plastic waste

videos Video plastic waste 

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A Brief Introduction of plastic waste in India, and some measures at a glance.

  India's Plastic waste at a glance 20 yrs from now. Are we doing anything about it?.

PET bottles.

In 2011, the measure of plastic waste created by the nation was nearly 7,000,000 metric tons each year and is assessed to be more than 50 million, metric tons each year in the year 2041.  This measurement shows the measure of plastic waste produced across India from 2001 to 2011, with gauges up to 2041. India generates close to 26,000 metric tonnes of plastic a day, according to a CPCB*(Center for Pollution Control Board) estimate from 2012. Worse, a little over 10,000 metric tonnes a day of plastic waste remains uncollected. FYI (one tonne is equal to 1000 kgs almost equal to a garbage truck).

Delhi's Ghazipur dumping

Unsegregated and uncollected plastics eventually end up in landfills, rivers, and finally to the Oceans. By 2050, various reports show that the alarming mismanagement of waste, the amount of plastic in seas and oceans across the world will weigh more than the fishes. With considerable efforts to clean up the water system with nationwide river cleaning campaigns our river Ganga comes second after  China’s Huang Ho in Asian  Region.

Our plastic consumption and utilization are expanding and growing. The plastic preparing industry is assessed to grow to 22 million tons (MT) a year by 2020 from 13.4 MT in 2015. Of which almost 50% of this is single-utilize plastic, as indicated by a Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce* and Industry study. But if we compare to our counterpart country the US,  less than 11kg, India’s per capita plastic consumption is nearly one-tenth of the US,  which is at 109kg. Per person. This shows that we still have hope to minimize waste production on a global basis.

The choice is ours.

Stop and Refuse single-use plastics.

The 2016 Plastic Waste Management Rules* were an attempt to improve some legislation and Plastic Waste Management. Each state a local body has to be responsible for setting up infrastructure for segregation, collection, processing, and disposal of plastic waste. Additionally, the rules, amended in 2018, introduced the concept of EPR (extended producer responsibility), according to which the producers (manufacturers, importers, and those using plastic in packaging), as well as brand owners, would be held responsible for collecting the waste that their products generate. There were many challenges on EPR’s as well, the most important challenge we face as of now is the infrastructure, we need better collecting bins, better infrastructure, and technology for segregation and processing the waste. 

There are some laws that are ambiguous in nature and some practical. You will be surprised to know that there are some mandatory laws that enforce hefty charges and fines, but the one I like is that you can collect money or charge anyone for their waste if it's not being managed or if you do it, however, no one bats an eye over it.

Please avoid Sling wraps.

In terms of avoiding and banning plastic and single-use product, Sikkim was the first and pioneer in banning plastic bags as far back as 1998. Which is almost more than a decade from today. Others followed, and so far, around 22 states and UTs have bans in place. Banning was not the solution unless the mass is aware of the issues or their repercussions and, most importantly if the alternative is not available then things don't work out the way they should. So instead of closing down plastic manufacturing and trading units and rendering lakhs jobless, they should have been nudged to produce alternatives.

Please segregate your waste before dumping.

The general public and users should be provided with feasible alternatives, which are not costly, and made aware of these options. The industry should also be pushed to work on R&D to work on packaging alternatives, provided with time to work on this and given targets to phase out different types of plastic.  

Rather than a sudden blanket ban, the laws should suggest phasing out single-use plastic according to whether these are high priority items that need to be replaced immediately and for which alternatives are available, and those that require more time to be phased out. The forthcoming norms on extended producer responsibilities should be stringent and in execution, awareness and proper waste management will definitely hold out hope for India’s attempts at reducing plastic waste, provided all stakeholders, including consumers, step up and manage their waste like a responsible Indian citizen. 

* Sources, CPCB, FICCI, Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016.

Back to our Roots! Sustainable living in Cob housing (mud house)

Back to our Roots! Sustainable living in Cob housing.

