Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

If you are worried about the piles of waste that rot on our roads, about the corporation that you think doesn't know its job; about corrupt politicians who you think swindle public money, about the whole system that in your opinion, doesn't work, and if you think your job ends there, please skip the rest.

On the other hand, if you want to do something about it, here are a few shockingly simple things you can do, which can go a long way.

Reduce - Reduce the use of materials that can end up as difficult-to-manage waste

1. Avoid takeaway food as much as you can, if you do, do it from a place where as little plastic is used for packaging as possible.
   
2. Buy cotton clothes instead of synthetic/semi-synthetic clothes
3. While shopping, buy stuff with as less plastic packaging as possible.
4. Again, while going shopping, take your own shopping bag along.
   
5. Never, never waste food.
6. While arranging parties - go for paper/ceramic cups, plates. Never go for plastic or other synthetic stuff.
7. When going on a trip, carry your own water bottle (plastic or otherwise). Take a look near our railway tracks and you'll know why I say this.
   
8. When buying soft drinks, buy them in cans instead of plastic bottles.
   

Reuse - Reuse whatever is reusable. You'll be surprised how little we normally do this.

1. Re-use plastic bags, do not just throw them away after a single use. Wear them out by use.
   
2. Reuse one-sided paper for your rough scribblings
3. Use fountain pens instead of ball-pens. If you do use them, make sure you get them refilled - do not just throw away used pens.
4. Give away your old usable clothes to charity
5. Sell away unusable clothes, glass, paper to recycling shops

Recycle - when you can't re-use, make sure you recycle

1. Disposing plastic should be your last option, and when you do, make sure you dispose it properly, understand where it’s going, make sure it gets recycled if it is recyclable. The fundamental thing here is segregation of plastic.
   
2. Segregate the degradable from non-degradable waste at source. Do not just dump all your waste on the people who come to collect them - remember they are also people like us who would not really enjoy digging through someone else's garbage.
   
3. If you have the space, dispose organic waste in your own yard in a compost – rather than burdening the corporation/municipality services. Actually it doesn't take that much space;here's a good link on how you can go about composting.
   
4. If you live in a flat, talk to your association to get a compost unit built.
   

(I'll keep adding to this list as I think of more:))