Another Perspective

Kruthika, my colleague from my internship at an Indian company, gives me an insight of her eco-friendly life.

I've recently met Kruthika who tries to live sustainably and is extremely environmentally conscious. I was so intrigued about her lifestyle and I wanted to learn about it. The reason for this is because issues like pollution and climate change might be tackled and perceived differently from where I live versus somewhere else. So, I decided to learn more about one woman’s experience of sustainability and the issue of pollution in India.

Her Story:

Kruthika works extremely hard every day to live an eco-friendly life and to reduce her waste. She is a great role model and example for people all over the world on how to live a green life! So, I thought it would be great to ask her questions about her journey and some tips she has for people trying to become more sustainable.

You might be wondering how some people learn about some extreme concepts like zero-waste living, well here is how Kruthika learned about it: “Initially, I was aware only of an eco-friendly lifestyle and tried to practice eco-friendly living to the best of my abilities. Zero Waste Living is something I read about in a blog about 2 years ago. As part of the Nature Club at my university, my team and I were carrying out research on workshop topics and came across the concept of a Zero Waste Lifestyle practiced by a blogger online. The topic and concept really fascinated me and I’m glad to be part of the bandwagon in a small way haha!”

Most of the time, it takes more than a blog to push people to live an eco-friendly life. After Kruthika saw the results of making sustainable changes to her life, like “using reusable bottles, straws, stainless steel tongue cleaners and adopt zero waste lifestyle changes” she realized “the positive impacts of switching to a zero waste lifestyle” and she wanted to continue living green to help the environment!

I also wanted to know how she personally reduces her waste and she gave some great tips: “I think starting small is the best way to reduce waste. For example, not buying juices or water in plastic bottles and instead, carrying homemade juice or water in a reusable bottle can do heaps for the environment.” This is a simple method of green living that everyone can implement! She also discussed how she even makes her closet eco-friendly: “Looking for good thrifting handles on instagram and giving away my old clothes to them to repurpose and sell is another way I’ve tried to be eco-friendly.” And of course she “recycles any plastic and paper I may have accumulated over a month at a recycling plant near where I live.”

However, there are still some difficult aspects in green living and for Kruthika it’s her personal care: “...Personal care changes were the hardest and it’s still a work in progress! Picking essential and nourishing personal care products over those at the beauty stores which are all luxurious, eye-catching, marketed and packaged so well has been a challenge!” I then asked her what is the simplest way for her to reduce waste and she provided some awesome tips: “Picking 1-3 lifestyle changes a month and altering them in a small way is a great and simple way to start. For example, switch out the plastic bottles with a reusable one. A second step can be, stop opting for cutlery with food delivery orders. It’s okay if you aren’t able to become fully zero waste and stay that way all the time. Making sure you’re going in a positive direction and opting for incremental changes will help you reach your goals and save this beautiful planet. Maintaining a log where you give yourself a star every time you opt for a zero waste option or eco-friendly option can both motivate you and help keep track of your journey.”

She also mentioned how India might be different in reducing waste and encouraging eco-friendly living. She mentioned one common practice in India: “India has a rich heritage wherein saving the environment and using natural ingredients to the best of one’s abilities has always been encouraged. For example, using banana leafs as a plate is the most eco-friendly cutlery option out there!” She then discussed eco-friendly infrastructure in India: “I have also noticed that a lot of apartment complexes have installed a composter and have made rainwater harvesting systems and segregation of waste is mandatory as well. E-commerce giants are now switching from plastic packaging to paper based after a push for sustainable development which is a great move.” India is also working towards implementing more renewable energy. Kruthika provides some of her knowledge on this topic: “A push for solar energy in India has seen significant results. Many villages and rural areas are powered by solar energy, providing electricity that many of them had seen the dearth of for multiple years. Some malls and corporate buildings are also powered by solar energy.” She also explains how some homes are even becoming fully solar powered, which is a huge step for India and our world!

I was also curious about Kruthika’s experience in the Indian educational system and how they teach students about sustainability: “In my experience, I have not seen sustainability as part of the curriculum over the last 5-6 years but I do know that off late, sustainability and eco-friendly practices are being taught to kids from a young age as part of extracurriculars in some schools.” She hopes that sustainability will have a bigger role in India’s education.

In summary Kruthika sees that “sustainability and preserving the environment is becoming more important to individuals, communities and organizations alike.” And that people are “realizing the value of the environment and working towards restoring Earth’s to original glory!”

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I hope you found this informative and helpful! Please let me know if you have any questions or comments by emailing me :)

Lets get green!