Although most of us still look for a luxurious house with all the modern amenities, the trend is gradually shifting toward off-grid living. People who want to take the next step toward sustainable living are going for energy-efficient options like cob houses that are inexpensive to build and look aesthetically pleasing.

Cob houses are usually built by using a mixture of clay, sand, water, and straw, which is called Cob. lending eco-friendly credentials when compared to modern materials like brick and mortar. Moreover, they are sustainable, recyclable, and non-polluting when demolished.

If you have doubts about the durability of a cob house, then it’s worth mentioning that the oldest cob house still stands after 10,000 years of exposure in time. Also, making one for yourself and your family isn’t rocket science as it is very easy to build with the basic knowledge of construction.

I may not be able to show you the best cob houses from across the globe due to copyright issues. However, let’s have a look at the advantages of building one.

Why a cob house?

Firstly, a cob house looks beautiful due to the design freedom one has while building the structure. Cob as a building material is very easy to find, which makes it a practical option. Let’s have a look at some of the highlighting advantages of building a cob house.

1. Low cost of building

Since the material used for cob house construction is locally sourced from mother nature, it is a dirt-cheap method of building a dwelling that will last years. All you need is a piece of land to construct the structure, and it will cost you almost one-tenth the cost of building a conventional home. As an added advantage there is zero carbon footprint which goes very well for eco-friendly living.

2. Healthy indoors: As the cob house is built from natural earth materials, it is absolutely healthy to live in. There are no toxic emissions as compared to a conventional building that uses synthetic paints and industrial-formed materials.

3. Energy efficient: One major advantage that a cob house has is its energy-efficient design. This is due to the high thermal mass which keeps the indoor temperature consistent. It is a good option for hot climate areas and cold regions as its thick walls act as an insulator and maintain the temperature and which is automatically regulated without the need for any fancy equipment.

4. Building flexibility: A cob house is very easy to create in any intended manner, as the user can incorporate unique design elements. Also, the building material (cob) is compatible with other naturally occurring materials like wood or stone which gives the user the option to add some more structural strength.

5. Durable and earthquake resistant: Cob house is extremely durable as the base material for its structure like straw is a natural re-bar which gives strength to the building. The eco-friendly home is also earthquake resistant as the whole structure acts as one monolithic piece which doesn’t develop cracks when the earth shakes.

6. Weather-proof: We might think that a cob house would give way to extreme weather conditions like rain or hailstorm, but it’s exactly the opposite. A cob house is, in fact, durable and will last for years to come. There is no degradation of the material and it stays completely dry.

7. Termite and fireproof: Since soil is used as the base material for the building it is almost completely fireproof and termite-proof. This makes cob house one of the safest DIY(Do It Yourself) homes projects that one can go for.

8. Sound insulation: When one talks of acoustic insulation, cob houses are right up there among the best. Walls made from thick earthen material have excellent sound-absorbing properties which keep the outside noises subdued to a great extent and vice-versa.

If we look at the advantages and low cost of productions of eco-friendly homes which are sustainable and leave no carbon footprint behind, Cob houses are the best answers and best option. Our ancestors lived and flourished with these types of housing techniques. Building with earth has a long and successful history. Cob construction is particularly easy to learn, requires no fancy equipment, uses local materials, and can be done in small batches as time allows making it extremely accessible to a wide range of people, even children can help stomp the cob. Your creativity and requirement is the answer to the quest. So what are you waiting for? if you have any new idea of making a Cob house go for it as it's a win-win situation. It's a low-budget, eco-friendly and sustainable way of living.

As I always wanted to live a sustainable life and Cob houses have been the answer, I have already started a project to work on Cob houses with sustainable organic farming along with it. I will be updating the triumphs and challenges I face during the endeavor and keep you afresh. You may share your ideas, views, any comments, or even join as a volunteer for the same. We usually have the wrong conventional thought that building a house is a humongous effort, It is however if we don't know what we are looking for. But If we choose the right, eco-friendly and sustainable way then I suppose we have our answers.