He cares enough to change
While there is a lot of talk about climate change and the effect of our actions on the environment, some youngsters have made it their mission to make a difference. They are going out of their way to ensure that they, and those around them, participate in initiatives to bring about a positive change.
Manav Jha, a 15-year-old student based in Dubai, participates in several environmentally friendly activities. Some of them include planting trees, beach cleanups and raising awareness about food wastage.
He said: “On the World Environment Day, I had carried out a survey on food consumption and wastage, and I realised that people’s awareness on food wastage is minimal.”
He attended a workshop on making art out of waste and created jewelry out of plastic and flower vases from waste paper and plastic bottles.
He said: “We have the tendency to follow the use-and-throw culture with plastic bottles. But, I now collect them for a recycling centre or make useful decorative items.”
The habit of recycling was inculcated in him by his parents.
He said: “I was always told to switch off the lights and fans before leaving the room. With time, I started understanding the effect of greenhouse gases on our planet.”
He started a youth group called “We Care”, so as to encourage other people his age to contribute towards a greener planet. He even keeps a strict check on his parents to ensure they segregate the waste at home in order to recycle.
He said: “My exposure to various kinds of environmental work encouraged me to research on carbon footprint. I calculated the footprint of my father’s car. He drives seven kilometres per litre of petrol on average, and so the total footprint for his drive is 0.01 metric tons of CO2e.”
CARBON FOOTPRINT: According to the International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), the life cycle carbon footprint of a 500 millilitre plastic bottle of water is 111g CO2 eq. If the reader were to save 78 plastic bottles, he would manage to reduce the carbon footprint by 2.5kg CO2.
Trying her best to do good
Neola Castelino, a 12-year-old pupil based in Sharjah, is very passionate about the environment and the issues affecting it.
She said: “It is every individual’s duty to serve the planet. It has given us so much selflessly, why should we be selfish and not care about the environment?”
Castelino actively writes to the newspaper about the different projects that she works on. From collecting newspapers from her neighbours to collecting cans and plastic bottles from restaurants in the community and giving them for recycling, Castelino is ready to take on any challenge that helps the environment in some way. She has also roped in her family to help her collect the items. In the past five months, she has collected 5,200 cans, all of which were given for recycling to the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG). She has also collected 1,000 kilogrammes of newspaper for recycling purposes.
She said: “By taking small steps, I am trying my best to do something good and also trying to raise awareness among my friends and neighbours.”
Other than recycling, she also reuses waste products to create art projects and useful items. She wants to help make people aware of their carbon footprint and reduce it in the near future.
CARBON FOOTPRINT: According to the Carbon Trust, a US-based organisation that helps companies to reduce carbon emissions using resource efficiency strategies, a 330ml can of soda has a carbon footprint of 170 g CO2e. Recycling the cans can decrease the overall carbon footprint of a product by up to 60 per cent. So, by recycling 5,200 cans, Castelino has reduced the carbon footprint by 530 kg CO2e. This is equal to driving 2,031km. That is the distance from Dubai to Amman, Jordan.
Recycling for a sustainable future
For Vidhi Kamath, a grade seven pupil in Sharjah, there is no age limit to start thinking about future generations. As an avid proponent of an eco-friendly lifestyle, Kamath believes that “we children” need to work towards building a sustainable future.
Kamath is an active member of the EEG’s Neighbourhood Recycling Project. Over the past two years, she has donated 500 kilogrammes of paper annually.
“I collect paper from my neighbours and relatives on the way to the recycling centre every alternate Saturday,” she said.
During her last winter break, Kamath began her second recycling project. She had observed people throwing away their sandwich bags and wanted to create a way of repurposing them. With the help of some zip lock bags, art supplies and her creativity, she designed customised pouches and boxes for accessories. She has made over 10 pencil cases and gifted them to friends. Her gift-giving of recycled products serves to not only re-use waste but also motivate her peers to do the same.
Her initiatives demonstrate the efficacy of taking small measures to make a bigger impact in the long run.
CARBON FOOTPRINT: According to a UK study, a quality newspaper that is sent to the landfill produces 4.1 kg CO2e. Whereas, if the same paper was recycled, it would only add 1.8kg CO2e to your carbon footprint. If we place the average weight of a daily newspaper at one kg, then Kamath has reduced her carbon footprint by 2,300kg CO2e. This is equal to growing 59 tree seedlings for a period of 10 years.
Taking a hands-on approach
Buvaneswari Jayasankar, a pupil based in Dubai, is a firm believer of “waste is not waste until we waste it”. She started a project to create awareness in her school and neighbourhood in the Al Karama area.
Instead of talking about the importance of recycling in her community, she wanted to take a hands-on approach to promote recycling in a “fun and realistic way”. So she began creating simple, practical designs like pen stands and paper sculptures using waste material that she found at home, such as old newspapers.
Jayasankar told Gulf News of the benefits of reusing waste instead of recycling it. In her opinion, “recycling the waste is expensive compared to reusing it. For example recycling paper uses a lot of energy and water. But, when we reuse paper it uses less energy to transform it into something useful and productive.”
Her handmade decorative pieces have been displayed at her school, and many of her peers and neighbours have followed suit after seeing her designs. In her pieces, she has used over five floppy disks and 30 rolls of waste newspaper. She hopes that her work will motivate others to start “reusing things around the house” because it is easy and affordable. According to her, it’s all about using your creativity.
CARBON FOOTPRINT: According to research conducted by a member of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), an agency that manages and protects national forests and grasslands around the country, if a family recycles their daily newspapers for a year, that is 365 newspapers, they end up saving about half a tree. The reader has already saved 30 newspapers in a month and just needs to keep going for another 11 months.
