To save our environment, the least we can do is recycle. This write-up lists some easy tips to help you recycle at home and in your office.
Aparna Jadhav
Everyone is aware of the environmental issues the world is facing, but few do their bit to save it. Instead, we contribute to the pollution even more, thinking that someone else is supposed to do their duty to save it. We end up ruining the ecosystem around us which gives us life.
If we took one step forward to save and recycle our own waste, we could cut down on a large amount of pollution every day around the world. Recycling, though a very small attempt, can prove the be powerful to save our environment from a number of hazards. There are a few tips you can follow in your own homes and offices to start with.
Cutting down on pollution is easy. You can simply start by keeping your homes, gardens, and vehicles clean so that they don't create problems for others. There are three main points: reduce, reuse, and recycle.
With these three factors in mind, you can cut down on a huge amount of pollution which is thrown into the atmosphere every single day. To understand the importance of recycling, you will have to implement these three 'R's.
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
Try using phosphate-free detergents for the home, and never use chemical pesticides. While disposing hazardous waste, don't pour chemicals down the drain.
While buying groceries and other home requirements, do your weekly shopping in a single trip so you can save on gas. Turn off your engines whenever you are not using them.
Service your vehicles within the advised durations to keep them from polluting the atmosphere.
Don't use plastic bags for groceries, instead use cloth or paper bags. Also, reuse them until they get completely worn out, and then dispose them appropriately.
Purchase recycled home objects, and help save the environment from damage.
Recycling plastic is also a very important act. If you have unused plastic which is dumped or to be disposed, make sure you recycle it.
Make use of rechargeable batteries, and not the regular ones, to save power.
Older homes should be updated with insulation to make them more energy efficient.
Don't buy or use Styrofoam peanut packaging as it doesn't degrade. If you have to use it, ensure that you reuse it for other purposes. Try to find a substitute for it.
As a substitute to Styrofoam, you can use shredded paper which is commonly obtained in offices.
Purchase objects made from recycled paper, plastic, and other materials to keep on your office desks and cubicles.
Printing on both sides of the paper reduces paper usage and waste by almost 50%.
Always try to use reusable products rather than disposable products such as dishes, cups, chalkboards, stationery, etc.
Instead of making multiple paper copies of memos and other notices, rotate one throughout the office or put it up on the notice board. Also, try to use email as far as possible.
Use the office appliances properly, and turn them off when not required, as this will surely help the environment.
Tips for Kids
Kids always learn from adults and thus, follow these tips before you teach them. If your children have drawn pictures which are very old and you want to get rid of them, use them as wrapping paper for gifts.
Limit wasting paper from notebooks, and make sure you use both sides of the paper. Finish the entire notebook before you start using another one.
Teach your kids to switch off electrical appliances like the lights, television, DVD player, and computer, whenever not needed.
Teach them to save water, to turn off the tap when not required, drink all the water in their glass, and water the plants only in the required amounts.
Show them new creative ways of art like origami using newspaper, and also teach them to make things from milk cartons and other used objects.
With these tips, you will surely conserve a lot of energy and help save the environment. The earth is ours to take care of, and protecting it is our responsibility.