I thought it would be fun to start a series, that I can try and continue- at least this one should last more than a week. I am going to do my best at creating infographics related to health and the environment- let's see if I can get to 20 posts (the goal is 100 tho!!)

I made this for an infographics class, and all I could think was

“Oh...I never knew that!“

DPSIR framework that I made for an assignment, the issues caused by the fashion industry is underrated! 

Growing Dump yards

India is a rapidly developing subcontinent, with over 1.3 billion per capita of 1,900.71 USD. Even as the country grows in terms of the economy and human capital, it generates about 147,613 metric tonnes of solid waste per day, of which 77% of waste is disposed of in open dumps, 18% is composted, and just 5% is recycled. Tamil Nadu, the state I currently live in, has many such places, among which the landfill in Kodungaiyur, Chennai, has the largest amount of accumulated waste. This is not an isolated problem; most cities, suburbs and rural areas have pockets of land used as dumping yards. Any free land that shows no signs of occupation is treated as a place for dumping waste. I am very well acquainted with the situation as such are regions present a few kilometres away from my house. There used to be a waste bin managed by the municipality, but it has long been removed without any explanation, and nobody, raised any questions. The key problem exists because most residents are not concerned with waste management, assuming an “out of sight and out-of-mind” attitude. There is little to no waste segregation practised within households. In some places, where segregation and composting is practised, the residents still dispose of the non-degradable waste in the open landfills. Such careless dumping would affect the groundwater, with the water becoming increasingly alkaline. The households rely on bottled water or the municipal water supply. Poor health and higher disease can be attributed to landfills. Animals around the region ingest plastic, causing respiratory or digestive problems.

For change to happen, there needs to be an increase in awareness.

 Fortunately, the population demographics indicate many children and teens who all attend schools in the region. As such, there is an influx of an educated populace. However, this is just a starting step to a growing problem. The local government should conduct an awareness drive educating people on how to dispose of waste safely and use compost to their advantage. Another solution could be that the waste pickers around the region could be given appropriate incentives to collect segregated waste from each household and transport them to waste treatment plants. A waste processing plant within each municipality, which functions to optimum capacity for the population, should be established.

Communities near landfills face complex challenges and are not limited to them. It is a multifaceted issue. An approach that starts from the grassroots level is required to address them. Relevant authorities must improve service and provide livelihood opportunities for those affected. Solid waste management must be reimagined to eliminate garbage mountains in the future, and existing sites must be remediated.  Shifting to decentralised waste management approaches with household and community level waste segregation and resource recovery solutions have been implemented successfully in some states of India like Kerala.

I wanted to do more, but I got sick and then college wanted my a-... me . So, I miss doing it and might get back sometime soon.

I know that it’s been more than a week, but it takes a lot recover from pneumonia. 😅😅

So, taking about shopping bags, its kinds is super helpful. Like most shops charge you money , for the recyclable-type or those paper bags.

Therefore, carrying a bag literally saves cash, and also-no more plastic bags .

Win-win😁😁

No more useless disposable bags

Saving the planet

Do you guys have more tips( p.s. if you have some good ones, we ll make an image note like the one above for it ...and mention u here 💪🏼💪🏼)

Keep saving the planet people....‼️‼️

I am notoriously bad at following deadlines....but by god I made it!!!!!!!

Here’s day 2.

Common sense ? Not so much.

This happens to me frequently, I see the words - « FLAT » « Off%% » « Discount », and my brain goes lalalala.

Clothes takes up majority of my cash even though I wear only 40% of them.

So, how about it for you guys😁😁😁

Let us know.

Like, I wanted to do something better....and they say an image carries a thousand words. So, pardon the roughness, la mademoiselle did her best.

Kudos...😁😁😁

Does moving to a new place affect your waste lifestyle a lot?

Are there any tips to make the transition easier or must everything be done from scratch?

As someone who recently moved, this is something I am having trouble with ...so it ll be great for us to hear what you have to say..😁😁😁

Changing times means a lot more than just new things.

Products that were considered as the ‘new best’; is discarded in place of latest inventions.

So, where does those that are already manufactured go?

To the bin.

The process repeats as we advance and each day thousands of tons if waste of outdate products litter the earth.

What can solve this problem, how do you think the reaources, space, time and energy gone to making the ‘waste’ be saved?

Tell us your thoughts or maybe the stories you have observed. Lets make this place just a little better.

It’s important to realize that we don’t all have money to make all the swaps let alone all at once – not that that’s the right thing to do irregardless. Everyone should feel welcome into transitioning to a low waste lifestyle without feeling obliged to feel like they need lots of money to achieve it. Everyone comes from a different background and it’s important to acknowledge that much of zero waste culture is whitewashed and aesthetics based which perpetrates an unattainable standard. Most these swaps are things that I had been doing a lot of when I was younger when my family didn’t have much extra money. It ensures that everyone can get a start without having to put in any extra investments. 

Hang drying clothes is free, though having a stand or line to hang them on is helpful. I bought a stand, but my grandparents have an indoor clothesline that they DIY out of some thick rope strung up in the basement ceiling where you can hang dry clothes on hangers off the ceiling. They did this with what they had around the house. 

Skipping plastic produce bags is simple, but can take extra time. If you already have some kinds of reusable bag you don’t have to purchase new ones as they do seem pretty common at events as freebies or goodie bags. If you don’t you can request if they have paper bags you can use that can be recycled later. If you truly want to go packaging free you can just put groceries back into the cart and bring them in. This isn’t particularly feasible however and you can’t carry many items at a time; though it works well if you’re only running in and grabbing a few items. You can also repurpose plastic bags you already have from past shopping trips to give them a full life before they’re thrown away as most bags don’t show hardly any wear after a single use. 

