Let’s change today for a greener tomorrow!



90,00,000 kgs of garbage is dumped in the wastelands of Mumbai every day. Rainforests may completely vanish in another 100 years. India may run out of drinking water by 2020.

We read this and other environment related news every day. Little do we realise that all of us are inadvertently contributing towards the deterioration of the environment. With a little awareness and effort by making changes to our lifestyle and adopting greener ways we can save our environment and our home, starting right at our homes. Here’s what you can do!

I. Energy saved=Energy created:

Change bulbs to CFL or tubelights -
Discard that bulb and opt for CFL or tubelight. CFLs use 60% lesser energy for the same wattage. Though it’s costlier, in the long run, it saves much more.
Note: Don’t throw away CFLs or tubelights after use. It contains mercury, thus has to be disposed off properly.
Adjust the temperature of AC -
If you use Air Conditioner, keep the temperature at 26 or 27 degrees. You would save 5 to 10% of the energy consumed. If you are using it during daytime, keep the shades on, to block all sunlight.
Switch off –
Switch off lights and fans when not in use. Unplug appliances after use. It would save a lot of energy!
Dust regularly –
Take a dusting cloth and wipe the coils of the refrigerator. Wash the filters of Air Conditioner regularly. A dust-free appliance saves energy.
Cook in a wider pan and pressure cooker –
In kitchen, cook food in a utensil with wider base. Prefer to cook in a pressure-cooker.
Use sunlight –
Solar energy is clean and free! If you are open to wacky ideas, use a solar cooker to cook rice.
II. Water saved=Water replenished:

Recycle water –
Use the water used to clean vegetables to water plants. Collect the unclean water from kitchen or after washing clothes to use it in bathroom. It would save a lot of fresh water, which is precious.
Rainwater harvesting –
Drop by drop makes an ocean. We heard it. Now let’s implement it. Try to collect maximum rainwater and let it go through the dried borewells or on to uncemented land. Let the rainwater not pass through the drain. This will help replenish the water table.
Change leaky taps –
A leaky tap can waste from 5 to 50 Litre of water in a day. That’s 150 Litre in a month. Change/fix all leaky taps at your home.
Utensils –
While washing utensils, pre-wash it in a large container filled with water and then wash it with fresh water to save at least 30% of it.
III. Landfills saved=Land reclaimed:

Compost and recycle –
90% of waste in our garbage can be composted and 9% of it can be recycled. Join with neighbours and create a compost pit or collectively hire a person for it. Press your municipal corporation to work in this direction.
Carry your own bag –
95% of polythene bags in landfills come from homes. Carry your own jute or polythene bag for shopping.
Avoid buying products that cause pollution –
Paper, leather, petrochemicals are some of the most polluting industries. Recycle and re-use paper whenever you can. Avoid buying leather products. Use all petrochemical products judiciously.
These are a few steps you can take to make your home green. These may seem like a mammoth effort and the resources saved may seem insignificant, but if a billion people adopted it, imagine the impact!

Let us all take the green step today. This is the time to change!