How to reduce wastes in our daily lives ?

While engaging a class with my BBA sem 6 students on Green Buildings and Sustainability, the students were given a passage for reading and wanted them to initiate some discussions to help in active learning.

The students were given a task to identify the wastes that happen in the hostels on a daily basis and how to reduce these wastes. Was surprised at the quantity of suggestions from them on identifying wastes and then suggesting ways and means to control these wastes. 

Wastes, in the university campus, were classified by the students as 

• electricity wastage
• paper wastage
• plastics wastage
• water wastage
• food wastage
• fuel wastage
• e-wastes

While a discussion was initiated with them on how to control wastes, it was surprising to find the many ideas, creative, that came from their side. 

They came with interesting suggestions on how to reduce the different wastes

1. Electricity wastage - 

•     less elevator use
•     less filament bulb usage, more LED bulb usage
  
•     switch off hostel power from 9 am to 1 pm daily as some fans and lights are burning all the time

2. Paper wastage

•     use e-billing instead of paper bills in all campus dtores
•     circulate pdfs than booklets to students
•     recycle used notebooks of previous semesters for future semesters
•     use ERP system for registering leave system from hostels 
•     use emailing for all communication between faculty and students

3. Plastics wastage

•     segregate non-biodegradable wastes ie. plastics and biodegradable wastes, mostly paper
•     collect and sort plastics and paper separately
  
•     use paper packages to collect items from stationery shop
•     What gets measured, gets managed - try to measure quantum of non biodegradable plastic generated inside campus monthly and consciously try to progressively reduce plastic waste generation at source in hostels

4.  Water wastage 

•     recycle waste water and use for gardening (daily 4.5 lakh litre waste water treatment plant in operation in Anekal campus)
•     do extensive rainwater harvesting and prevent usage of ground water for upto 2 months every year (being done in Anekal campus)

5. Food wastage

•     encourage students to have multiple helpings than one large helping
•     counsel students against wasting food
•     Strict monitoring of food wastage at plate disposal area
•     take preventive measures like denying mess food for any intentional wastage

6. Fuel wastage

•     encourage students to walk short distances or use public transport outside campus than use motor bike or four wheelers

7. Electronic wastes (e-wastes)

•     exchange or recycle old mobile phones while buying new ones
•     recycle old phones with family members
•     future proof purchase of egadgets by buying latest tech products
•     donate to old age homes / orphanages old egadgets / good dress etc

The brilliant students have done a great job in identifying wastes and coming up with very practical solutions at eliminating them. It is a very gratifying exercise.

George.