Enzyme Making Instructions in English – Download here

Trash it Right Poster in English – Download here