BETTER TOMORROW

20% less waste & 40% less chemicals: Journey of 21 months

April 2020 was when I first time heard about bio enzymes. Sounded more like big word and complicated stuff.

Once started doing it, realised how simple it was and how big the impact it created with 30 kg food otherwise going in bins was reused.

We all read and hear about transformations with small steps taken consistently. This was one such step.

Veggie and Fruit Peels converted to bioenzymes

Easy to practice so it became a habit.

Looking back last 21 months:

  1. Reused 30 kg of fruit/vegetable peels to make natural cleaners ~ bio enzyme.
  2. This is roughly around 52 kg less Carbon footprint.
  3. These peels would otherwise have gone to a composting unit in best-case scenario. Bio enzyme making helped its reuse 1-3 times to make cleaners and remains composted post that at home. With this the household waste was less by 20%.
  4. These cleaners made from peels replaced the need to purchase chemical cleaners. So saved on buying 36 litres of cleaners per annum.
  5. With lesser use of chemicals reduced my chemical footprint by 40%. (Next in line is to reduce on detergents, dish wash liquid and toiletries).
  6. Reused >75 plastic bottles available and borrowed without any recycling costs and still reusable.
  7. Have now stock of cleaners for more than a year for use and sharing.
Reuse Reuse Reuse – Bottles & Raw Food leftover

20% less waste = 40% less chemicals = Better Tomorrow

If you want to know more on bio enzymes read on https://preetymundhra.com/2020/07/22/bioenzymes1/

Race to -1 : One step at a time

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BETTER TOMORROW

Why Food waste is priority vs Plastics ?

Race to ‘-1’ : Day 353

Most types of plastic are a serious environmental challenge. Then why focusing on kitchen and food waste ?

Answer : Relationship which food has with each of us is rooted deeper. Even if that is true, thats is not the answer you would want to listen.

So lets put it this way- Lot of plastic journey is very closely linked to the food journey. All the packaging we get from fruits and vegetables to all packed stuff.

For me, it all started with concern on

  • How to manage with limited resources for long time in lockdown ?
  • What if garbage with food waste being 50% of that is not collected?
  • Even if collected, it is not treated/ disposed in the appropriate manner ?
  • The hazards of disposing it and effects thereof.
  • At the same time the need to know what are the other uses which can help optimally utilize the resources and create minimal waste.

The supply chain thankfully kept running after initial hiccups in lockdown for most of us but this was a great learning for appreciating the entire food value chain to leftover treatment value chain.

It is quite interesting to learn that so much can be done on this:

  • Food usage itself- All peels are not to be thrown.
  • Leftovers as cleaners – Got introduced to #bioenzymes.
  • Remaining as food for FOOD we eat- making #compost.

Contd..

Link to previous day 354 : https://preetymundhra.com/2020/06/21/why-only-18-practice-composting/