Transcriber: Fady Bedir Reviewer: David DeRuwe
Namaskar, I’m Aaditya Thackeray.
Only recently I discovered that for the past so many years
I’ve been carrying a landmine on myself, just like many of you do.
As you know, a landmine is a device that once planted in the ground,
it will remain there forever, and if you step onto it by mistake -
in many war zones or post wars,
people, innocent people who have nothing to do with wars, are maimed forever.
This landmine is something that we need to take care of from today itself.
You must be wondering what I’m talking about -
a landmine on me, a landmine on you?
What is this landmine that we’ve been carrying around
and passing through security checks every single day, being undetected?
Now this is the landmine I’m talking about.
This small, little thing is a nickel cadmium battery.
Once planted into the ground as waste, thrown by us every single day as garbage,
unsegregated, not realizing what we’re throwing away,
this goes into our landfills and destroys our planet forever.
Going into the depths of solid waste management rules
and the way we dispose solid waste in our city, in our state,
in our country, and around the world,
I realize that a battery is probably one of the most hazardous
and toxic materials ever created by mankind,
probably more toxic than plastic
and any other material that we believe is harmful for us.
The battery cannot be destroyed for years at end,
but it will always destroy us at every step in our life.
By the way, all of us are guilty of this crime, of using such materials,
and not realizing what we are doing to this planet.
Well, we can start off today itself.
There’s a solution for all of these things we’re doing to the planet,
and that is why I’m here - to talk to you about what we can do.
Firstly, let's reduce the usage of all these batteries.
Yes we do need it for our hearing aids,
for our vehicles, for multiple more things that are really essential to us.
But do we need it in toys, decorations, trinkets? We don’t, really.
Let’s start reducing the usage of these batteries.
Two, let’s realize that these are hazardous materials.
If we can dispose of them very, very safely in a very scientific manner,
starting from our own households, we probably are making a better planet.
And third, let’s create a financially viable model
so that we can use these batteries safely,
yet there is a circular economy that we are building for a better planet.
At present, lithium ion batteries, nickel cadmium batteries
are not a part of any formal structure of solid waste management like the EPR.
Currently, our waste of lithium ion batteries and nickel cadmium batteries
is it about 2000 metric tons a year,
but with the revolution happening in electric mobility
and multiple more objects, it’s about to rise to 50,000 tons a year.
Now this is where we need to step in.
We probably could build an EPR system,
just like it is for tin, for glass, for sanitary pads around the world,
for the batteries to go back safely to the place it really belongs to,
a safe disposal mechanism.
However, perspective lies in the eyes of the beholder.
It is for all of us, citizens alike around the world,
to believe that every battery can be converted to a piece of value.
Every piece of waste can be converted into a coin.
Now this, like I said, is for the manufacturers, the suppliers,
for the consumers to realize - that how we dispose of waste is really in our hands.
For us to commit to action,
that is a clean world, a better world, a healthier world,
it is for us to again act on our actions that use batteries,
dispose them safely,
and create a better future for all of us alike.
We are all responsible and guilty for this crime.
If we choose to act now, we can start cleaning up what we’ve done to the world.
Again, this is my firm belief:
We have no time to act.
If we've got to save our planet, if we've got to save ourselves,
the time to act is now.