Waste on trial! (updated with glossary)

8:15am. Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, Lagos, Nigeria.

The courtroom door opened so gracefully that no

one noticed until a pair of moist wheels were heard to give a continuous hiss as they strolled in from the rear.

A rising stench, disturbing the once conditioned air , now left a trail onto these clean lined tiles....Who was that?

In this creative piece, we imagine that our 'waste' was dragged to court and charged for defacing the environment.

Sit back and enjoy the following dialogue as it portrays that the things, we discard or value less in our daily lives , could be more than we think!

(Courtroom door closes)

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From a rather unkempt moustache and a frown that fell from sheer disappointment, the plaintiff thundered,

"These innocent culprits have infiltrated our sanity and our negligence have become accomplices to these atrocities!"

Adjusting his sleeves for a second, he resumed,

"We failed to take charge and mount guard and systems to alleviate their probability!"

"Now even our garden-city might have been surrounded by these bandits," Chai!

"Listen!, as they encroached into our streets and our communities, disguised in feather-weight appearances.

They creep in with the morning dew yet stay consistent as sunset!"

Still in wonder... The plaintiff asked in sarcasm, "Who really are these bandits?..."

Now the defendants objected,( to the Judge) "Give us a chance, my Lord!,

we can be more!"

 "Sustained," replying from the Judge's bench, "Go on!" 

---

"How can you accuse us of such?",they began.

"We power streets in Ethiopia;

valued as currency in Kenya,"

The plaintiff now attempted a failed interception

"You mean you...." 

"Excuse me!," the defendants conquered back "Too good for roads, we have been spun into fibres for making clothes"

 "We have become more for those who know us beyond the streets; as in many factories and laboratories and still cherished by the finest craftsmen." 

At this, one could hear deep breaths walk into the room as tension rose onto the court's ceiling.

Now, they (the defendants) knew nothing could stop them.

"We are seen as wealth to many social initiatives; as new wine to enterprising locals who believe in their environmental responsibility.

We have become everything for some and something for everyone!...

 ...Indeed, it is your own negligence to our potential that has caused you this loss!"

The defendants paused for a moment and silence dropped into the well of the court.

"We now rest our case but we hope you understand that 'Waste' can 'Mean More' if you let it !"

With this, the court session was adjourned to a later date....

(Courtroom curtains close)

The message : Don't blame waste, blame those who see it as worth less.

Reuse what you have and recycle what you do not need!, Repair what's broken and Upcycle what you can't repair!

Yours with Mother Nature!

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We would like to thank our volunteer writer, Onyeka, for the idea behind putting Waste on trial!

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Glossary

Hello young reader, you can find the meaning of some difficult words as used in the article here.

Words and their meanings.

Accomplices - helper or companion.

Adjourned - to break off e.g a meeting for a later time.

Alleviate - make less or easier to bear.

Atrocities- wickedness.

Bandits -a robber, one of an armed band (attacking travellers in forests or mountains or today, banks etc).

Culprits- a person who has done wrong

Defendant -a person against whom a legal action is brought.

Discard-throw away.

Disguised- change the appearance of somebody or something.

Encroached -go beyond what is right or natural or miserable.

Infiltrated- to cause something or someone to pass through or into by filtering.

Moist -slightly wet.

Negligence -carelessness.

Plaintiff- the complainant who brings an action to a court of law.

Probability- to able to happen or occur.

Potential- what something can become that is usually not seen.

Rear- back part.

Sanity - to judge correctly or be of good heath of mind

Sarcasm- bitter remarks intended to wound the feelings or mean the opposite

Sheer- complete.

Spun- past participle of spin.

Stench- an unpleasant smell.

Trail- a mark or series of marks drawn or left behind by someone or something.

Unkempt- untidy/unclean.

Wheels- a circular frame or disc that can rotate in vehicles or other moving machines.

Thank you!