OVERVIEW

Green Action Week (GAW) is a global campaign to promote sustainable consumption. It is an initiative by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) and is carried out in coordination with Consumers International (CI). This year (2024) Green Action Week will be celebrated from 30th September – 6th October. The theme of GAW 2024 is ‘Empowering the Sharing Community: Promoting Circular Economy Practices’ with focus on reducing waste using circular economy practices.

The Problem

According to a study published in the Journal of Urban Management (December 2021), the 62 million tons (MT) of waste generated annually in India includes 7.9 MT of hazardous waste, 5.6 MT of plastic waste, 1.5 MT of e-waste, and 0.17 MT of biomedical waste. Moreover, the Indian Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has projected that annual waste generation in India will increase to 165 MT by 2030.

Until now, most municipal solid waste (MSW) is disposed at landfills or unmanaged dumpsites, which not only causes greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental, social and economic problems, but also disturbs operations of existing composting facilities. The hurdles include an absence of waste segregation-at-source, deficient management capacities, a lack of data regarding waste composition as well as insufficient financing and enforcement of existing regulations and policies.

Objectives

1. Consumer Empowerment: Understanding the lifecycle of the products—from manufacture to disposal—makes them appreciate the value of eco-friendly alternatives. Empowered consumers would be more willing to purchase from sustainable brands leading to the increase in demand and therefore the market will have to offer greener products and services. Not only will the efforts in education and clear labeling help distinguish truly sustainable products from those greenwashing, but also consumers will be empowered with the true difference of their informed choices. 

2. Encourage Community Involvement: Community programs to be encouraged through the sharing community workshops, which educate and make residents involved in sustainable practices such as composting, upcycling, to build in a collective effort toward a circular economy.

3. Environmental Protection: Reusing and recycling products will help protect natural resources and limit biodiversity loss. A circular economy strives to utilize waste and resources as efficiently as possible, putting minimal pressure on the natural ecosystems and therefore mitigating climate change. 

4. Conservation of Resources: The practices in the circular economy focus on reusing, recycling, and reusing materials to conserve the precious natural resources. The environmental benefits from the efficient use of materials and reduced energy consumption related to production, and resources are guaranteed to be available for future generations.

What is Municipal Solid Waste (MSW)

Commonly known as trash or garbage that is discarded by households and collected by the municipality is known as Municipal Solid Waste (MSW). It consists of everyday items such as product packaging, grass clippings, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint, and batteries. This comes from our homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses. This also emphasises the importance of sustainable materials management which includes the  use and reuse of materials in the most productive and sustainable ways across their entire life cycle.

Challenges

Currently, In India around 377 million urban dwellers generate an estimated 55 million tonnes of municipal solid waste per year. India is among the largest producers of polymers and among the largest generators of un-managed plastic waste leaching into terrestrial and marine ecosystems. 

Based on projections, this number will rise drastically to 125 million tonnes annually by 2031. This trend highlights the urgent requirement for developing a solution that addresses the root causes of waste generation.

From the consumer perspective, the challenge is the lack of a circular economy practices. The prevalent linear consumption and disposable pattern depletes resources, degrades the environment, and generates waste. Products manufactured are used and then thrown away, continuing the cycle of waste and harm towards the environment. Common challenges consumers face includes limited product portfolios for sustainable consumption, high costs of sustainable alternatives, information shortage regarding the purchase impact and awareness on sustainable environmental practices.

Currently, only 8 per cent of plastic in India gets recycled, 29 per cent is mismanaged, and the rest is incinerated or dumped. But India also has an economy and culture that repairs, re-uses and recycles its resources. 

Residual waste in India

Crude dumping of waste occupies ~1250 hectares of precious land in India each year. 

There are 2120 existing dumpsites (CPCB annual report 2016-17) 

Landfills were originally located outside of the cities, but as cities expanded, dumpsites are now almost inside the cities. 

Delhi’s open dumps at Ghazipur (69 metres high), Okhla (55 metres high) and Bhalswa (56 metres high), have resulted in garbage dumps of 13 MMT, 7 MMT and 6 MMT respectively. 

Estimated that more than 10,000 hectares of urban land is locked in these dumpsites in India.

(Source: Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation)

STRATEGY

Workshop with consumers along with experts & environmentalists 

This workshop aims to:

1.Provide tools and tips on how to shop more sustainably, such as choosing products with less packaging, how to do waste management etc.

2.Offer resources for identifying eco-friendly brands and certifications.

