Reusing the one-use plastic products.

#Making sustainable products more sustainable.

During our Sustainability class we have learnt that sustainability is not all about saving environment but it also has an economic and social aspect as well.

we need to save environment while keeping in mind that it must not harm our society in any possible way as well as it must be cost effective i.e. economically feasible.

We harm our environment with every step we take but what’s harming our environment the most nowadays are the waste products, the waste we produce on our daily basis. There is a way we can produce less waste is by recycling but recycling needs many resources which will again produce waste and use of lots of water and energy for example it takes 1.5 gallon water to make a single use plastic bottle, so it’s better to reuse the waste product which will not cost you a single penny but the best way is to reduce the use of plastic.

During the visit of Aravalli Biodiversity Park, we have noticed that the park is not that clean as it should be and most of the waste products in that park are one use plastics like wrappers, delivery packets, water bottles, carry bags and all. We decided to something while cleaning the area, can we reuse them? Can we reduce the use of plastics?

Some facts-

• It is estimated that 4 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide annually. Only 1% of plastic bags are returned for recycling.
• Half a million straws are used in the world every day. Refusing straws is becoming a trending practice!
• A full 32% of the 78 million tons of plastic packaging produced annually is left to flow into our oceans; the equivalent of pouring one garbage truck of plastic into the ocean every minute.
• Plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes.
• Humans buy about 1,000,000 plastic bottles per minute in total. Only about 23% of plastic bottles are recycled within the U.S.
• Plastic bottles take nearly 500 years to decompose completely.
• Bottled water requires up to 2000 times the energy used to produce tap water.
• Most of the recycled bottles are converted into fabrics like Lycra.

After thinking for a while, we came up with the idea “why not to make a utility product with which we can have a little fun as well.”

“Chess-board cum pouch”

And another product “Football hanger” which will reduce the demand of another plastic bag while reusing the used plastic bottle.

1. The first product is “Chess-board cum pouch”.

We have noticed there were lots of delivery packets in the parks and as usual they all are white (with prints on it) and black from inside, so why not use this property of the bag, keeping its purpose unchanged as well as adding a fun factor to it.

We came up with the idea of making chess board cum pouch which will carry small stuff in it, which you can carry in your school, out for a picnic with yourself or keep it in your room. Put the chess pieces in it, pencils, pens or even a dairy.

It’s totally reused product costs not even a penny extra while helping in reducing the waste generation and putting a tiny step in making our environment little better.

2. And the second product we came up with is “Football hanger”.

We all have played basketball, volley-ball, and/or Football. To carrying that ball, we need a bag or a hanger, mostly it is made up of plastic (net-bags). We thought to make something that can reduce the demand of net bags for carrying footballs, basketballs and volleyballs.

What if we can use plastic bottles for the same purpose isn’t it sounds cool? Yes, we can use bottles for that, it has its own handle which can makes it easy to carry and hang. This is reuse of plastic bottle while keeping the purpose of bottle unchanged which is to carry, which will again cost you nothing.

Why people don’t reuse products?

• They find it cooler to find new product, going out for shopping.
• They think it does not suit to their status.
• If we can buy new things why reuse?
• Many thinks there’s no hope of saving the environment.
• They think it’s unhygienic.

It’s time to come together and work for our Mother Earth, reusing is not going to hurt any body rather it will benefit us all. These are excuses you are just being lazy to get up and do a little extra for your Mother Earth, for our Mother Earth. We can do it because we are humans the Warrior and the Saviors. Just keep putting ting steps in saving the nature and together it will make a huge difference.

Written by — Ajeet Maurya

Research done by — Ajeet Maurya & Kumar Rishav Khatri

Ideation for product — Ajeet Maurya & Kumar Rishav Khatri

Product by — Kumar Rishav Khatri