Inspiration for World Environment Day! 🌏

Albus Dumbledore taught us that we could find happiness, even in the darkest of times, only if we remember to turn on the light. Today we are all left feeling helpless, desperately trying to find Dumbledore’s switch to turn on the light. Which has us thinking…

Why do we wait for things to reach the point of no return and helplessness? So today’s article is about how we can do something for our planet before things get out of control!

Back in the day, in our school’s EVS classes, we were taught about the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These days the R’s have become a five-some, with the new order becoming Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle, and specifically in that order. The order depicts the priority with which we should govern our consumption in order to reduce our collective and individual carbon footprint.

Today at Project Baala, since we are celebrating World Environment Day, we have a few tips for you which are actionable and you can start working on them right now!

Opt for reusable face-masks where possible

‘There are more masks than jellyfish in the ocean’- OceansAsia shared a shocking fact that 70 masks are found every 100 metres in the ocean near Soko Island.

During the pandemic, those light blue face-masks became a standard sight on all our faces and now they are a standard sight in the ocean. These masks keep us safe from Covid-19, but are made with plastic that pollute the ocean water, end up in landfills, or choke both land and sea animals.

Reusable masks on the other hand, can be used for extended periods of time (provided you keep washing them, of course). This means both your consumption and waste is reduced! In addition, your carbon footprint can be reduced even further if you purchase masks that are made using repurposed/recycled materials, organically sourced raw-material, or even just 100% cotton (as cotton is a biodegradable material).

And of course, more often than not, these masks come in all colors and designs, so you can choose what helps you express yourself best!

Reduce ordering-in food

Could you imagine that eating out can generate 770kg of greenhouse gases released per household per year?!

During the pandemic, food serves the purpose of comfort and company. Although cooked food in itself is harmless, the containers they come in are not.

The Indian food delivery business, valued to touch $8 Billion by 2022, owes much to plastic and its ability to transport food for its significant valuation. Once the food is received, generally the packaging is thrown away, and it either ends up in a landfill (and pollutes the groundwater) or is incinerated (releasing dioxin into the atmosphere).

How about we start small and learn a few easy recipes that can make us order-in less? This way, you can eat a healthy and diverse diet while reducing financial and energy costs. And when you have no choice but to order in, consider reusing the plastic/glass containers that the food comes in.

Managing cooling devices efficiently

Purdue University is fighting global warming through paint! If you haven’t then read this super interesting research where a new white paint is helping keep our homes and rooms cooler. Similarly you can do some simple effective things to manage your cooling device while making a few savings yourself!

One of the best ways you can reduce the heating up of your home is by planting trees/plants in and around faces exposed to the sun. Air temperatures under shade can be cooler by nearly 14°C. This however is a long term and a slightly expensive method. That being said, plants can help in making you feel more comfortable within your home, if you live in a dry or arid climate, as they help to humidify the area around them.

In the short term, keep windows open and fans on to allow air circulation throughout your home. In the case that the heat becomes unbearable, or at the time of loo, close all your windows and draw your curtains before you turn on your air conditioner. This will reduce the load on the AC unit as sources of heat are diminished and the cool air is trapped within the home. Also, keeping your A/Cs tuned to 24°C or higher helps in saving electricity units and eventually reduces the amount of carbon dioxide generated by the machine.

Switch to reusable sanitary pads, period underwear and menstrual cups

The time that your great granddaughter is seeing off her great granddaughter to school is when you can expect the disposable pad that you use today to decompose!

Studies show that single-use disposable sanitary pads contain around 90% plastic — equivalent to about four plastic bags. This could take anywhere between 500 and 800 years to decompose. And every single one of us generates two trucks of menstrual waste in our lifetime. For a population of 1.7 billion, this roughly translates to 1,360,000,000 trucks of non-biodegradable waste.

So what are some better alternatives? Menstrual cups made using medical grade silicone material are a great way to control menstrual flow while being sensitive to both the environment and your own health. Another solution is to use organic/plastic free period products. You could also consider using period underwear or just consider purchasing sustainable and reusable sanitary pads! Lastly, if you’re wondering what your carbon footprint is, you can calculate it here!

At Project Baala, we provide sustainable solutions to combat the waste generated by menstrual hygiene products. Our reusable sanitary pads are reusable upto two years and bring down menstrual waste from 240 pieces to 3 pieces in these two years. But that isn’t all! We are working towards creating an even more sustainable solution with our tech partners that will allow our pads to be used for five years! More on that later, though.

We hope you have a fantastic and inspiring World Environment Day!