3.Encourage the idea of reusing and sharing within the community.

4. Educate consumers on how to reduce energy consumption at home through simple actions like using energy-efficient appliances, unplugging devices, and optimizing heating and cooling

Workshop with Women & young girls 

This workshop aims at:

1. Composting and creating a zero-waste kitchen (showcasing how to use food scraps creatively to make new dishes ,reduce food waste.

2. Demonstrating how to make eco-friendly cleaning products using common household items like vinegar, baking soda, and essential oils.

3. Providing  guidance for basic repairs and fostering a repair culture through sharing community efforts. 

Workshop with Children & Youth

This workshop aims to

1. Teach children how to plant and care for a small garden using recycled containers.

2. Conduct experiments that teach children about biodegradation, composting, and the impact of waste on the environment. Include hands-on activities like creating mini compost bins.

3. Use recycled materials like paper, plastic bottles, and cardboard to create art projects.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

1.Educated and empowered consumers will make the right sustainable choice.

2.Collaborative efforts within the sharing community will be strengthened.

3.Economic gains will be realized through reduced waste and adoption of sustainable practices.

4.A positive environmental impact will be observed, particularly in waste management and the adoption of renewable  sources.

5.Long-term sustainability will be promoted as a key outcome.

OVERVIEW

Green Action Week (GAW) is a global campaign to promote sustainable consumption. It is an initiative by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) and is carried out in coordination with Consumers International (CI). This year (2023) Green Action Week will be celebrated from 1st October to 8th October. The theme of GAW 2023 is Sharing Community which works for people and the planet. We need to work together by ensuring that everyone has sustainable access to goods and services.

Objectives of GAW 2023

1. To address unsustainable Consumption patterns among target groups (audience).
2. Encouraging use of natural resources, reducing energy consumption and conserve resources and promoting sustainable alternatives.
3. Supporting sharing community efforts to promote sustainable consumption patterns leading to adopt energy efficiency practices among consumers.

What is sustainable consumption?

Sustainable consumption is the use of products and services in ways that minimizes impacts on the environment. For several years humans have been behaving irresponsibly especially with nature and putting future generations at risk. Everything human does affects nature. The United Nations Environment defines sustainable consumption as the use of material products, energy and immaterial services in such a way that it minimizes the impact on the environment, so that human needs can be met not only in the present but also for future generations. Preserving the planet is not only the responsibility of an individual but requires a collective effort and therefore Sharing Community is so very important. A crucial part of sustainability is that sustainable consumption must enable socio-economic justice for everyone involved in the supply chain, as much as it addresses consumer and environmental concerns.

Current Challenges

India‘s rapid economic growth and urbanization has resulted in the challenge of unsustainable consumption patterns among its population and is an urgent need to address this. Consumer education is crucial to adopt sustainable and responsible consumption practices that minimize environmental impact and ensure a greener future through a sharing community.

With a rapidly growing population and a growing economy, the demand for energy in India has skyrocketed in recent years. At the same time, India is also grappling with severe environmental issues caused by fossil fuel-based energy systems, such as air pollution and climate change. India has a relatively high energy intensity, indicating the amount of energy required to produce a unit of GDP. As per 2019 data India’s per capita energy consumption equals 0.6 tonnes of oil equivalent (toe) as compared to the global per capita average of 1.8 toe. In Indian households appliances such as fans, refrigerators, ACs, microwaves and lighting contribute to significant energy consumption. We will be focusing on unsustainable consumption patterns of consumers in various sectors and promote sustainable practices through sharing community efforts.

STRATEGY

In our Green Action Week (GAW 2023 Campaign) we will promote responsible use of natural resources through energy efficient practices, and exploring sustainable ways of living will be encouraged through sharing community efforts. This will contribute towards reducing resource depletion, minimizing waste generation and creating a more sustainable and greener future for the society.

A workshop with consumers along with energy efficiency expert, environmentalists focusing on:

• ways leading to energy efficiency and conservation
• renewable sources such as solar cooker, switching to energy efficient LEDs, using star labelled products
• dissemination of information of various energy efficiency schemes

A workshop with women & young girls focusing on:

• promoting various ways to reduce energy consumption
• promotion /finding natural resources (example using mud pitcher as a water coolant and chik/bamboo usage in houses as a coolant in homes).
• demonstration of using available natural resources /upcycled products for energy efficiency purposes such as rainwater harvesting, collecting rain water to water plants, flushing toilets.
• using up-cycled packaging material, finding creative ways to reuse packaging materials can contribute to reduce energy consumption and waste.

