Waste Audit

  • We are aware that we must use less plastic
  • That we carry cloth bags for shopping
  • While many of us do this, there are some aspects where we miss the forest for the trees of using less disposable materials and creating a lot of waste
  • So how much waste do we really generate?
  • For that, we need to have an audit - the waste audit
  • So from the 1st of April 2019, I am going to do my own waste audit
  • How do do this -
  • First, be conscious of what we are using and whether we will be creating waste out of it
  • Next, explore ways how to reduce waste
  • As you put the waste in the bin, photograph it on your mobile
  • At the end of the day, make a list of all the waste you have generated
  • Next, try to reduce making this much waste the following day
  • Follow the process every day
  • With the aim to bring this to zero
  • At the end of the month, we will have our waste audit
  • I am begining now
  • And post my findings
  • Some hints:
  • 1. In my house, we get 3 packets of milk every day
  • This is naturally a waste of plastic bags
  • So, in order to recycle, what we do is wash them after emptying the milk 
  • Next we store the bags to use them for planting and creating seedlings for planting
  • 2. Use of juice tetra packs
  • We eliminate these by just making fresh juice from fruits every time
  • 3. Use of biscuit and chips wrappers
  • Buy biscuits from local bakeries and chips from hot chips 
  • 4. Parcel food
  • If we order food from restaurants, we carry our own steel containers
  • Effectively, we try to reduce creation of waste
  • Now my challenge to you
  • Post one photo or video that you yourself have taken on how to reduce waste or steps taken by you to reduce waste, on your time line
  • Don't forward other people's work
  • Our waste audit will show how big our carbon footprint is!
  • Also we need to be conscious to what extent we are practicing this
  • We carry cloth bags
  • But we end up buying stuff packed in plastic
  • So our rice is in plastic
  • Our dal is in plastic
  • Our Maggi noodles are in plastic
  • Our toothpaste is in plastic and paper wrapper
  • Our vegetables in the super market is wrapped in cling foil
  • And all this we are carrying in our cloth bag!
  • How to reduce the plastic in our cloth bag?
  • We have to find ways
  • So we buy rice from the local kirana shop measured in his steel bowl and emptied in our cloth bag
  • Our vegetables from the local vendors
  • If we buy clothes, buy them from vendors like Westside or Fabindia or even Bharne's who do not sell clothes wrapped in plastic and paper
  • The result will be that our plastic and dry waste bucket will take weeks to fill
  • All wet waste must be composted
  • Best way to reduce food packaging waste is by preparing and consuming only home cooked food
  • We don't buy Maggi noodles or other such ready to eat packaged food
  • This helps in reducing waste and also saves a lot of money
  • Presently in Goa, the problem is that we are only concentrating on the bags we carry and not in the waste generated in the packaging of the goods in it
  • McDonalds or KFC or Dominos create so much waste in packaging that they have eliminated only their carry bag and they feel that the are environmentally conscious
  • So my suggestion this Earth Week, do a waste audit in your office and at home
  • This will give us an idea of how much waste we generate and what steps we can take to reduce waste

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