NEGATIVE IMPACTS OF THE PANDEMIC- AN ENVIRONMENTALIST VIEWPOINT.

 

After a month or two of the pandemic induced lockdown there were many reports about how the lockdown had positively impacted the environment. The reports claimed air was now cleaner, rivers were less polluted etc. There were videos all over the internet that showed how nature had reclaimed concrete jungles. All of them boost our morale and make us believe that all was not bad about the lockdown at least through an environment point of view. But it is far from the truth. Strictly talking about India let's go through how the pandemic has negatively impacted our environment.

1- RETURN OF SINGLE USE PLASTIC BAGS - They also go by the name Polythene bag. Before the pandemic we had seen a tremendous progress in controlling the production and distribution of single use plastic bags. Cloth bags became a huge hit and many retailers shifted to them. The future seemed promising. But then COVID happened. From free meals to emergency supplies, everything got wrapped up in polythene bags. Even the government used it mainly due to lack of other alternatives. As the law enforcement agencies were busy elsewhere, plastic slowly creeped back in everywhere. All the progress that we had made has PUFF!! vanished into thin air.

2- INCREASED USE OF DISPOSABLES - Earlier only the street vendors and petty shop owners used disposable plates and cutleries. But with COVID SOP's in place, big restaurants too have started serving on disposable plates. This was a golden opportunity to increase the sale of saal leaf plates and wooden cutleries which would have helped the poor tribal communities. But instead of this the market got flooded with polystyrene and paper plates along with plastic cutleries. All of them are non-biodegradable and go straight into landfills and our oceans.

3- INCREASED MEDICAL WASTE - From PPE kits to disposable face masks and face shields, this pandemic has made them items of daily use. Their demand is so high that to avoid supply disruption, government pulled in the self help groups (SHG) and even army to manufacture them. Their use is important and unavoidable. There is also a lack of green alternatives. But still we can reduce the impact by ensuring their proper disposal so that they do not impact the environment and spread the infection further.

4- INCREASED USE OF PRIVATE VEHICLES- The modes of public transport are yet to return to normal capacity. Apart from this the people too want to avoid crowded places and hence they avoid using public transport system. This has increased the number of private vehicles on the road. This change is apparent from worsening traffic situations in major Indian cities. Traffic is not the only problem, more private vehicles on road means more air and noise pollution. Increased air pollution has also lead to thick smog in the cities.

5- REDUCED RECYCLING- In India we have a chain of rag pickers who play an important role in recycling our waste. The lockdown was a challenge for them. Most of them relocated. Thus, the entire system has collapsed. People also do not allow traders who collect old newspapers into their houses due to fear of transmission. This has affected local paper bag manufacturing as they now lack raw materials. This problem has also lead to increased clutter on roads and increased amount of recyclable wastes reaching the landfills.

All of our lives have been impacted by lockdown. Some people have suffered more than others. This has also affected our environment. It revealed that the positive changes we had witnessed before all this began was not able to bring a change of mindset for the citizens. If it had, those green habits would have stuck. For now we can only hope things get back to normal soon and plastic ban is re-imposed strictly. But this time it should not only be limited to fear of fine. It should induce a change of mindset so that the habits become a lifestyle. This is important not just for us but also our planet to survive. 

Inspired about minimalism? Check out my other blogs too. I hope I can convince you to live more minimally and mindfully..

  

MINIMALISM MISTAKES: AN INDIAN PERSPECTIVE

The meaning of minimalism vary from one individual to another. It depends on what the individual desires to achieve by following a minimalist way of life. But during one's journey from hearing about minimalism to finally adopting it, those desires tend to change. The individual desires also change with one's age. 

One thing that is common is that everyone who follows this path struggles with many hardships and also makes many mistakes. Some loose their initial motivation too due to these mistakes. To ensure that you don't loose your motivation I thought it would be great if I share my mistakes with you. 

My sole purpose behind sharing these with you is to let you know that you are not the only one who has been struggling and to cheer you up so that you can keep going. After all this world needs more minimalists like us to survive. Here are some of the mistakes that I have made and the lessons these mistakes have taught me.

1- Minimalism is not a destination, it's a journey-

YES, minimalism is a long term goal. It is not about a single massive decluttering session and then creep back into the same consumerist lifestyle. I have witnessed it. I am a big impulse buyer. I buy stuff when I feel low. No matter how much I declutter, stuff keeps coming back. Thus minimalism is not about short term decluttering but long term change of mindset.

2-Don't get rid of your stuff mindlessly-

In the beginning I was to intimidated with Pinterest posts and Youtube videos on minimalism. I wanted those picture perfect empty shelves and closet. To achieve that I threw away a lot of stuff. In this process I got rid of many things that were actually essential and served an important purpose. I had to ultimately buy more stuff again. I also realized later on that I could have donated many items that I threw. There were even some items that I could have sold via OLX and get some money back. Now whenever I have to get rid of something I try my best to find a new home for that item. I would recommend you to take on minimalism slowly and declutter mindfully.

3-Minimalism is integrative in nature-

 I became a minimalist because I wanted to be more frugal. I wanted to save enough money and invest that money to achieve a steady income. I achieved my target. But along the way I learnt about "zero waste movement". This is also a type of minimalism to save our planet from the harmful effect of waste that we generate. I was fascinated and got pulled in. I was surprised that with little changes here and there I could integrate both the lifestyles. Thus, keep an open mind and you can do good not only for your finances but also our planet.

4- Minimalism is actually essentialism-

Not everybody can understand you and your choices. A minimalist in India gets branded as "KANJOOS" or "MISER". You have to understand that it's your life and your choice matters. You don't have to buy stuff to get social recognition but you also have to maintain your necessities. You have to learn to balance these two. Thus minimalism is actually essentialism. It is hard to learn this balance but when done you become immune to social criticism.

It has been one year since I started my self improvement journey adopting minimalism as a lifestyle. I am fairly new and I know I will make many mistakes in the future as well. I will make sure to share them with you all. As of now I can say one thing for sure, Minimalism will transform you and every aspect of your life in a good way..

Motivated? Want to learn more about minimalism and zero waste living? Check out my other blogs and I hope I can convince you to adopt this way of living for the good of everyone..