GSB Environment vertical project update:
The KASA Story
(A narrative to rework Bangalore’s waste management practices)
More than 330 million tons of plastic is produced worldwide every year, significantly, over 90% of plastics are not recycled which pollutes our environment in a multitude of ways.
Within India more than 25,940 tons of plastic is produced every day. This is the same weight as 9000 Asian elephants or 86 Boeing 747’s, notably, half of this comes from the major cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata.
Poignantly, plastic consumption is increasing- the plastic processing industry within India is estimated to grow to 22 million tonnes a year by 2020 from 13.4 million tonnes in 2015, nearly half of this is single use plastic. (source Bare Necessities via Republic TV)
PLASTIC FREE JULY
(Global Shapers Community Bangalore X Bare Necessities)
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Global Shapers Community, Bangalore
INTRODUCTION
Plastic Free July is a global movement that helps millions of people be part of the solution to plastic pollution — so we can have cleaner streets, oceans, and beautiful communities.
Global Shapers Community, Bangalore took part in Plastic Free July by choosing to refuse single-use plastics.
Simple daily tips and tricks
Our Shaper Sanjana shared resources, best practices, tips and ideas to help our followers and community members to reduce single-use plastic waste everyday at home, work, school, and even at a local café. She provided extensive information on the detrimental effect of plastics on the environment and how one can make simple switches to sustainable choices to reduce consumption of single-use plastics.
To sum it up, she suggests:
“REFUSE, REDUCE, RECYCLE ♻️, REPURPOSE, REPROCESS, REUSE SINGLE- USE PLASTIC, REBEL AND REPEAT”
-Sanjana Kallesha
Follow us on Instagram and head to the highlights section to find out more.
Collaboration with Bare Necessities Zero Waste India
We launched a plastic pollution awareness social media campaign in collaboration with Bare Necessities Zero Waste India, founded by our fellow shaper Sahar Mansoor.
The main intention behind the campaign was to encourage people to take their first few steps to reducing their daily plastic consumption, share tips and tricks on how to make the transition and encourage people to become more mindful of their consumption and waste.
Here’s what we asked our followers and community members to do:
- Pledge: Pledge to give up single use plastic (like water bottles, straws, cutlery and plastic bags!)
- Tag us: Show us on social media that you are joining in by tagging us @globalshapersbangalore and @barenecessities_zerowasteindia with the hashtag #plasticfreejulywithbare
- Win a hamper! : Get a chance to win a zero waste lifestyle starter kit by actively participating in the campaign!
At the end of the campaign, Ankita Malakar was announced as the winner by Global Shapers Community, Bangalore and she received zero waste starter kit from @barenecessities_zerowasteindia. Hooray!
The starter kit contained:
🍀 Lavender levitate Bath Salt
🍀 Busy bee lip balm
🍀 Bare Necessities Spa Bar (soap bar)
🍀 Stainless Steel Straw Chunky Bent
And some cutesy postcards.
The kit was sent in completely plastic-free packaging material.
Friday’s for Future Karnataka
Our shaper Nithya J Rao held a session at Plastic Free July- Climate conversations organized by Friday’s For Future Karnataka.
The conversation was aimed at discussing:
- Recount Personal Best Practices:
Ways in which each participant has adopted sustainability into their own lives. Participants shared one object of single use plastic they had given up, their journey without it and their replacement.
2. Discuss current obstacles:
Participants expressed current hurdles/ obstacles they are facing in taking the next step individually. Other participants helped pitch in solutions they have discovered, and/ or seen work elsewhere
3. Exchanged Resources:
Participants were encouraged to name, acknowledge and present all the organisations and awareness oriented material they each have access to.
4. Community Protest:
All participants staged a community protest with posters made sustainably. A social media message to join the movement was recorded
Impact:
We have been able to create an impact of 14,123 impressions during this initiative through our posts and stories on Instagram. We are positive that we have left many inspired to start refusing single-use plastics and switch to sustainable alternatives.
Global Shapers Bangalore’s Environment and Climate Action vertical is passionate about the environment and committed to the urgent need to preserve the planet. The team is currently driving four key sustainability initiatives, namely,
1. Call for Earth (A call to re-imagine the future of Climate)
2. Future of Water
3. The Kasa Story (A narrative to rework Bangalore’s waste management practices)
4.Global Digital March
Upcoming events are focused on clean water (including rainwater harvesting), creating tiny forests, educating the local community on climate change, single-use plastic free lifestyle, an Eco-warriors social media feature, creating mini- eco guides, driving Climate Action and policy changes by delivering ‘Future of Climate’ letters from children to leaders, politicians and policymakers,conducting talks and involving key stakeholders in the efforts.
