Let’s know more about composting , recycling and upcycling to lead a Sustainable lifestyle and the Organisations which are doing it.
1.Composting
It is very necessary nowadays, because all landfills are almost filled up, be it Narela, Bawana, Okhla or Ghazipur in Delhi. If we continue to throw away our mix waste it will lead to Global Warming. So, it’s better to segregate our Daily Vegetable Waste like peels and leftovers in a container and plant waste like dried leaves and flowers. We can also put egg shells, paper and coconut husk to it.
Food turns into compost through the hard work of small microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. On a small scale, in your backyard or neighbourhood, a compost pile should consist of three things: food scraps, water, and dry, woody material like yard trimmings or raked leaves. Yard trimmings are frequently referred to as “browns” and are high in carbon. Food scraps are called “greens” and are high in nitrogen.
A compost pile should typically have twice as many browns as it does greens. Aside from preventing a pile from turning into a sloshy mess, browns are bulkier and create space for oxygen to move throughout the pile. That oxygen helps tiny microbes decompose food waste through a process called aerobic digestion.
In landfills, deep piles of trash prevent oxygen from reaching decomposing food, and it’s instead broken down by microbes that can survive without air. The anaerobic digestion practiced by those microbes produces methane. In contrast, as aerobic microbes break down waste—first, easier sugary compounds, and then proteins and fats, and then finally fiber —they emit carbon dioxide, which is also a greenhouse gas, but less potent than methane.
The fresh compost left after several months is in a slower state of decomposition; it’s rich with microorganisms and nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. That’s why Farmers calls it “Black Gold“.
Composting is quiet easy, but for more information and composting products, you can visit dailydump.org/ .
2. Recycling Floral Waste
Floral waste is one of India’s biggest pollutants, on land and water, accounting for nearly a third of all solid waste in the country, according to statistics. Because they have been offered in prayers, the dead flowers are considered holy, and not to be disposed of with the other rubbish. And so they get dumped into the nearest body of water, usually a river.
The Ganges, revered and adored as Ganga Ma by millions, takes in more than eight million metric tonnes of flower waste every year, says UN Climate Change. Now imagine this in hundreds of rivers and lakes throughout the country.
Floral waste not only clogs up the water channels, it also releases pesticides and insecticides into the already murky waters, harming human beings who drink from it, as well as resident marine life. In areas with no convenient access to water, flower waste is simply left in large piles on streets, or thrown into landfills. This causes a different type of problem, increasing carbon emissions and other types of air and soil pollution.
Thankfully, social entrepreneurs in parts of India have come to the rescue over the past few years, collecting and cleaning these discarded flowers and turning them into usable products, such as organic compost and, more valuably, soaps, candles, holi colours, incense sticks and natural dyes.
phool.co, avacayam.com and gulmeher.com are some examples of organisations which are doing this great work. The best part is that they are providing employment to women and disabled people. So that need students could read from them.
3. Discarded Clothes
According to the World Resources Institute, it takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt. And when consumers throw away clothing in the garbage, not only does it waste money and resources, but it can take 200+ years for the materials to decompose in a landfill. So, it’s better to do mindful shopping and also sometimes thrifting and upcycling of dresses, like making a dress out of an old Sari.
In India, you can also sell your clothes to people who make Daris (Rugs), toys or exchange them with steel utensils. You can also donate them to goonj.org/ which has created a barter between urban surplus and village communities labour, triggering large scale rural development work. doodlage.in/ by Kriti Tula is also doing a commendable job by Upcycling factory waste into short limited edition collections. They Recycle post consumer waste and post cutting scraps into new fabrics to create season-less well finished garments made for longevity. What they further waste is segregated and converted into accessories, soft furnishing products and paper to make packaging or stationery products.
I just recently visited the Rock garden and was astonished to see the Doll museum made by Nek Chand ji with old clothes. I think we need such museums in every state.
4) USED BOOKS
After every change in session, there is a pile of used books and notebooks with every student. Generally, we sold it off to Kabadiwala or give it to siblings. But, we can also donate them to Book banks or Mobile Libraries. So that needy students could read from them.
5) HOME DECORE
We all love to decorate our Homes but sometimes unknowingly we end up in buying unsustainable Home Decor like Plastic Flowers, Containers or Baskets. Instead of it we should use home decor that are rooted in Sustainability and Craftsmanship. Indian craftsmanship and age-old techniques of embroidery, stitching and weaving are having their much-deserved moment in the sun with the advent of several home decor brands that are reviving these practices, employing artisans, and bringing a contemporary flair with fresh designs. Being sustainable, using eco-friendly packaging and embracing the slow, mindful production cycle are other philosophies that make them better for the environment.
This has revived our old trends of chikankari, macrame and croche works back in the trend for Table covers, Fridge Covers, curtains and coasters. Green live plants look more beautiful than artificial plants, they also provide fresh air our homes. Plants like Snake plant, zade plant, succulents, areca palm and monstera plant and very easy to maintain and look very beautiful also. You can buy such plants @ lazygardener. Their Garden Stick and Fridge Planter range is amazing .
6) Water Conservation
During these Summers, we all Delhites realised the problem of Water Scarcity and importance of Water Conservation. So now on, we should be extra alert about sustainable use of water. We should reuse our Kitchen RO waste water, water left over by washing Pulses & Rice, Mopping Water etc. We also watch out for judicious use of water during Car and Floor washing.
On Ground level, we should encourage construction of Aquifers. Through them, water seep into the ground and doesn’t run off as in the case of concrete roads. Their Construction is also easy. We can hire a Permaculture Expert who can do these things for us. They design systems of seepage and discharge in a very sustainable manner using natural material like dried leaves and coco husk.
Hence, we got to know some amazing things about composting, eco home decor, aquifers, rock garden etc. We can also make Bio-Enzymes using used Lemon peels, by adding water and jaggery to it. We can use Soapnuts/ Reetha for shampooing our Hair. During our Festivals and Celebrations, we should use Steel Cutlery and Natural Flower Decorations.For more such articles, stay tuned to ecodastkaari.com.