Desher Kaj
Old medicines, batteries and e-waste kept apart
Going house to house in one neighbourhood: expired medicines, old batteries, dead phones and bulbs go not in ordinary waste, drains or fire; keep them apart; then one collection day, handed over the way the municipality asks.
Area
Dhaka
People
5 people
Time
About 6 hours
Difficulty
Easy
About this task
First, learning from the municipality’s or city corporation’s waste section how they will take these things. Then leaflets house by house in one neighbourhood: expired medicines, old batteries, dead phones, chargers and bulbs go not into drains, ponds or fire, and not within children’s reach; keep them in a separate packet. On a set day, collection in three separate boxes, and handover the same day the way the municipality has said.
Why it matters
Old batteries and electronics hold substances that do harm when they seep into soil and water; burned, they give off toxic smoke, and batteries can burst. Thrown-out medicines are a danger in a child’s hands and harm the environment in water. The simplest step is to keep them apart from ordinary waste.
What changes after
At least a hundred homes know what to keep apart; three boxes filled on collection day; a written receipt from the municipality for the handover.
Who can join
Anyone; with someone from the ward councillor’s office, talking to the municipality is easier.
Step by step
- 1Done
First learn where it goes90 min
Ask the municipal or city corporation waste section, or the ward councillor’s office, how and where they will take these things.
- 2Done
Leaflets, house by house150 min
Three points: not in drains or ponds, not in fire, not within children’s reach; keep them in a separate packet. The collection day and place written on it.
- 3Done
Collection day and handover120 min
Three separate lidded boxes: medicines, batteries, electronics. Handed over the same day the way the municipality has set, with a written receipt.
Checklist to get ready
- Leaflets · ২০০টি
- Sturdy lidded boxes · ৩টি
- Gloves · জনপ্রতি ১ জোড়া
When it counts as done
- Leaflets in at least a hundred homes, with a list
- A photo of the three separate boxes and a written receipt for the handover
Proof required: Photo, Document
⚠ Safety
Do not open, break or burn batteries or devices. Put swollen or leaking batteries in a separate plastic bag. Never give or sell any medicine to anyone.
What it costs
| Printing (leaflets, checklists or instruction sheets) | 200 leaflets | ৳2–5 |
| Sturdy lidded plastic boxes | 3 | ৳250–500 |
| Gloves | 5 pairs | ৳60–120 |
| Zip-lock bags (for leaking batteries) | 1 pack | ৳100–200 |
| Total (about) | ৳1,500–3,500 | |
Getting ready, step by step
14 days before
Visit the waste section to learn how they will take these things; get it in writing or note the officer’s name.
7 days before
Print the leaflets: three points, the collection day and place.
Split the neighbourhood into pairs.
3–5 days before
Leaflets house by house, with a list of homes reached.
Collection day
Collect in three boxes, hand over the same day, get a written receipt.
Who does what
- Lead (1): Deals with the waste section, the handover and the records. — ____________
- Leaflet pairs (2): Give the three points house by house, keep the list. — ____________
- Collection table (2): Wearing gloves, put items in the right box; leaking batteries in separate bags. — ____________
The day, hour by hour
- 15:00Gather, gloves, safety talk (no opening, breaking or burning).
- 15:15Three labelled boxes on the table: medicines, batteries, electronics.
- 15:30Take items in; note only counts, not who gave what.
- 18:00Close the boxes, photograph them, hand over where the municipality set, get a receipt.
What can go wrong, and what to do
- A battery heating up or catching fire → Swollen or damaged batteries go in separate bags, in the shade, away from other items; in a fire call 999 or 16163.
- Someone wanting the collected medicines → Give them to nobody; keep the box shut and someone beside it at all times.
- The municipality cannot take it at the last minute → Seal the boxes and keep them safe, dry and out of children’s reach; ask in writing for a new date.
Useful numbers
- 333Government information, services and complaints
- 999National emergency: police, fire, ambulance (free)
Questions people ask
- What if the municipality has no arrangement?
- Do not hold a collection day. Do only the leaflets (keep them apart, out of children’s reach) and give the municipality a written request, with a received copy.
- Can we not sell it to a scrap dealer?
- No. In many places wires are burned to recover metal, spreading toxic smoke. Give it only to the arrangement the municipality sets.
- Can I join if I cannot stay the whole time?
- Yes. Say in your request which step or which hours you can do. The lead will give that step to you.