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| Recycling and Composting 2024 Tour |
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Amma says, "Nature is our first mother. She nurtures us throughout our lives. Our birth mother may allow us to sit on her lap for a couple of years, but Mother Nature patiently bears our weight our entire life. Just as a child is obligated to his birth mother, we should all feel an obligation and responsibility towards Mother Nature. If we forget this responsibility, it is equal to forgetting our own self. If we forget Nature, we will cease to exist, for to do so is to walk towards death." The amount of waste generated in North America is increasing as populations grow and consumption rises. Per the US Environmental Protection Agency, in the United States, as of 2018, individuals generate an average of 4.9 pounds of waste per day. The World Bank projects global waste to grow by 70% by 2050, largely driven by population growth and urbanization. High-income regions like North America generate disproportionately high amounts of waste—around 34% of the world's total despite having only 16% of the population. |
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| Producing new materials leads to greater environmental damage from mining, logging and drilling, as well as the depletion of the Earth's finite resources like metals and minerals. Producing goods from recycled materials requires far less energy than using raw materials, such as the 95% energy savings in aluminum production. Greenhouse gas emissions and pollution are also reduced by diverting waste that would otherwise be incinerated or end up in landfills.
During Amma’s 2024 US tour, recycling and composting teams in each tour city took Amma’s message to heart and worked tirelessly throughout the programs to divert as much waste as possible from landfills and into recycling or compost facilities. As part of these efforts, recycling and compost stations were set up in multiple locations throughout the dining areas for visitors to drop off their dishes. Many children and teens participated as dish monitors, directing visitors on which bins to place their waste. Read the report of one young teen of his experience in the dish monitor seva (Perspectives From a Teen Dish Monitor). Teams in most cities were small, usually around 3 sevites (volunteers), and they worked diligently throughout the programs to sort recycling when mixed with trash whenever possible. Here are reports from some of the tour recycling and compost coordinators: Washington, DC |
 DC recycling dumpster |
| The team had a 20 yard dumpster reserved for the program and it was full after the event. During the 5 days of programs held at the National Conference Center in Leesburg, VA, a total of 3,033 lbs of food waste generated from meal preparation, dining room and staff room bins was able to be composted.
Dish sorting sevites in the dining hall contributed to trash sorting with some sevites diligently helping to sort all incoming waste, mainly leftover food and paper cups and napkins. |
 Amma Group Final Compost Weight |
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Boston, MA Recycling was very successful in Boston this year. Three days of programs generated an entire 30 yard dumpster (20 feet x 6 feet x 8 feet) worth of material. The recycling coordinator created a fun seva for children to motivate them to learn. They got to be a Recycling Superhero and receive their very own recycling sticker at the end of their shift. Each child was provided with a superhero recycling bag. The children went around with an adult to all of the stalls in the bookstore to collect used paper. The tour staff working at the tables praised the children for their heroic recycling efforts - thus building self-esteem and modeling that they have the power to make a difference. The Boston team was able to compost 600 lbs from food waste generated during the 3 days of programs at the Best Western Royal Plaza and Trade Center in Marlborough, MA. A local supermarket that previously accepted napkins, compostable plates and cooking oil in the past no longer did and they had to locate a new vendor to take these items. The team hopes that next year, Black Earth Composting, the vendor who took the food waste, might be able to pick up directly from the program saving labor and cost to transport the waste to their facility. Chicago, IL The Chicago team rented two 20 (cubic) yard dumpsters for trash and recycling needs for the three days of programs held at Amma’s MA Center in Elburn, IL. Seventy five percent of the total non-food waste was recycled (30 yards of waste recycled vs. 10 yards that was not recyclable). Ninety percent of all food waste generated from the kitchen, darshan hall, dining hall and staff room was able to be composted. Additionally, 4 large trash bags of soft plastic bags were able to be recycled. Oakland, CA The team felt that the recycling and composting seva went well and that they had great success overall. The hotel provided compost and recycling dumpsters. All food waste was composted! They were able to compost not only the food but also the paper plates on the last day, as well as the compostable cups used for the puja water. Ninety percent of paper plates, boxes, plastic, glass and cans were recycled and all flower clippings were also able to be recycled. |
 8 year old dish monitor, Vihaan and his mom Prasanna from Connecticut, helping visitors sort their waste in the dining room during the Oakland program. |
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Additionally, 4 oz paper cone cups were used instead of the plastic cups that the hotel was going to originally provide. This helped prevent water wastage and most of the cups were able to be composted with only some being thrown in the trash. All in all, the waste management throughout the tour was handled efficiently by tour staff and attendees. While we strive to reduce our waste where we can, properly sorting our waste (compostable food, liquids, trash, and recycling) allows us to further mitigate our impact at these large-scale programs. These efforts along with those of coordinators, sevites and visitors across all tour cities, demonstrate the impact that dedicated individuals can have when we heed Amma's message and work tirelessly to reduce waste. Not only did they divert large amounts of waste from landfills but they also inspired others to consider their own environmental footprints, a reminder that through conscious action each of us can make a difference. Reports collected by the GFNA team |
Read Perspectives From a Teen Dish Monitor in the Q3 2024 Newsletter >>
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