Most of us have a fair understanding of what sustainability means, but our understanding is often flawed. Ironically, there are many who believe that sustainability is itself unsustainable because of the amount of effort they think it requires!

I’ll be honest. I was one of those naysayers too, doubting the practicality of sustainable living. I’ve come a long way since then and I’m here to share what I’ve learned so far.

Like most kids, I loved being in close contact with nature, but growing up also brought a disconnect from that natural world. As I began to learn about sustainable living and delved deeper into the subject, that love for nature was rekindled.

It is now more than eight years since I’ve made considerable progress on my journey towards a sustainable lifestyle. As I’ve said, sustainability doesn’t have to be a struggle. To keep it simple, let’s just focus on three principles that are central to sustainability.

3 ideas to start living sustainably

1. Segregation: Beyond dry and wet waste

The first step towards a sustainable lifestyle is segregation of waste. I started segregating all of the waste generated from my house into dry and wet waste. Gone were the days of randomly tossing any and all types of waste into a common garbage bin. Whether it was a bus ticket, credit card receipts or e-bills, everything was collected. As with any new venture, you make slow and steady progress. From simply segregating dry and wet waste, I then went on to also separate dry recyclable plastic waste like used water bottles and food packaging. Separation of metal waste products like razor blades and pins came next. Lastly, I started collecting e-waste that I’d send to e-waste disposal and recycling facilities. At first this may seem tedious and overwhelming, but in time it just comes to you naturally. Besides, it’s a small price to pay for a cleaner environment.

2. Reduction: staying committed is the key

When I was shifting homes,  the menace of plastic and polythene bags became more apparent to me. Every corner and space in almost every closet and cupboard was occupied by something wrapped in plastic. It was then that I decided to reduce my use of plastic. I first decided to stop using plastic bags for shopping and always carried my own cloth, re-useable bags. Yes, it wasn’t easy to make this transition at first and I’d often forget to carry a re-usable bag. But, you’ve got to cut yourself some slack while staying committed. So, I’d accept plastic shopping bags if I really needed them, but if I was shopping near my home I’d return to get my re-usable bags. After 3-4 return trips, the habit started to come to me naturally and it’s highly unlikely that you’ll ever find me venturing out without a reusable bag now.

3. Refusal: stop accepting plastic as much as possible

About 3 – 4 years ago I began to encounter a lot more individuals and NGOs that work for the environment and sustainable living. From my interactions with them and my own research I began to learn more about the impact of mass consumerism on our fragile environment. With a burgeoning human population and finite resources on the planet, we need to appreciate the bounty that nature has provided and use it judiciously. Whether it’s electricity, gas, water or food, the over consumption and wastage of produce is having disastrous consequences on the world around us. I now refuse to accept things that will add to landfills or pollute the ocean, such as plastic straws, single use plastic, earbuds, take out containers, plastic cutlery and plastic water bottles or pouches.

10 tips to save water in our daily life

1. Prefer bucket baths over showers
2. Water from the washing machine should be recycled
3. At restaurants, ask for a water refill in your glass only if you’re going to drink it, and as much as you will drink only
4. Use the washing machine and dish washer only once it is fully loaded
5. Install water saving filters on all taps
6. Get a low-flush option for the toilet
7. Fix any leakages immediately
8. Turn off the tap when brushing teeth, soaping hands or scrubbing dishes
9. Water your lawn and plants using water judiciously
10. Follow rain water harvesting, even if on a small scale.

While collective action is required, I also learned about steps that I could take as an individual; small measures to avoid waste and to only consume what I actually need. Figure out what’s practical and works for you, whether its avoiding or restricting your consumption of packaged juices, car-pooling and using public transport instead of driving, carrying instead of buying bottled water, not wasting food in restaurants and so on.

Take small steps towards living sustainably

I’m not here to kid you and tell you that these changes can come to you overnight. But with small steps we can make great progress. Until you start to make an effort at sustainable living, it can seem impossible and incredibly tough. But that’s not very different from every other aspect of life. From the day we were born, we had a lot to learn and this required considerable effort from our parents and ourselves. In hindsight, those hard lessons seem easy and like the most logical path forward. It’s much the same with sustainable living. To put it plainly, sustainability is to unlearn all the wasteful habits that we formed over the years and replace them with cleaner alternatives to guarantee a  healthier and greener tomorrow for ourselves and the next generation.

