Switch to Sustain

Everyday, we hear news about environmental degradation in varying degrees. Vanishing species of plants and animals, forest fires, landfills in different parts of our cities, rivers turning black and what not. All that we, the normal people with no big corporations on our name to pay our bills can do is think how we can minimise the adversity that this serious complication, that’s pollution, is causing us. If you’re a part of the environmentally conscious crowd- the need of this hour as well as the planet who wants to do something for it, we’re here to tell you about an easy and impactful action you can take up. Switch to sustainable products made of metal that will last long or biodegradable materials like bamboo and cotton instead of plastic! More and more companies are coming up with these products to help minimise our contribution to wastage and pollution and at the same time, they’re adopting technologies better suited for sustainable production processes, which has resulted in more and more of us being a part of the sustainable way of living.

The global market has now been flooded with various sustainable options for objects that are needed daily. Some of them are:

• Bamboo toothbrushes, made from the fastest growing plant, are 100% biodegradable. 23 billion toothbrushes per year worldwide, assuming we replace them on average every 3 months, get thrown away. They never break down, they just fill our landfills and water bodies. Bamboo combs are also replacing the typical plastic ones.
• Cloth or cotton sanitary pads and silicone menstrual cups, an environmentally conscious substitute to plastic (and cotton) pads that are used by 121 million Indian women, resulting in almost one billion sanitary pads being used and disposed of every year, assuming one woman uses an average of 8 pads in one cycle.
• Bamboo/paper straws are definitely a better way to drink your favourite beverage than feeling guilty of using plastic straws that kill thousands of marine animals each year. While not using a straw to consume liquids is still the best option, these sustainable straw options will surely reduce your carbon footprint.
• Plates made from leaves instead of plastic in events. The Indians have been using Sal/Banyan/Bamboo leaves as plates for more than a millennium. Manufacturing plastic utensils takes up much more energy and water resources than producing the biodegradable ones, and they are the right choice for any celebration in our homes, while taking care of the planet.As a bright and shining ray of hope among the dark clouds of destruction of the only liveable planet known to us, some big brands are also investing in more sustainable ways of production, such as Unilever, Allergan, Nike, Adobe etc. From reducing their water and energy usage to developing ways to compare which fabric would create the least carbon emissions, these conventional brands are making the necessary changes to create long lasting products to reduce the environmental destruction.

Although many brands were first skeptical about launching their sustainable products for the fear that people won’t buy them, a new global report from The Economist Intelligence Unit, commissioned by WWF, shows a staggering 71% rise in online searches for sustainable goods globally over the past five years. This shows people are actively choosing the better option for themselves as well as the planet, even if it means paying a little extra.

In India, many new brands have emerged that exclusively deal in sustainable, ethical products, while using quality materials to ensure that they last long and use packaging that doesn’t choke the planet even more. Some of them are Auroville, who sell food items as well as clothes that are organically grown; Pampearth, who sell various sustainable and biodegradable products like bamboo toothbrushes, pens, pencils, and notebooks made of recycled paper along with which they also give seeds that can be planted by their buyers; BrownLiving, who manufacture all things sustainable- even food wraps made from beeswax! They also sell cutlery made of bamboo, and not to forget, natural handmade soaps and loofah; Pepaa, who make pencils from old newspapers, apply the second of the 4 Rs to sustainable living- Reuse, in real life; and many more.

With all these options of eco-friendly products around us, there is a hope that Mother Earth will breathe a cleaner air and sustain us for a little longer for sure. Have you switched to sustain yet?