8 facts, and lots of tips so you can go eco-friendly

Environmental issues such as pollution and global warming impact us everyday. The weather is becoming erratic and unbearable and cities are becoming unlivable. It seems like a problem we cannot solve, and yes it will take the efforts of many stakeholders to make any difference!  The good news is that every little bit counts, and it’s not very hard to adopt an eco-friendly lifestyle. Here are 8 eco-facts on why you should care, and tips to go eco-friendly.

 Fact # 1

70% of the paper consumed in India, ends up in landfills: It takes 12 trees to produce 1 ton of 100% virgin (non-recycled) newsprint paper. Before you junk last month’s bundle of newspaper, have a look at these fun and easy ways to reuse paper at home. Or use these ideas to reduce the amount of paper you waste at work.

Fact # 2

40% of the food produced in India worth Rs. 50,000 crores – is wasted every year. Not only do more than 250 million people in the country go to bed hungry every day, the waste food clogs up our landfills and with other non-biodegradable waste, adds to the high levels of pollution and toxins in the air we breathe. Read our post on 8 ways to reduce food waste every day and get tips to go eco friendly.

Fact # 3

Every year enough plastic is thrown away across the globe to circle the Earth 4 times. It also takes Plastic 1000 years to decompose. Reuse plastic bags or replace them with paper/cloth bags, recycle bottles, and reduce everyday plastics as much as possible. Read our article on Lifecycle of a Plastic Bottle to understand the problem better, and Purging Plastics for some ideas!

Fact # 4

An average family of four in Delhi produces at least 1 tonne of solid waste each year. As space in Delhi’s landfills runs out, the national capital will need an additional area of 28 sq km by 2020 to dump 15,000 tonnes of garbage daily. Read our post Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle to understand why this is essential, our post on Composting to understand the impact you can make, and 5 steps to start composting today to find out how to get eco friendly lifestyle.

Fact # 5

By taking a bucket bath only 3 days a week, you can save 45 liters of drinking water every week.  Don’t believe us? Read our post on Bring Home a Bucket to calculate your impact.

Fact # 6

Reducing your Vampire or Phantom load could help you save Rs. 3500 every year. Did you know that even when they are turned off, electronic gadgets such as PCs and TVs, gobble up a lot of power? The solution? Turn off and unplug devices when not in use. Not only will you cut power consumption by 30 KW a month, you can also save Rs. 3500 in a year – here’s how.

Fact # 7

75% of the water processed by an RO goes out as waste. This water is perfect for household chores. Read our post on 5 ways to Save Water Everyday to see how you can make the most of your daily water supply and other tips to go eco friendly.

Fact # 8

India produces 18.5 lac tonnes of e-waste every year. While India has emerged as the world’s second largest mobile market, it is also the fifth largest producer of electronic waste.  Nearly 25% of the over 100 crore mobile phones in circulation end up in landfills annually. Shockingly, only 1.5% of the total e-waste gets recycled. Read How to Manage your E-waste to get tips, and a list of take back programs from big vendors.