JOY / / City Living

5 Green Resolutions for an Eco-friendly 2019

09.01.19 By Bhartiya Admin

Each day, the headlines spell out new horrors awaiting our environment — from vanishing trees to frothing lakes, we feel like we’ve seen it all. If we are to trust scientific predictions for our beloved ‘Garden City’, the future looks bleak. This heartbreaking state of affairs has pushed everyone from the government to citizen groups towards adopting more environment-friendly practices, a change that’s empowering Bangaloreans to impact their surroundings positively.

As a community that prides itself on creating the foundation for a wholesome and healthy lifestyle, Bhartiya City, too, is dedicated to making sustainable living an everyday affair. Its Citizens are doing their own bit to make Bangalore a greener and cleaner place for everyone. And for those who are waiting to flag off 2019 on a green note, here are five resolutions to get you started.

  1. Grey water harvesting hand wash units

Every year, households drain out thousands of litres of fresh water as they wash their hands. While the hygiene benefits of washing one’s hands cannot be argued with, you can dramatically reduce wastage just by diverting the water into your flush tanks! All you need is a skilled plumber (or some expert DIY-ing) to set up a wash basin over a tank, which can then collect the soapy or ‘grey’ water from each hand wash. And just like that, you will have saved nearly 10–15 litres of fresh water per flush!

Make your own grey water harvesting unit:

https://tinyurl.com/ya98ku7d

  1. Furniture from waste wood

As if chopping trees to make beds and sofas wasn’t enough, manufacturers also end up wasting tonnes of resources in processing, beautifying and transporting the furniture. If you have nightmares about disappearing forests, consider DIY-ing your next coffee table. You will need a steady supply of waste wood from a neighbourhood construction site or a contractor along with buckets of creativity — the scope for customisation is endless. Who knows, your creations might just give furniture designers a run for their money!

DIY different pieces of furniture:

https://tinyurl.com/y99slglp

  1. Composting

Thanks to local government rules, waste segregation is almost a norm in most parts of the city. But people who carefully segregate their waste hardly ever learn about what happens to it or, worse, are disappointed to see mixed waste in a dump somewhere. Composting is a sureshot way to ensure that nearly 70 per cent of your waste finds use in your well-groomed garden. This way, you don’t have to spend a single penny on expensive fertilisers! And if you are so inclined, some local services can even help you set up a system for an entire building or block to compost waste together.

Adopt some of the best home-composting solutions:

https://tinyurl.com/yb7s2wd4

  1. Electricity usage monitors

Imagine how your electricity usage would change if you could track it (like your food deliveries) in real time. Today, a whole range of products — from DIY to professionally manufactured — can help you do just this. Some intense online research will even reveal meters that you can sync to your phone. So whether you leave the AC on for too long or forget to turn off the lights, at least now you can keep a digital eye on your usage!

Find the right fit for your home:

https://tinyurl.com/yc7cg9bu

  1. Solar geysers

In a sunlight-abundant country such as ours, one cannot overlook the immense value of solar products. The technology itself has evolved a great deal from the clunky, slow-heating machines of yesteryear. Hence, it makes perfect sense to own a compact and efficient solar geyser that will help you make hay while the sun shines!

Learn more about this impressive technology:

https://tinyurl.com/ybg8nukl

A new year is the perfect time for a fresh start. With the right information to guide us, each of us can resolve to contribute to a greener future. It will take years for us to learn the true impact of our actions. But we can always be sure that each time we adopt a green practice, we are learning to be more mindful about our environment and more judicious in our consumption.