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But even small changes can make a big impact. Here are a few things that we can do—as individuals, families and communities—to save the environment and ourselves.

Ditch the plastic toothbrush

In the US itself, discarded toothbrushes amount to one billion pieces per year. That is one followed by 12 zeroes! Most toothbrushes we use are made of plastic handles and nylon bristles. These contaminate our oceans and stay there forever. Switch to wooden/bamboo toothbrushes that have bristles made of cellulose. These toothbrushes are bio-degradable. An even better option would be to use twigs of meswak and neem; you won’t even need commercial toothpaste if you use them. Twigs are usually available at a local store that sells Ayurvedic herbs.

Say no to plastic shopping bags

Nearly two million single-use plastic bags are distributed worldwide every minute. These again pollute our oceans and landfills. Buy sturdy tote bags and shopping bags of different sizes so that you never have to depend on plastic bags. Keep a cloth bag in your car, in your handbag and in your office drawer; these come handy as you never know when you might need one. You can even make your own cloth bags out of used bedsheets. To buy groceries and vegetables, there are cloth bags available that have smaller compartments within them. This saves you the trouble of sorting veggies once you get back home with your shopping.

Who needs plastic straws anyway

Every year 100,000 marine animals die from ingesting plastic and most of this happens due to straws. A plastic straw is used for a few minutes and then discarded. Each straw takes about 200 years to be completely decomposed. So the next time you get a drink, remember to specify that you don’t want a straw. Some establishments now use paper straws, which is a great step. If you think you can’t do without a straw, buy a stainless steel one and carry it with you in your car or your handbag. These straws often come with tiny brushes that can be used to clean them from the inside.

Use eco-friendly option for periods

Besides the health impact of commercial sanitary napkins and tampons there is the impact on the environment. Each sanitary pad comes with a plastic wrapper to wrap the used pad, the cumulative polluting effect of this is massive. If you’re willing to make the change then there are eco-friendly options like reusuable cloth pads, eco-friendly single-use menstrual pads and menstrual cups. The reusable pads come in various sizes and are leak proof.

Cloth diapers are the way to go

Diapers have an impact on the environment too and take a lot of space in landfills. Switch to using cloth diapers for your baby. These are leak proof and could also save your baby from nappy rash.

Your food choice matters too

If you care about the environment, choose your food consciously too. Eating organic, local and seasonal produce is healthy, promotes the local agri-economy and reduces one’s carbon footprint. Grow a kitchen garden, no matter how small.  If you consume meat and dairy, choose free-range alternatives as factory-farmed animals have a huge environmental cost. Lastly, do not waste food and start composting your waste.

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I didn’t quit cold turkey; it was a gradual transition that started in an Environmental Studies course during my senior year at NYU. A classmate of mine would pull out a plastic bag filled with a plastic box of food, plastic utensils, a plastic bag of chips and a drink—you guessed it—in a plastic bottle. I’d watch her, class after class, throw it all into the garbage and I would get really upset.

One night I was feeling particularly frustrated after watching her and went home to make dinner. I opened my fridge only to realise that every single thing that I had in there was packaged in plastic. Oops!

There I was, an Environmental Studies student, constantly talking about how much I loved sustainability, getting upset at this girl that was plastic-ing everything, and it turned out I was that girl too! I felt like an absolute hypocrite. So I made the decision to quit using plastic.

Parting with plastic didn’t just mean eliminating plastic food packaging from my life; it meant evaluating all of the things that I used that were conventionally packaged in plastic and finding alternatives to them. When I couldn’t find products like toothpaste in plastic-free or recyclable packaging, I started to research recipes to make them myself.

While researching alternatives to my everyday products, I came across a blog called Zero Waste Home that was started by Bea Johnson, a woman with two kids, a husband and zero trash. I was amazed. I thought, if a family of four can live without trash, I can too. So I took a leap and committed to going ‘Zero Waste’.

When I couldn’t find products like toothpaste in plastic-free or recyclable packaging, I started to research recipes to make them myself

How did I do this?

