Tag: mumbai

Sustainable Clothing

The Lit Biwi’s Take On Sustainable Fashion

on June 11, 2019

Writer: Suchie Sarkar

I’ve been noticing a lot of plastic clothing all over the place lately. Clear PVC shoes. Bags. Jackets. Hats. Not only do these guys make your toes hella sweaty, they also look weird since they turn yellow fast. Also, they’re non-biodegradable. Which means, once they go out of fashion and you toss your stuff away, they either collect dust at the back of your closet, doing nothing, or they add to toxic waste that’s already choking Momma Earth. Between consumerism that’s becoming a fast-spreading epidemic to fast fashion that brands like H&M, Zara and Forever 21 (and our bloggers with a major cult following) promote, we’re forgetting that we’re making our lives super hard. Soon, we won’t have clean air to even get by.

One way in which you can actually keep the earth from this literal choking is by maybe considering sustainable fashion. There are seven forms of this, according to Green Strategy:

Now, eco fashion happens to be an excellent way to minimize waste – fabric that comes from jute, or muga silk, or even banana stems and pineapple leaves, for example. So much waste is produced anyway when you use unsustainable materials like cotton which actually take up a lot of manual labor, chemicals and not to mention, pollution from factories. Now, banana stems and pineapple leaves produce fabric which you can transform into clothing and they look amazing. Could these someday compete with cotton? (Read about this fascinating article here.) Organic and clean fabrics that won’t harm anything or anybody? Yes, please.

If you’re in India, and you have a wedding coming up, why not – instead of wasting a crazy amount of money on a lehenga that you probably won’t wear again – opt for a rented one? Flyrobe has a ton of designer outfits you can rent, and customize as per your needs. You also pay literally only a fraction of what your outfit would cost you otherwise. They’ve got a lot of designers to pick from, including Sabyasachi.

The other thing you can do to actually minimize waste, like the chart said earlier, is to recycle your old clothing. For example, you’ve been handed down your sibling’s old sweater – you could DIY the heck out of it. It would be something new without actually being new, and you wouldn’t have to spend much to wear a new outfit to school. There’s a YouTuber that posts a lot of DIY videos. Her name is Orly Shani and she’s someone that’s inspired this post. If you’re someone that’s into crafting and DIY, take a look at her channel The DIY Designer. Not only does she look like a snack (a snack named Sandra Bullock), she’s also extra fun to watch.

What’s your take on fashion? Do you believe in sustainable fashion? Do you also have a vintage piece you’ve inherited from one of your parents that you’ve actually worn and loved to death?

 

Featured Image Source: http://fabrikbrands.com/sustainable-fashion-brands/

Real Talk

Did you know the Indian Ocean covers 20% of the Earth’s surface? And each year it gets wider by about 20 cm

on June 8, 2019

INDIAN OCEAN FACTS

Limited Marine Life

“A rather interesting bit of information on the Indian Ocean is its limited marine animal life which is due to higher water temperature of this ocean. This ocean is the warmest ocean of the world and offers little scope to plankton and other species for growth.”

Lowest Oxygen Content

“Waters in the Indian Ocean have one of the lowest oxygen content of the world owing to greater evaporation rate in this ocean than its run off or precipitation influx. This makes life growth in Indian Ocean rather unique.”

India’s Coastline In Peril

“Keeping a check on marine debris and plastic pollution also remains a big task in India. With a vast coastline – more than 7,500 km long—many Indian beaches are culpable of accumulating plastic litter and non-biodegradable marine debris that cause long-term damage to the surrounding ecosystem. A July 2018 Hindustan Times report cited data from the Central Marine Fisheries Institute which concluded that the fishing grounds off Mumbai had the highest average concentration of non-biodegradable marine debris (NBMD) found by trawler nets – around 49.11kg per sq km. This was followed by coasts in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu (37.06 kg/sq km) and Ratnagiri, Maharashtra (2.25 kg/sq km).”

Sources:

https://www.marineinsight.com/know-more/11-not-so-known-facts-about-the-indian-ocean/

https://factslegend.org/20-fascinating-indian-ocean-facts/

https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/features/world-oceans-day-drowning-in-plastic-waste-1559888124379.html

Image Source: http://www.rowtheindianocean.com/day-nine-of-indian-ocean-row/indian-ocean-skyline/

Real Talk

This #WorldOceansDay, let’s digest the fact that plastic is on pace to outnumber fish in our oceans

on June 8, 2019

Plastic Facts:

• Half of all plastics ever manufactured have been made in the last 15 years.

• Production increased exponentially, from 2.3 million tons in 1950 to 448 million tons by 2015. Production is expected to double by 2050.

• Every year, about 8 million tons of plastic waste escapes into the oceans from coastal nations. That’s the equivalent of setting five garbage bags full of trash on every foot of coastline around the world.

• Plastics often contain additives making them stronger, more flexible, and durable. But many of these additives can extend the life of products if they become litter, with some estimates ranging to at least 400 years to break down.

 

Plastic Facts Source: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/habitats/plastic-pollution/)

Image Source: https://balkaneu.com/europe-in-the-fight-against-plastic-oceans/

Real Talk

Yet another climate change study that says we’re all going to die. Oh and Happy World Environment Day!

on June 5, 2019

Today is World Environment Day so let us take a moment to talk about a climate change study that warns that 90% of humans will perish by 2050, and the funny thing is that the study says that that is the most optimistic scenario. The study “errs on the side of least drama.”

The predicted 3°C rise in temperatures will result in a 0.5m rise in sea levels, dooming coastal cities like Mumbai, Lagos and Shanghai and reducing such places to swamplands. Many of the 10% who do survive will be climate refugees, forced to relocate to safer areas.

You might think this study is a gross exaggeration – Even I’m not fully buying it – but if we don’t use our collective minds and technology to save us, then we won’t stand a chance against the forces of climate change.

Good News CentralReal TalkSolar

Toilet- Ek Solar Katha

on October 29, 2018

Image via The Better India

In December 2016, India’s first solar-powered community sanitation complex was built in Sathewadi, Thane, Maharashtra.  Having benefited over 200 families in the local community, it serves as a benchmark for sustainable toilets in the country.

The power supply system has a battery back-up, and provides 1.5 kilowatts of power. A group of residents from the complex maintains the elaborate system by cleaning it once a week. They are very proud of their solar sanitation complex. The bathroom is open 24/7 and there is electricity and adequate water supply at all times. Residents even have a smart card that allows them to access the facility.

“We do not charge any money for the cards but residents have to pay Rs11 per month towards maintenance charges,” said Nilesh Karkare of Habitat for Humanity, the NGO that set up the toilet along with solar energy startup Sunvest.

Fancy!

The previous washroom did not have any lights, and so at night, women usually went there in groups (or not at all). But now, thanks to the uninterrupted power supply, the only company a woman needs is her handy-dandy smart card.

(Of course, the complex has only five cubicles for women as opposed to eleven for men, so…)

And most importantly, relatives of the residents are very impressed with the new solar powered toilets, because log kya kahenge is the underlying principle of Indian life. Even sustainable living bows before it!

Jokes apart, the dark days are behind the good folk of Sathewadi, Thane. They have welcomed the light into their lives, starting with the humble, yet all-important gusalkhana.