Urban India generates 62 million tonnes of solid waste per annum and only 11.9 MT is treated — 31 MT is dumped in landfills. The biggest challenge is the lack of proper segregation at source. Here's what each sustainability concept actually means.
Reusing: Products used again and again for their original or a different purpose. Saving gifting paper, using cloth tote bags — these are reuse in action.
Recycling: A waste product broken down to its basic material to create a new product — like egg cartons from newspaper pulp. Reduces pressure on natural resources.
Upcycling: Breaking a product into components to create something of better quality and value — like virtual reality headsets from recycled cardboard, or clothes from recycled plastic bottles.
Downcycling: When a product loses quality each time it's reused. Plastic is the worst offender — microscopic pieces shave off, and reprocessed items are weaker than the original.
Zero Waste Living: Consuming only what's needed, repairing over replacing, donating what you don't need, and segregating for recycling — so waste never reaches landfills or oceans.
Minimalism: A lifestyle that evaluates the purpose of each possession. More sustainable comparatively, though followers don't always dispose of unwanted goods sustainably.
Countries leading in this space: Germany (residents paid for correct plastic disposal), Sweden (99% waste recycled), Japan (38 waste categories, only 20% reaches landfills). These are the ideals to aspire to — and it starts at home.