Sort It Out - Zero Waste Living During A Pandemic

Learn about zero-waste living during a pandemic on Brown Living. Discover sustainable tips, from composting to DIY cleaning, and create a healthier planet.

As we remain in lockdown, our relationship with our food and waste needs new levels of patience and consistency.  Some of us don't have access to our package-free produce, and can't really send our plastic-waste to recycle. In such times, what can one do?

Why Should we care about WASTE?

The way we currently manage waste causes significant damage to the air we breath, the water we consume, and the soil we live on. We can change this with a few simple steps, and the responsibility for this lies with both, citizens and municipalities. 

India is getting buried in its own garbage as a huge quantity of solid waste generated daily is never picked up and poisons land, air and water.  Of the total collected waste, only 20% (27,000 MT per day) is processed and the rest is dumped at landfill sites. Over 80% of the garbage that we throw away in landfills can, in fact, be recycled or composted. You can reduce your garbage footprint in 3 simple steps:

1. Waste Segregation
2. Recycling
3. Composting

Do Your best to Compost or Recycle Your Waste.

Waste comprises various items (such as food scraps, plastics, thermocol, etc.) that have different properties. 

When separated, most of these items can be recycled. But when these are mixed together, it becomes non-recyclable and poses a serious hazard to our environment. Hence it’s crucial that the waste is separated and not mixed into a single bin.

Take a closer look at the trash you generate per day or per week. Segregate your waste in 4 categories:

1. Food Waste: Keep the wet waste aside for Composting. This includes Cooked Food, Vegetable Scraps, Fruit Peels, Egg Shells, Compostable plates & cutlery. Check this video to learn how to compost.
2. Recyclable Waste: Store your recyclable waste to send to a nearby recycling facility when they reopen. This includes Paper, Plastic, Glass, Cans, Cardboard.
3. e-Waste: Electronic waste or e-waste includes discarded electrical or electronic devices. Used electronics which are destined for refurbishment, reuse, resale, salvage recycling through material recovery, or disposal are also considered e-waste. Check this list for e-waste recycling centres in India.
4. Landfill Waste: Styrofoam plates and cutlery, Plastic Cutlery, Sanitary Waste, Thermocol, Mixed Waste. Sadly, these will end up in a landfill as they can't be treated any further. It's best to avoid buying them in the first place so you can continue to reduce your waste footprint.

Take a closer look at the garbage you are generating. Diligently segregate the waste, compost the food scraps and recycle the waste than can be given a new life. Just in a few weeks, you can make a zero waste home, grow your own greens with the compost produced and generate minimal trash, as low as 1 mason jar, once a year!