Guest Lecture Week 4

Name: Mehr Un Nisa Javed 

Date: 25th Sep’2019

Professor: Marcela Godoy 

Objective: Document the week 4 guest lecture

Guest Lecture+ Interview 

We got to have a guest lecture and interview a person who works with the trash in Shanghai. He shared his experiences and said thathis basic role is to recycle trash and sell it. As far as his working hours are concerned, it takes longer for him to work otherwise; trash collection time is evening. His job finishes around 10:30 pm and goes back home at 11 pm. He starts job around 5 am in the morning. If certain companies call him then it takes longer because he needs to collect more trash.

Then, he talked about the new regulations imposed and said that after the new policy related to trash there is less trash for him to collect now and things and overall, the city is cleaner now. This shows that things are improving with more people following laws and trash related rules. Mostly around 2/10 people do not follow the rules. Thus, shows that 90% of the people do take care of the laws.

 

Then, we asked him some questions which he answered;

 

Where does toxic waste go?

Toxic trash is very low and actually quite rare that people would give him batteries. Although, it’s not in high quantities but when it is there then they would call the right people and they would come to collect it up.

 

Which sort of people do not follow the rules and regulations, (basically what are the demographics)?

It usually the people from Shanghai who are not very concerned and do not follow the rules. People from other cities usually listen and follow the regulations. Thus, we can conclude that its mainly Shanghainese people and mostly the same families who disregard the laws.

 

How do they control the people who disregard the laws?

If someone is not following the regulations, then they take their picture and give that person 3 chances. If even after that the person does not listen, then they are reported to the community Centre.

 

Finally, he also appreciated our Professor Marcela for leading such class because it raises awareness especially amongst the foreigners about Shanghai’s trash management practices.  

 

I really found the talk very interesting and it kind of helped in illuminating because I got to know what actually happens to our waste in shanghai and what are the conditions of the people who work in this business. It definitely helped in understanding the working conditions of such people and what motivates and demotivates them in their job.