Paperless billing is super simple. Most mobile banking apps have a section where you can pick an option for paperless billing, or call the customer service  to opt in. I’ve done this and had it this way for several years now. Additionally you can see if other bills can get automatically billed to you so they don’t have to send the paper bills out. This can extend to receipts as well because if you think about it they are the bills you get for your purchases. You can either opt for no receipt at all or if there’s the option, if you’d like, get a digital receipt emailed to you. 

Mending clothing is a skill everyone one should have regardless. Many people can’t afford to buy sustainable clothing new and sometimes thrifting clothing just needs a little repair. Fast fashion isn’t made to last a long time, but learning how to repair them can give them more time before they are no longer useable. You can also extend your skills to upcycle clothing into a whole new garments or something different with sewing skills. Simple hemming, running, and back stitches are easiest to learn and cover nearly everything you’d need. Additionally darning is very good to repair socks or holes that aren’t on a seam. 

Especially now with take-out being popular I end up with single use silverware. I try to ask for them not include them but sometimes they still make their way back into my home. I’ll take them with me especially if I’m with small children who might lose the nicer bamboo or steel cutlery I’ve got, or if I’ll be out with friends who don’t carry their own reusable silverware. If I can I’ll try and take them back home to keep washing them a few times. 

There’s several things you can repurpose t-shirt for including bags, but rags is my favorite. They don’t fray when they wash so they’re especially good for cleaning rags. This is good for those old t-shirts that are too damaged or stained to donate. Just cut them up into whatever size you’d like and get cleaning!

I’m notorious for collecting baggies and rewashing them after I use them. Especially if they’ve been used to store dry goods like small cookies or other treats that really haven’t left any mark on the bags. Another thing I do this with since I’m an avid baker is piping bags! The cost for these “single-use” goods really starts to add up so being able to use them several times is very economical. I’d also extend this to plastic take-out containers or plastic tubs food from the store comes in. I like to save these especially around the holidays or for any other upcoming event where I can use them as tupperware to send people home with leftovers. 

I’ve never actually met someone who lines their recycling but it is super easy to skip. I have a two compartment trash can and will leave the recycling bin unlined. There shouldn’t be anything dripping or making a mess anyways inside of it so I feel alright skipping it altogether. If it’s too big to put in there and I don’t have time to take it out right away I’ll also just make a small pile on the counter next to the bin and take it out from there. 

Turning off the lights should be a no brainer as I feel like our parents bugged us to do it as kids and for good reason! I’d also extend this to unplugging things that aren’t in constant or regular use. I especially think this is important when you are going on vacation because you know with certainty you won’t be using any of the devices at home. 

Lastly is eating less meat. Of course not everyone can or wants to go vegan or vegetarian but opting for practices like meatless Mondays or cutting down from eating three things of meat a day to two will drastically reduce your impact. Cows and other animals where we get red meats have especially large environmental impacts compared to other animals we consume. Meat is also one of the most expensive items at the grocery so it can save you some money to purchase less. It’s also good to try and make your meat go as far as you can my making use of the bones and all the meat. 

Hopefully some of these will inspire you to make these free swaps where you can as they really don’t require any additional effort to make the switch. They’re great too to tell friends who are looking to be more eco friendly and don’t know where to start. Let me know of another free swaps you know of in the comments!

(image source @shopwithgoodintent on Instagram)

2021 has come, and with it a lot of changes— Biden-Harris become the next presidential powerhouse, The Vaccine is out and about, A few of us are about to graduate.

I am sure a lot of you have goals for this year, and we wanted to ask if you have taken up a goal that is related to reducing the waste in your life. Something simple , like buying an essential product that doesn’t come packaged in plastic or buying essentials wholesale?

Tell us your new goal and lets share the joy in making this place much easier to live in.

There are a lot of tricks and tips that are found online to combat with the excessive waste, some often offering alternatives to do the same.

What are the most useful tips that you have found and tested from the web world? Have you find ways to tweak these tips to better suit your needs?

Tell us what you feel.

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design(LEED) one of the most used international green building certification systems, available for virtually all building types that provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, and cost-saving green buildings, by monitoring and rating its performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality,stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

Did you know that building around the world are responsible for consuming 40% of tge world’s energy?

Now, there are several other certifications around the globe that monitors and certifies both communities and buildings inorder to make them more sustainable. How much positive impact do you think they will have in thr future? Are these certifications making a difference?

It is said that if you practice something for 21 days it becomes a habit.

Considering it as a challenge what kind of habits would you adopt from today to become better at sustainability and zero waste management?

Christmas is coming and that has automatically come to mean gifts and great food!!

Yet, this is a time where large amount of waste ( packaging, wrappers, leftovers, etc) is generated in your home.

How do you think Christmas can be made more green? While we are at that, what kind of gifts can you give that could be enjoyable for people who live according to tye zero-waste/eco lifestyle?

Share your thoughts about this festive season and how u can make it something more...

Fashion. Sustainability. Luxury?

Is it possible to bring all these three together ? Can glam and rareity become sustainable ?What have you seen from your favorite fashion brands?

Join us in discussing about the feasibility of changes that can be brought to popular fadhion culture and how different strategies can be adopted to achieve this .