How You Can Be Wise with Waste: 9 Small steps are what will lead to a big change

I’m sitting in my little balconette, enjoying herbal tea, surrounded by fragrant flowers that are blooming in my little second storey window  garden. The nook I love most is where I’ve reused old paint cans decorated to grow a marvellous marigold plant. A cute corner table made from fully recycled Tetra Pak cartons to keep my books and laptop, and I can’t help but sing – What a wonderful world!

Close your eyes and visualise a beautiful clean and green world. What do you see? Green mountains, the spray of waterfalls, lush valleys, bright and beautiful sunny skies, birds chirping. However, in today’s world that we live from the beaches to rivers and oceans, from forests and even the highest peak – Mount Everest…we see much waste…the impact of modern lifestyle is everywhere.

Well, the good thing is – we all want to change it and change is very much possible.

Wise with Waste: The beauty is, your small steps are what will lead to a big change. Here’s how you can begin.

Segregate your waste at source:

Even though this is constantly reiterated, segregating is a big step, which everyone must adopt! When you segregate your waste in three bins at source: Wet Biodegradable, Dry Recyclable and Reject Waste, you automatically help turn your waste into a resource.

Compost your wet kitchen waste:

A fantastic way to be a responsible green champion is to compost your wet waste. Wet biodegradable waste accounts for 60% of your waste and that’s easy to ensure that it never leaves your home or building’s premises. Just Compost It! This is nutrient rich plant food which will make your gardens bloom – just like mine do.. Compost replenishes the soil, just the way nature intended it!

Recycle your dry waste:

Remember your raddiwala? He’s your green buddy! Collect all your dry recyclables like Pet bottles, metal cans, glass, paper and cardboard. Did you know that beverage cartons, yes the ones with milk and juice are fully recyclable and can be made into useful products like Garden benches, school desks and more. Remember to cut, clean and flatten your empty Tetra Pak carton and deposit into recycling bins.

Reduce your reject waste:

Around 10 % of our household waste is trash or non recyclables like thin gauge one time disposal plastic bags, used tissues, thermocol, used sanitary pads and diapers. Put on your green hat and lets become eco conscious to cut these down.

Adopt Eco Friendly Products:

I start my day with a bamboo toothbrush and keep a check on everything I use. From local fair-trade chocolate to organic cotton clothing, we can make conscious choices to use sustainable products. Make sure you read the labels and look for tags like FSC ( Forest Stewardship Council) for packaging and more. Do support recycled and repurposed products as that ensures waste is recycled more.

Throw zero waste functions:

Zero waste parties are the new heroes on the block! Having thoughtful décor, with no unnecessary plastic usage like streamers, green gifting, using no plastic cutlery or crockery goes a long way in being a sensible reveller!

Exercise your green thumb!

Here’s a lil secret.. you have a green thumb and you didn’t even know it! So flex it by adding a bit of green everywhere you go. A single flower pot can be an entire ecosystem.. plant more, grow more and let’s together green the Earth.  Going on a picnic? Carry a sapling and plant it if you can on a valley side. Save your mango , jamun seeds, and put them back into the soil. Sow your chilli and tomato seeds in a pot. Feel the joy when you see them shooting up!

Suggested Reading:

Seven Ways To Reduce Perineal Tearing During Childbirth

Support green causes:

Lend your voice to movements that call for wildlife & environmental protection. We have a large group of volunteers from children to senior citizens who are enthusiastic to join hands with us to spread the movement.

Be a Green Game Changer!

We often feel that we are too small to make a difference. But the mighty oak began as a small seed. That plastic bag you refused could be the very bag that didn’t end up choking a turtle , which then gave birth to a clutch of eggs that perpetuated the species!

Someone watching you compost your waste might be inspired to do the same. Your compost might help a patch of soil rejuvenate, giving rise to an ecosystem of plants, earthworms, butterflies, birds and bees!

Ultimately, the best way to change the world is to change yourself. And hey, even if no one else is looking, you know that you leave behind a cleaner world, just by your own little actions.

Being wise with waste contributes to a circular economy model, where waste is not “wasted” but put back into circulation and made use of.

Happy Recycling!

Engineer turned Environmentalist, Monisha Narke is the founder of RUR Greenlife. The views expressed are the author's own.