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3Rs for a green future

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Never have been the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, been as critically significant as today. Living within planetary boundaries is the most promising strategy for ensuring a healthy future. Avani Jain talks about pollution control, green footprints, sustainability and the 3Rs which are necessary to help build a green future.

The well-being of humanity, environment and functioning of the economy, ultimately depends upon the responsible management of the natural resources of the planet. However, these days, people are consuming far more natural resources than what the planet can sustainably provide. In fact, many of the Earth’s ecosystems are nearing critical tipping points of depletion or irreversible change, pushed by high population growth and economic development.

Further, issues like industrial expansion, extensive land use, etc., are leading to global warming, pollution and waste, which are both toxic and hazardous. So, it is needed for the industries and individuals to awaken and take care of their consumption of resources, save as much as they can and adopt the 3Rs – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – to decrease pollution at all levels.

Decoding the 3Rs
Reduce: Creating more value with less
If we consume all natural resources, then our future will not be healthy. The environmental imbalances will seriously disturb the ecology, economy, ecosystems and life cycles. Thus, unplanned usage or consumption of natural resources like land, water, air, minerals, trees, energy sources etc., should be stopped if our future generations have to use the same planet, on which we live today.

All sectors like agriculture, power, land-use, and construction, industrial and technological, have to step in and make the right efforts. From turning the water taps off at home and offices to producing new paper, glass and metal products from recycled materials, 70 to 90 percent of the energy consumption and pollution can be reduced.

Reuse to lift off the burden
While reducing is necessary, reusing the resources is also equally important. Scarce fresh water resources and rapidly deteriorating quality of water resources due to discharge of untreated or non-compliant treated effluents are compelling industries across the country to adopt effective technologies for treating wastewater for reuse.

With appropriate process design and use of advanced technologies, wastewater can be reused for industrial process, non-potable domestic applications and indirect potable purposes.

Recycle and recover valuable resources
Recycling is the key for carbon footprint reduction and pollution control. Recycling reduces carbon emissions by reducing the need for raw materials, which generally require more energy to produce and transport. In the case of plastics, recycled plastics in end applications can displace virgin plastics and save an average of two tonne of carbon dioxide for every tonne of plastics recycled. Further, recycling Polyethylene Terephthalate saves about 50 per cent of energy. Recycling also helps in reducing waste in landfill and the consequent methane emissions. Hence, many industries are going in for advanced recycling methods and technologies.

Here, recycling at source as a concept is also important to consider. In this method, recycling is done at the actual process and not at the end of the treatment. As a result, no additional waste is generated and the same effluent can be used instead of fresh reactants multiple times. The major advantage of the tool is that it reduces the effluent load to the water bodies.

The United Nations estimates that the population of the planet will grow to 9.2 billion by 2050. Thus, the efficient and productive industry engaged in truly sustainable practices is essential to meet the incredible increase in demand for goods and resources that this growth implies.

Just like recycling of plastics is necessary, recycling of water is of utmost importance too. Water recycling is not just an option, but a must for all the industries as availability of potable water is becoming scarce for human consumption and agricultural purposes. Thus, industries are increasingly adopting practices like Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), which strives to employ the most advanced treatment technologies to recycle and reclaim virtually almost all the produced wastewater. The growing importance of ZLD is due to environmental constraints leading to water demand, hazardous effects such as global warming and ozone depletion.

Time to conserve and create
The United Nations estimates that the population of the planet will grow to 9.2 billion by 2050. Thus, the efficient and productive industry engaged in truly sustainable practices is essential to meet the incredible increase in demand for goods and resources that this growth implies.
Hence, it is the right time that the industries as well as the individuals should get together, and act. It is important for all to learn to adapt the 3Rs, which can help in achieving sustainability by reducing pollution to a large extent.

What you can do
It is not all left to the industries to take steps for reducing pollution. While their actions may lead to pollution, you are a culprit too. So, every individual has to do their bit to reduce pollution. We agree that recycling at home is not possible in most cases, but how about reducing and reusing water and plastics. Here are 10 simple steps by which you can do so:

  • Choose glass/stainless steel containers instead of plastic ones for storage, heating and cooking – In fact, one should avoid non-stick cookware also as the Teflon coating or other resins emit toxic perfluorochemicals when heated. Also, cling wraps/microwave safe plastic containers used especially while operating the microwave should be avoided.
  • Give up bottled drinking water – One should make it a habit to carry their stainless steel or reusable water bottles with them, whenever they travel. Use bottled drinking water, only when there is no other option available. Further, buying convenience foods packaged in plastics should be avoided.
  • Bring your own cloth bags when you head to buy grocery – Instead of the shopkeeper giving you a polyethylene bag to put together your purchase, bring your own cloth bag or paper bag.
  • Use rechargeable batteries – Through this, you will not have to buy batteries (packaged in plastic) too often. Also, avoid all kinds of products that have a lot of packaging.
  • Line dustbins with paper bags instead of plastic bags – Everyone gets a newspaper in their house which becomes waste after one has read it completely. So, instead of throwing it away the next day, just use it to line you dustbins.
  • Use biodegradable or reusable sanitary napkins – They reduce your waste and use of plastic trash bags.
  • Avoid personal cars – Cars use a lot of energy and cause pollution. So, you should walk or ride a bicycle to your office or take a bus, instead of driving your car.
  • Start a compost bin – The compost will be good for the soil in your garden and will also mean less garbage for landfill.
  • Turn off lights – Save energy by turning off lights that you are not using.
  • Save water- You can do so by turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth.
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    Avani Jain

    The writer is a journalist, poetess and nature photographer, who enjoys writing for print and online magazines. She has written extensively on food, fashion, lifestyle, education, real estate, B2B, environment, wellness and health. A voracious reader (admirer of William Dalrymple, Sudha Murthy and Rabindra Nath Tagore) and story teller at heart, Avani travels religiously to explore long lost history and virgin nature to get her adrenaline rush.[/column]

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