Workshop with Children & Youth- Encouraging Children & youth:

• to adopt sustainable energy saving practices,
• promote public transportation, pooling of car etc. Encouraging them to manage wastage etc.

Workshop with Children & Youth- Encouraging Children & youth to explore and document different visions of a future world. The goal is to capture the many ways in which people see consumption in this future world, and to inspire change worldwide.

The workshop’s objective is to delve into the concept of sustainable consumption in the future. This will be accomplished by engaging in visioning exercises that capture diverse perspectives on the future. By analyzing and contrasting these varied visions, we aim to craft a comprehensive report accessible to all, intended to spark inspiration. Moreover, our goal is to drive transformative change. Drawing from the success of envisioning alternate futures in futures studies research, we recognize the potential for these workshops to propel us towards positive advancements.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

• Through community efforts we will promote sustainable patterns and by adopting these patterns consumers can contribute to environmental sustainability, energy conservation and transition to a more sustainable future.
• Strengthening VOICE of Women -As women play an important role in running daily household activities, strengthening their voices and educating them is very crucial to promote sustainable patterns of energy consumption and to promote energy efficiency.
• Promoting sustainable way of living for greener future – Sharing community efforts will lead to strengthen the bond among various groups /stakeholders and entire community will be benefitted while tacking environmental problem.

 Articles

OVERVIEW

Green Action Week (GAW) is a global campaign to promote sustainable consumption. It is an initiative by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC) and is carried out in coordination with Consumers International (CI). This year (2022) Green Action Week will be celebrated from 3rd October to 9th October. The theme of GAW 2022 is Sharing Community which works for people and the planet.

CAMPAIGN FOCUS

Fighting plastic pollution and building a sustainable environment through sharing community.

Objectives of GAW 2022

1. To create community sharing where citizens are going to put their efforts for society through action-oriented activities.
2. To train and sensitize various stakeholders such as consumers, vendors, women etc through youth volunteers and influencers, environmental activists, consumer activists on various aspects to fight plastic pollution, inform them about current laws, finding sustainable alternatives and adopt sustainable options in their lives.

Plastic Pollution and its harmful effects

Plastic has its own use but not without harming the environment and our planet. With plastic being used everyday, it is actually choking our planet. To just highlight the severity of the problem, while you are taking a minute to read this, one million plastic bottles are being purchased around the world. Today we produce almost 400 million tonnes of plastic every year. India’s Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Report (2019-20) stated that 3.5 million metric tonnes of plastic waste are generated in India annually. 

Single use plastic products like water bottles, shampoo bottles, milk packets, food packets, cutlery etc which are now an integral part of our lives is harming the environment. Most of us use these everyday without even thinking where they might end up to. The plastic waste which eventually lands up in oceans and seas are major contributors to ocean pollution and harming the marine life. Plastics do not undergo degradation and therefore stays in the soil for several years thereby affecting the soil fertility. Improper plastic disposal also block the pipes and the drains causing waterlogging.

Addressing the Problem

STRATEGY

Environmentalist led action oriented workshop to sensitize and educate people on :

1. Existing laws on single plastic usage and which products comes under single plastic
2. Use of sustainable products in our day to day lives
3. Green labelling in India and the products that fall under it

Young volunteers led action oriented workshop will :

1. Disseminate information about single use plastic and other products harmful for environment and how to choose sustainable, green products.
2. To Clean plastic from nearby surroundings and reaching out to vendors to make them aware about laws on single use plastic and provide alternatives to customers and also how to disseminate information to customers not to use plastic ,use alternatives

Women led action oriented workshop will :

1. Help women find out sustainable options in their kitchen and to replace single use plastic or by using existing resources to contribute to sustainability.
2. Demonstrate recycling of plastic and turning them into useful product using available resources.
3. Inform them about various recyclers and how they are contributing to environment.

EXPECTED OUTCOMES:

• Sensitized and informed consumers will be contributing towards environment.
• Sharing community efforts will lead to strengthening the bond among various groups and stakeholders and entire community will be benefitted while tacking environmental problem.
• Responsible disposal and recycling in safe way contributing to environment with trainers, environmentalists, consumer activists, practicing entrepreneurs who are recycling the products using sustainable alternatives.
• Vendors and consumers both will be sensitized to opt for alternatives and contribute towards environment through sharing community efforts.

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