Instead of buying packaged food, I began to shop in bulk. As opposed to buying beauty, cleaning and home products, I had to learn to make them myself. This proved to be a bit of a challenge as I definitely didn’t have a recipe for deodorant hanging about in my back pocket. I had to mess around with over six different deodorant recipes before I found one that worked well for me. In fact, I didn’t have any of the recipes I needed for any of the products I used. But that presented a fun challenge and I began to think about it as a game. Yesterday I transitioned away from toothpaste tubes, today I’m going to learn how to make my own lotion! Every new product that I learned to make was a step towards my Zero Waste goal and it was extremely exciting.

Ultimately I went from a girl that was constantly talking about how much she cared about sustainability, to one that actually lives that way.

Over the past few years I have learned some great ideas that even others can take to lessen their daily trash output.

STEP 1 » Evaluate your trash

When I first started my transition towards becoming Zero Waste, I took a peek into my trash can and understood what was in there. For me, it was predominantly food packaging and food waste and so I thought about ways to eliminate them.

To get rid of food packaging, I began buying my food unpackaged from the farmers market and my local grocery store. Instead of buying, say, baby carrots that came in a plastic bag, I bought whole carrots, which came without any packaging. I also learned to bring jars and cotton bags to buy bulk items like grains and beans.

To eliminate food waste, I began composting. I would take my food scraps, put them in a bowl and place it in my freezer so they did not smell in my fridge. I would then take them to my local compost drop off at the farmers’ market every Saturday.

STEP 2 » The low hanging fruit

This step covers the more superficial but high-impact steps that one can take towards lessening their trash output. What you have to do is:

• Carry reusable bags to the store as opposed to taking plastic or paper bags
• Use a reusable water bottle instead of plastic water bottles
• Bring a mason [jam-sized] jar or reusable mug to the coffee shop as opposed to using a disposable cup
• Say NO to disposable plastic straws at bars, coffee shops, or juice shops and use a metal, glass or bamboo straw
• Pack your own lunch in reusable containers and eat it with real silverware as opposed to disposable plastic forks and spoons.

STEP 3 » Do it yourself

Lots of everyday products come packaged in non-recyclable or difficult-to-recycle packaging. Instead of trying to buy products and figure out if they are being recycled properly, I learned how to make them myself. I started out with something that was simple and easy like toothpaste. I then moved on to products like deodorant, moisturiser and even cleaning products.

Becoming Zero Waste is not something you can do in a day, but decreasing the amount of trash you produce is something that can happen right now with a few simple steps. You might even find that you save money, have more time in your day and feel great!

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Here are a few environmentally-friendly strategies to keep in mind when you decide to make your home eco-friendly:

Building material

Modern building materials like steel, glass or cement are manufactured by using ‘high embodied energy’. These materials may cost less, but consume a great amount of fuel during manufacturing. Houses built using contemporary materials consume large amounts of energy during their production and also for their maintenance. They absorb a lot of heat, making the house hot and uncomfortable. To cool the area down, you have to keep an air-conditioner or a fan on continuously, leading to a high electricity bill. Such architecture proves to be expensive in the long run. So wherever you can, try to use stones, bricks or wood for the walls. They are eco-friendly and have a charm of their own.

“Bricks to me are like faces” said the great architect Laurie Baker. “All of them are made of burnt mud, but they vary slightly in shape and colour. I think these small variations give tremendous character to a wall made of thousands of bricks, so I never dream of covering such a unique and distinctive creation with plaster, which is mainly dull and characterless. I like the contrast of textures of brick, of stone, of concrete, of wood.”

Energy

Though expensive to install, a solar panel is a must-have in any eco-friendly home because it harnesses and effectively utilises natural energy. Whenever you can, opt for renewable sources of energy.

Lighting

Houses should be oriented in the direction that yields the highest amount of sunlight and breeze. Design your windows such that you can make the maximum use of natural light. This leads to enormous energy and cost savings. You can also reduce your consumption of electricity by using energy-efficient lighting like LED lamps and power-saving home appliances; these lamps also last longer. Avoid CFL bulbs as they contain mercury, which is a dangerous heavy metal; hence pay attention to how you dispose of those bulbs.

Waste management

How you want to manage your solid waste should be planned before the construction of your home starts. Water needs to be harnessed through conservation, harvesting and recycling. A lot of water can be conserved by integrating paving areas to manage the storm-water runoffs and to harvest the rain water. Underground tanks can also be built for harvesting rainwater, which could lessen water shortage during summers, reclaiming this water through the selective membrane process will make you self-sufficient.

