11 Easy Ways You Can Become Eco-Friendly And Make The World A Better Place

Going Green is the buzz word today, where people from all walks of life are turning eco-conscious, coming up with their own solutions to reduce consumption and finding sustainable and alternate solutions that are more in sync with sustainable living.

This is a great trend and aligns well with the core UN Sustainable Goals for 2019. And contrary to popular perception, embracing a green or eco-sensitive lifestyle isn't a big deal. And the best part is Going Green is contagious -- if you make the start, in no time your lifestyle will end up influencing others in your family and social circle, creating true grassroots change.

So let's walk through a few green steps you can start to embark your green journey towards a greener tomorrow:

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1) Spend time absorbing nature

The first part in your journey to go green is to be aware that you are a part of Mother Nature. Make time to go to an evergreen pristine place at least once a month, like a trek in the mountains or stroll in a park near your home. Breathe in the green, feel the fresh fragrance of the Earth and you will be humbled. And from there you will feel charged to cherish and protect the Planet.

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2) Say no to plastic, consume with care

Every time we consume, we have an ecological impact. Check your inventory in the kitchen and utilize those items first. And then make your shopping list. Best to carry along a big reusable cloth bag and some small ones too when you go to the market to replenish your stock of veggies and groceries. Remember refuse all thin gauge plastic bags. Look for bulk packing of products like opt for 2 kg of detergent rather than 500 grams. This will help reduce having an overdose of dry recyclable waste.

3) Get wise with waste

First weigh your daily waste that you throw out. You will get an idea of how much you can help with recycling and work to reduce the waste being dumped. One of the best things you can do is to start segregating all your daily waste. Label your bins at home and start with a three bin approach. Green bin for biodegradable waste, Blue for dry recyclable waste and Red for Reject/Trash waste.

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Composting wet waste from your kitchen like tea leaves, fruit and veggie peels, even egg shells and more in your window grill at home is quite easy once you have the hang and there are many options today. You could also initiate a community composting program in your society. Composting is nature's way of giving back the Earth its nutrients and helps us remediate land and provide food security for the future.

4) Tie up with recyclers

Those wires, batteries, ear phones, chargers and mobile phones and so many other electronics make life so much more entertaining. But dumping them into the environment is a huge health hazard thanks to the heavy metals in them. Invest in rechargeable batteries, and electronics with an aim to use them as long as possible.

Tie up with an E¨CWaste recyclers such as Re Teck for your building or community. This can make the recovery of recycling a profitable venture. Similarly, you can register your community, building or corporate with Bisleri¡¯s EPR program to collect your dry plastic waste for recycling. Join Go Green with Tetra Pak to deposit your empty Tetra Pak cartons and they can be recycled into beautiful school desks and donated to a needy school. Send your dry waste like paper, tins, cans, and bottles to a raddiwalla or recycler. The little that remains ¨C sanitary napkins, diapers, soiled tissues and other reject items can be trashed, but this system will considerably reduce landfill load.

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5) Grow your own greens

Growing your own garden full of herbs and vegetables isn't a distant dream but very much achievable. Set up your kitchen garden with your kitchen compost and enjoy your home grown organic veggies! From sowing seeds, to watering your plants and singing to them, each experience is magical.

For the planters look for old stuff around your home like handbags, shoes, boxes, tins and turn them into creative planters to grow herbs like basil, curry leaves, chilli and seasonal veggies like tomatoes, brinjals and more. The pakoras made from your own chillies tastes best in the world, trust me! Indoor and outdoor plants like tulsi can do wonders for your immunity by removing the toxins from the air and cleaning the air around you.

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6) Look for green alternatives

The first thing you need in morning is a toothbrush and tooth paste. Can you opt for a neem twig, or a bamboo tooth brush with tooth powder? What you escaped is a plastic toothbrush that you would discard every month and those empty plastic tooth paste tubes. A metal bottle is a great investment. Copper not just provides micro-elements, but also keeps you away from leached microplastics from plastic bottles. Steel tiffin are your best buddies over plastic tiffins and last you a lifetime.

7) Go minimalist and clutter free

Open your closets. There are ample satchets, bottles, pouches and other items that landed up there because they were given free, cheap or came along with something you bought. Refuse these items in the future that you have no real use for.

Foodie at heart? Dining out is a more sustainable option than ordering in, which usually entails lots of packaging. If you order, choose to say no to disposable cutlery and extra tissues. Especially the small tomato sauce sachets with your pizza can be a pain to our planet. You can always choose Tomato sauce in a glass bottle or better make your sauce during the tomato season. Carry a steel spoon/straw in your bag if you eat street food often.

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8) Pause with single-use plastics

Refuse plastic bags, cutlery, cups. Not only are they almost never recycled, but the process of recycling plastic causes its own problems of micro fibres and particles which are contaminating the soil, water and even air. Use reusable items wherever you can. A re-useable razor for shaving is a better bet than the disposable one. If you must use disposable items, ensure they are fully compostable and eco¨Cfriendly. When you're planning your next house party, look for plates and cups made from bagasse (sugarcane waste) which look appealing and can decompose effectively.

9) Be creative with DIYs

Get adventurous and make your own effective organic cleaners at home by fermenting fruit peels, jaggery, and water. The cleaners you use are non-biodegradable and have toxins which are not only harmful downstream to aquatic life, but to you as well in the form of indoor pollution. This way you can replace practically all your cleaners. You can use it to clean glass, wooden, ceramic, tiles, steel and even plastic surfaces. They don¡¯t harm the water bodies when flushed, they are biodegradable and guess what; you are making them at home, so you escape getting plastic bottles at home as your monthly stock. A win-win, safe and fun for you and the environment.

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10) Groom with nature

It's catching up in the West, this trend. Give your hair a great shine by making your own shampoo by boiling soap nuts from your local Ayurveda shop. Throw in some shikakai, bramhi and amla for added health benefits for your hair. Your kitchen is a hub of nutrients. Feed your skin with natural cleaners such as besan, multani mitti, haldi and chandan. Rub peels of apple, mango, papaya, cucumber on your face to keep it healthy. Exfoliate with aloe vera and crushed pomegranate fruit. Not only will these natural ingredients take care of your grooming needs, but save you from exposure to sulphates, parabens, preservatives and unwanted chemical carcinogens.

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11) Shop but with a thought

We're all lured by flash sales and great prices. But consider these points - Is it really needed? How long will it last? Is there an eco-friendly alternative for this? Terrycot, polyester and many of these fabrics leach out microfibers upon every wash. These microplastics go into the water streams causing much marine life impact. Adopt to sundry clothes if you wore them just once rather than laundering them after every wear. Opt for khadi, hemp, cotton and preferably organic.

Upcycle clothes if you are bored of them, into another fashion item. Jump up with ideas with your old jeans. Give them a new twist by turning them into shorts, a denim bag, wallets. A dupatta or saree can be turned into a kurta, and kurta to a scarf and so on. Get creative with your attire. Borrow, rent or swap if you can, rather than buying new clothes for every occasion.

About the author: Monisha Narke calls herself an eco-preneur who lives an eco-friendly life in Mumbai, and through her NGO RUR (Are Your Reducing, Reusing, Recycling?) strives to create eco-conscious citizens who make their waste worthwhile.