When it comes to saving our Environment, our Planet, the Power of NO goes a long way...
By that, I mean the aggressive implementation of the First of the Four 'R's in the Waste Reduction Hierarchy, which is to Refuse...
Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle are in the order of importance in the Waste Reduction Pyramid. They also serve as cardinal rule in saving our environment with Refusing being of paramount importance.
Excessive consumerism is depleting natural resources & is the major cause of pollution. Self Reflection is important in assessing the choices we make and how they impact the Earth each day.
Refuse : Any product that you do not need or can be harmful to environment. Freebies ought to be Refused if we don't really need them. Below are some things we can very well live without..
Junk mails
Single use plastics, disposable items
Produce wrapped in plastic
Flyers or business cards (using your phone, take a picture instead )
Any freebies including free plastic bottled water handed over during meetings or conferences
Mailed, physical copies of financial statements; opt for paperless bank and credit card statements
Receipts; some stores email receipts
Reduce : Our consumption and in turn our carbon footprint can be reduced by purchasing things we really need and not just at whim; especially, when it comes to online purchases, give yourself a couple of days before checking out that cart.
The most environmentally friendly product is the one you didn't buy ~ Joshua Becker
We can also reduce clutter by donating or selling items that we not used for more than 6 months. Decluttering would not just free up space but would also reduce stress and anxiety
When a document absolutely needs to be printed, have it printed on both sides rather than just single side. This cuts paper usage and waste output in half.
Reuse : Get in to the habit of reusing; buy a good quality reusable water bottle, cutlery, reusable bags preferably made of cotton or any other natural fiber to cut down on waste created from disposable items. Remember that these reusable items come with their own usually huge, carbon foot print and have to be used several hundreds of times to offset their environmental impact
Instead of using regular cardboard boxes which may generate more waste while moving to a new home, there are companies such as https://lendabox.com/ that lends you reusable boxes and delivers and picks them back at your home
In addition, that small glass jar that came with your favorite fruit spread can be reused to store spice. There are also several other ways to creatively upcycle bottles or jars. In the below link are some interesting ways to upcycle bottles / jars
Recycle : Benefits of Recycling
Prevents pollution by reducing the need to procure and utilize new raw materials
Conserves energy and valuable natural resources such as timber, rare / precious metals such as those in electronic devices
Reduces the amount of waste sent to landfills or incinerators
While recycling paper including cardboards or recycling metal is viable, recycling plastics remains a myth. As per National Geographic, 90% of plastics ever created still remains. To begin with, Plastics to be recycled need to be collected, sorted and melted all of which are expensive.
Besides, recycling degrades plastics. On the other hand, new plastics are simply cheaper to produce and virgin plastics are of better quality as they are made fresh from oil and gas. This certainly undermines the viability of the recycling sector.
The convenience Plastics provide, has paved a way for our throw-away lifestyle; single-use plastics account for more than 40% of the plastic produced every year. Single use items including plastic bags, plastic cutlery, food wrappers, have a lifespan of mere minutes to hours, yet they would linger in our environment for several hundred years, polluting.
It is best to avoid products in plastics as much as possible
Rot : Items to be composted such as food scraps, food waste and compostable packaging are best kept out of landfills. Without proper aeration and conditions, organic matter releases methane which is a more potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere, thereby hastening climate change.
Due to space constrain if composting outdoors is not possible then, indoor composting can be achieved using worm bins.
