What most people don’t know about leading a sustainable lifestyle is that in addition to keeping the environment clean and healthy, it keeps your mind and body active. While we are well-versed with the quick and direct swaps to refuse and reduce our plastic consumption, here are some do-it-yourself products and ideas for going sustainable and staying on top of the game.
Up-cycled tea-bags
Did you know that a tea lover who drinks five cups a day will get through 13 sq m of perforated paper each year? It also is one of the largest elements of ‘avoidable food waste’ in our dustbins. Use unused and old fabric bits available at home to make your own re-usable tea pouches/bags that last you a lifetime over single use disposable tea bags.
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Scrap soaps for travel
Cut down on your liquid soap usage which mostly comes in single use disposable plastic packaging and is up to 20 times that of a humble bar soap. Liquid soap leaves 25% more carbon footprint than bar soaps do as it takes more chemical feedstocks and processing to be manufactured; seven times more to be precise, and that means seven times the energy and carbon emissions. So the next time you travel, carry with you cut bar soaps which last just one wash each to avoid the hassle of travelling with a wet bar soap.
Do-it-yourself cleaning sprayADVERTISEMENT
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Most commercially available cleaning agents come in single use disposable plastic packaging and are loaded with chemicals that we can’t even spell! An average household today contains around 62 toxic chemicals that have been linked to asthma, cancer, reproductive disorders and more. Start making your own cleaning agents from ingredients available in your ecosystem. Water and vinegar mixed in equal parts with a few drops of essential oil (for fragrance, if required) is an excellent choice to keep your home clean.
Zero-waste gift wrapping
Although some of us try reusing conventional and designer gift wrapping papers designed for single use, it can only be put to use a few more times. Recycling wrapping paper is problematic in a number of ways. As fibres found in cheaper types of paper are not strong enough to recycle, they are dyed and laminated and can also contain non-paper additives such as gold and silver colouring, glitter and plastics. You could creatively put to use your old bags, one-side printed papers, newspaper and scrap fabric to wrap your gifts. Tie them with twine, jute rope and strips of scrap fabric and embellish them with stalks of real plants and flowers, unused accessories, jewellery and cardboard cards.
Beeswax wrap
Aluminium foil is even more wasteful than plastic wrap by nearly every metric including fossil fuel consumption, aquatic toxicity and green house gas emissions. Say no to single use disposable plastic and aluminium food wraps by making your own food wraps from fabric bits at home and beeswax, a natural by-product of extracting honey. Grate the wax, spread it on the fabric and place a tracing sheet or butter sheet before ironing the set up to prepare your share of wraps at home. Beeswax wraps are also safe to use on food.
Sustainable hacks are always staring at us. Embrace sustainability with an open mind and empower yourself with choices that are cleaner and healthier to yourself and the environment.
Sudarshana and Veena are sustainability entrepreneurs. They are the co-founders of Two’s Company and Everwards India. This is the last in a series of articles on the plastic ban.