“I took part in a volunteer action for waste separation and recycling in our district yesterday. The public has been insisting on introducing this system everywhere for many years, but the government doesn’t really care about environmental issues, and doesn’t control the companies who won tenders for waste recycling. Some companies got contracts of several tens of billions rubles for 15 years, and do nothing. They promised to create an infrastructure for a comfortable waste separation, but it is still far from being comfortable in terms of location and working hours. These companies may belong to some powerful people whose names are hidden from the public.

The billion contracts paid from the state budget have been distributed among the companies, which didn’t possess a relevant experience, and didn’t work in this area before. It seems like a typical corruption case, and could be probably treated like hot fire and dry water from your saying. Everyone knows that money is being stolen, and considers it as a usual thing. But there is nevertheless a small resistance of local activists who try to fix it, and create an alternative system, which the government failed to create.

These volunteers spend their time for good things, and don’t ask for money. They are driven by a hope for a better world and good instincts of the people. They don’t belong to any institution, and don’t present any organization. They live according to their ideas, and spread them among strangers. These volunteers are the salt of the earth. Nothing will grow without people like them.

Yesterday, I had a great feeling of belonging to a wonderful community. I don’t know how many people belong to it, but they are all connected by an invisible chain. They do simple things – just separate their waste, avoid plastic package, reduce their consumption, and tell others about their life principles. The single compensation for their engagement is more waste for recycling and less for burning. Compared to the scale of destruction and disasters, it is drop of water in the ocean, but it does exit.

I had a wonderful day also yesterday although many strangers in the street were indifferent, and not willing to listen about waste recycling. One volunteering girl started to cry after several unsuccessful efforts to attract attention of the people. I was really surprised by her emotional reaction, and explained to her that water is wet, fire is hot, the people are not perfect. It calmed her down a little bit.”