As part of Green Action Week, Consumer VOICE, in collaboration with Being Artistic by Himani, organized a "Best Out of Waste" workshop at Soami Nagar Model School, Delhi, on October 5th. The...
Green Action Week (GAW 2024)
Green Action Week (GAW 2024)
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.
Workshops
Workshop on Best out of Waste
Workshop on Waste Management | Green Action Week
As part of the ongoing Green Action Week activities, Consumer VOICE organised a workshop in Lajpat Nagar, Delhi on 4th October 2024, focusing on empowering consumers to adopt sustainable and...
Workshop on Promoting Circular Economy Practices within communities
As part of Green Action Week 2024, Consumer VOICE organized an impactful workshop on 28th September in Jahangirpuri, Delhi, aimed at promoting circular economy practices for a sustainable future....
Articles
5 Simple Steps to Reduce E-Waste and Plastic Waste through Circular Economy
As the world continues to consume and produce more electronics or plastics, it has all the more to be concerned with on waste management. Those dangers which come with environmental impacts arising...
Waste Reduction in India – Challenges and suggestions
With rapid urbanization, industrialization and economic growth, the world is facing an exponential challenge of waste management and India is no exception. Did you know that India generates over 62...