Case Story: Aadarsha Yadav’s Journey towards Zero Waste

Aadarsha Yadav, a 13-year-old student in class Five at Tika Vidhyashram School, embodies the transformative power of education in environmental stewardship. Originally from Sarlahi, Aadarsha now lives in Jhamshikhel with his cousins after the tragic loss of both his parents. Despite the challenges he has faced, Aadarsha’s story is one of resilience and a growing commitment to sustainability.

Before participating in the Zero Waste session at his school, Aadarsha had little understanding of waste management. Like many others, he would dispose of all types of waste in a single bin, unaware of the environmental impact. However, this changed when he attended the Zero Waste session, which opened his eyes to the importance of waste segregation and the broader principles of the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

The session was a turning point for Aadarsha. He learned not only about what constitutes waste and its various sources but also the critical need for proper waste management practices. The hands-on activities, especially those focused on the 3 Rs and composting, left a lasting impression on him. He particularly enjoyed making a newspaper bag from old newspapers, a simple yet powerful demonstration of reuse. The composting session was another highlight, providing him with practical knowledge and skills that he found both fascinating and empowering.

Motivated by what he learned, Aadarsha took immediate action at home. He convinced his cousins to buy three separate dustbins for different types of waste and ensured that everyone in the household adhered to proper waste segregation practices. His proactive approach did not stop there; Aadarsha eagerly shared his newfound knowledge with his friends, teaching them about waste reduction and other vital practices he had learned.

To further his commitment to waste management, Aadarsha has created an eco-diary in which he meticulously documents everything he has learned about managing waste effectively. This eco-diary was created after stitching together leftover, unused pages of old notebooks and re-created into a diary, which has now become a personal guide for him, a repository of strategies and information that he refers to regularly.

Aadarsha Yadav’s journey from limited knowledge to becoming a young advocate for zero waste is a testament to the impact of education and the potential for individual actions to contribute to a larger environmental cause. Making good use of the knowledge gained in the ZWAS sessions, him sharing the learned practices at home, has not only furthered the understandings about effective waste management into society, but has also led him to become an exemplary role model for it, amongst his cousins and neighbours. Moreover, his enthusiasm and dedication has not just been limited to the waste management practices learned in the ZWAS sessions as he consistently looking to better his existing waste management practices and is always on the lookout for more innovative ventures and approaches for a sustainable waste management, thereby rendering him a beacon of hope for a sustainable future.