Cairo's Zaballeen—Arabic for "garbage people"—recycle nearly all the trash they collect, maintaining what could be the world's most efficient waste disposal system. Foreign competition is threatening this community of ecologically minded trash entrepreneurs, which has a lot it could teach the rest of the world about waste management.

Anshu Gupta, the founder of Goonj, a volunteer-run recycling center in New Delhi, recycles garments to provide clothes, schoolbags, sanitary napkins, and other amenities for India's poor. Anshu offers a heartfelt appeal to be mindful of the unused clothing taking space in your closet right now, and what a treasure it could be for someone in need. 

Solid waste management is a serious problem in developing countries like Nepal, as dumping garbage in open spaces can cause disease and environmental pollution. One Nepalese woman, Tulasa Gyawali, has developed a practical and innovative way to deal with household garbage. Her kitchen compost nourishes her beautiful garden, and she earns additional income from selling reusable material like paper.

It's easy to talk about Gandhian principles such as helping others and unity, but Jayesh Patel lives them every day. The founder of Indian NGO Manav Sadhna takes us on a tour through the vast slums of Ahmedabad, and explains that we already have enough good ideas; what we need is a commitment to put them into practice.