According to the 2018 World Bank report, India generates roughly 277.1 million tonnes annually. The report also revealed that India was the world’s highest waste-generating nation. At 277.1 million tonnes of waste, India generates more than 80 percent of what South Asia produces and 13 percent of what the world produces annually.
We are in dire need to adopt a zero waste lifestyle! A Zero waste lifestyle is a choice to minimise the harmful environmental effects by generating less waste. This lifestyle strongly advocates living consciously and in a minimalistic way.
While a zero waste lifestyle can be a difficult change to adapt to, there are many who are already doing it! Even if a few thousand of us were to practice this way of living in our own imperfect ways, there would be a tremendous change that would be observed.
Today, we will discuss a few ways in which we can reuse items that are generally thrown away and take a small step toward a zero waste lifestyle.
Tips for living a zero waste lifestyle:
- Always carry a reusable water bottle and bag
Sounds extremely easy, doesn't it? By carrying your own reusable water bottle everywhere, you are saving almost 1460 plastic bottles a year! It’s a bonus if the water bottle or bag is made out of eco-friendly material. By making this small change you are not only making it convenient for yourself but also helping the earth.
2. Unnecessary printing, junk mail and books
Instead of encouraging deforestation for otherwise trivial matters such as travel tickets - we could easily digitise documents and even where absolutely necessary, the use of recycled paper could always be adopted. This practice can be followed everywhere, from our homes to our workplace.
3. Buying food in unnecessary packaging
Along with the concept of minimalist buying, i.e; purchasing only the items that you need, we can also ensure that whatever we are buying has next to no packaging on it. Even if there is some packaging on the product, make sure it's recyclable and biodegradable.
4. Reducing travel carbon emission
Travel carbon emission is quite harmful. We can definitely improve in this area! Instead of choosing to travel alone or in your own private vehicle, you can choose to either use public transport or carpool to reduce those carbon waste.
5. Reusing items in your own unique way
Let’s show the planet a little love by repurposing one item into another. This way we can limit our buying and reduce the waste pile up.
A few ideas you could consider are:
- Convert your milk cartons into plant pots
- An old ladder can be used as a bookshelf or plant stand
- You could reuse old CDs by upcycling them into coasters, ornaments, or home decor items
- Worn or stained clothing which cannot be thrifted can be used as rags or to make toys for kids
Remember: A single step by you could result in a giant leap for our planet.
Even if a few thousand people practise this way of living in their own imperfect ways, the impact derived from it would be tremendous.
If you found this list helpful in any way for your zero waste journey - do let us know by commenting below!
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