“The best way to manage waste is not to generate it in the first place,” says Smita Kulkarni, Communications Consultant, Saahas.
Towards this goal, the non-profit, in partnership with the Rainmatter Foundation, recently released a free guidebook that can help offices in the city minimise their waste. According to Kulkarni, also the co-founder of the social enterprise Stonesoup, many corporations today are already looking at ways to be sustainable, “some for namesake, and some in a deeper sense.”
As the guidebook, available for free on both the Saahas and Rainmatter Foundation’s websites, points out, we often follow a use-and-throw lifestyle, with nearly 50% of plastic being used only once before being thrown away. And even if some of these single-use materials are recyclable, they are best avoided, says the guidebook, pointing out that not only is plastic the most significant contributor of mixed waste, but recycling items made of it takes a lot of resources. Additionally, there are few takers of recycled plastic since it becomes dull and brittle after processing, states the guidebook, adding, “Not everything gets recycled.”