Flooring

Tiled floors using materials like terracota, clay, laminate, wood, athangudi is the usual preference. However, there are other new additions to flooring options. Linoleum sheets produced from linseed oil, wood-flour and cork are durable, fire-retardant and water-resistant. These sheets are pressed onto the sub-floor [usually tiles]. The joints are then welded, to make them dirt-free and peel-proof. Linoleum being naturally anti-bacterial and biodegradable makes it one of the best choices for creating an eco-friendly floor.

Bamboo is another sustainable material currently being used for flooring. Bamboo shoots are pressed to fabricate sections and when installed they resemble hardwood flooring. These floors can be maintained by vacuuming and wet mopping.

Carpeted floors are cosy and they provide thermal insulation during winters. Carpets are available in synthetic and natural fibres. Synthetic fibres like rayon, nylon, polyester etc. are usually preferred, since they are affordable, long lasting and recyclable. Natural fibres such as jute, coir, wool, hemp are usually tufted to form carpets; they ensure a healthy indoor environment by using safe and recyclable materials and low Volatile Organic Compounds [VOC] adhesive.

Poly Lactic Acid [PLA] fibres spun from polymers obtained from starch-based agricultural products such as corn, rice and sugar beet are environment friendly and decompose into lactic acid, which replenishes the soil when buried. They are made by a process that uses less fuel and consumes less water.

Roofs

Eco-friendly ceilings can vary from filler slabs to Mangalore-tiled roofs, mud-packed roofs, thatched roofs or brick domes. Lightweight and inexpensive materials such as low-grade Mangalore tiles, coconut shells, glass bottles, etc. are used as materials in filler slabs. This roofing costs 30 – 35 per cent less than conventional concrete roofing, which helps you save a considerable amount. This has a cooling effect and has no health hazards as opposed to galvanised iron sheets and asbestos cement sheet roofs, which dissipate too much heat and are known to increase the risk of diseases such as lung cancer. Recycled shingles are among the most popular—and perhaps the ‘greenest’—of all roofing products. They are made from recycled waste materials like plastic, rubber or wood fibre.

You can manage the microclimate too through appropriate landscaping. This includes the setting up of a rooftop garden and, if space is not a constraint, you can even create a vegetable garden in the front or back of your house.

Doors and windows

Doors that are made from recycled or old wood could be used if it suits the design style of your home. All wooden items can be polished using cashew nut oil. Terracotta jaalis and cement jaalis can also be used in place of windows, which allow more ventilation. Staircases could also be made using old wood.

Make your doors and windows from glasses that are designed to reflect heat and give the room insulation. These will keep the rooms warm during cold winters and will reflect unwanted heat during summers. This not only sets the right ambience, but also fills the interiors with natural light. In the long term, this will also save you a lot of money that you would have otherwise spent on heating or cooling the rooms.

Finishes

Paints are mandatory in most homes, but are also a major cause of indoor air pollution. Many paints contain VOCs, which are hazardous to health. Some of these compounds react with the nitrogen-oxide in the air in the presence of sunlight, forming a chemical compound, which causes respiratory problems. Paints that have low VOC content use water as a carrier and contain very little or no metal and formaldehyde. Paints are safest if made from natural ingredients such as water, clay, plant dyes, oils, resins, clay, calcium, chalk, talcum, beeswax and natural latex.

Furniture, textiles and décor items

Furniture can always be recycled and reused. Old wood can be used to make new contemporary furniture or you can simply buy antique furniture for your home. Tyres are recycled to make furniture, photo frames and a variety of other products. Many NGOs  sell home furnishings made from recycled material.

Recycled news paper can be used to make curtains, waste paper baskets, breadbaskets and bowls.

The versatile bamboo is used for making a wide range of products like furniture, jewellery, mats, coasters, trays, beads, runners and chataais. Natural fibre grasses are also used to make varying décor items and furniture. Eco-friendly textiles like khadi, mulul, cotton, blockprints, ikat etc. are available to make your upholstery. Each region in India has a unique textile and you can explore them according to your interests.

Once you have decided to take the road to building your eco-friendly home, you will love the feeling of having done your bit for the planet.

This was first published in the October 2014 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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There is a thin line between living an informed life and a paranoid one. This article’s purpose is not to stress or overwhelm you. Instead it is an invitation to become aware of some important facts, so that you can make informed choices for yourself and your loved ones.

We’ve been ‘lead’ astray

According to World Health Organization, 1.2 crore people are overexposed to lead and 99 per cent of the most serious cases are in the developing world. So what does lead exposure do? Lead is absorbed directly into the bloodstream, causing, serious damage to the brain, kidneys and nerves. Lead exposure has also been linked to learning disabilities and behavioural problems. Children are more at risk because of their constant contact with lead-based products, from walls to toys to playground equipment.

So what do you do?

• Get yourself and your family tested for lead and other heavy metals.
• Use lead-free paints whenever possible.
• Increase your consumption of foods rich in calcium and iron. This will help offset some of the damage caused from lead exposure.
• Spread the word so more people are informed and demand safer paint options as consumers.

Bye, bye plastic bottles. Hello stainless steel and glass

Most plastic bottles are made of phthalates and BPA, toxic substances that leech from the bottle into the water, juice or other liquid it contains. BPA has been associated with certain types of cancers, diabetes, fertility issues, and developmental concerns. Research is finding that BPA-free plastic also might cause harm to the body.

So what do you do?

• Stainless steel or glass bottles and jugs are healthier alternatives. They are good for the family, and because of their easy recyclability, they are great for the planet too.
• Another perk of stainless steel bottles? They keep water cool and refreshing in the warm summer months without refrigeration!

Take a peek under that kitchen sink

Most household cleaning products come laden with toxic chemicals and xenon-oestrogens. The latter are particularly harmful to women and can cause severe hormone disruptions.

So what do you do?

• Some of the most effective household cleaning ingredients come in very harmless forms! Mix some vodka with eucalyptus oil and you have a bug spray, kitchen stove cleaner and air-freshener.
• Mix some baking soda and vinegar together to clean your toilets and kitchen sink.
• Use olive oil and lemon to keep your wood furniture clean and shining.
• Hydrogen peroxide mixed with hot water makes for a great floor cleaner.

Better still, call your grandparents and ask for tips. They lived a far more eco-friendly life than us.

Au Naturel is the latest beauty trend

Most bath and beauty products available in the market today are laden with sulphates, parabens and a host of other harmful ingredients. Almost 60 per cent of these are directly absorbed by our skin and enter the bloodstream without any filtration by the liver. Lead in lipsticks is known to cause neurological problems, blood disorders and depression. Toxic metals such as aluminium are widely used in deodorants and have oestrogen-like effects, disrupting the function of the endocrine system. Phthalates, the synthetic fragrances in shampoos and lotions are linked to hormone disruption.

So what do you do?

• Check out the ingredient list on the product. Anything you can’t pronounce? Maybe its time to move to simpler products.
• Baking soda and orange juice makes a great face mask.
• Honey, lemon and turmeric is a great cleanser.
• If you have to use packaged products look for organic options and always check the ingredient list to see what’s really in there.

Be a tree-hugger. Print less.

Honestly, paper usage has no direct impact on our health. And yet we have to just look around us to realise the effects of global warming and a receding green cover. Although technology has significantly reduced our need to print, there are times when hard copies of documents are required.

So what do you do?

• Look for printing paper that is made of recycled paper [at least partially].
• If you’re using paper for personal use, then use the blank side of old printouts lying around the home or office.
• Look for recycling options or donate your old books to local libraries. Spread some bookworm love and save the earth.

Finally, vote with your money

We often underestimate our power as consumers. India is the twelfth largest consumer market in the world. That means, our individual and collective consumption decisions can have a large impact on what the markets make available.

So what do you do?

• If you’re an animal rights advocate, ask for cruelty-free products.
• Think big corporations are evil? Frequent local, mom-and-pop stores, boutiques and restaurants.
• Wish your grocery store sold organic produce? Get your friends to make phone calls to the store till they stock up on the stuff.

Being conscious, responsible consumers is probably the most empowering thing we can do. It affects our own health and has a huge impact on the environment. Wherever we live, from a high-rise in Mumbai to a tree-house in Sweden, we all really have just one home and one mother: our beautiful, magical planet. When we commit to take better care of it, we end up benefiting in the process.

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