World Environment day : Realistic tips to curb Plastic Pollution with kids

World Environment day : Realistic tips to curb Plastic Pollution with kids


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World Environment Day:

It really feels good when the activities around World Environment Day, which is on June 5th, engulf the aura. We all pity the sources of pollution and do pledge to give out bit back to nature. But ask yourself, how long do we follow? India is a huge country and even small steps taken individually can help us save a clean nature for our kids.

And this year, India is the official host of World Environment day, with the theme of Beat Plastic Pollution. (#Worldenvironmentday  #beatplasticpollution). The theme is way too tricky as using plastic in almost everything is what we are doing and adding lots of weight on this earth. Low-grade Polythene’s, poor plastic bottles, non-recyclable plastics are rampant in every lane, with every retailer and we all happily buy it looking at our comfort.

Would you love a plastic floating by, in the waters closer to the beach you are relaxing at? I’m sure, none would love that.

Some grim facts about Plastic pollution :

Watch out this video, wherein Marine biologists help remove a plastic straw from a sea turtle’s nose. It made me cry, really cry! What are we doing as humans!

India is a host this world environment day & the theme is beat plastic pollution.Read some facts and real practical solutions to reduce your plastic trash. #worldenvironmentday #beatplasticpollution #saynotoplastic #plasticpollution #environmentday #savenature #saveearth #tips #environment

Take a pause, breathe for a moment, think on these facts, lay emphasis on like what would be the future years be for our kids and grandkids?

It’s not the problem of India alone, it is a global problem and we as global citizens need to fight with it. And this fight should start with small things along with educating kids, wherein we can really say bye to plastics and opt for more biodegradable options. Kids have be a focus here, as they are the future generations. They can easily say “No” to plastics right when they are small. They are the ones who will work upon biodegradable Plastics version and thus let this start begin right now.

Beat Plastic Pollution, Start from your home and life :

1. Make a list :

Let the start begin right from making the list, this is what I did. I listed down all the plastic items I had in my home and made a next column of “Biodegradable resources” against those listed items. Believe me, I researched a lot and could find so many reusable better options.

2. Kitchen utilities :

Think of what our grannies used? They had either copper or glass or stainless steel options. Then why are we using these plastic wares? Apart from looking gracious in those colors, they really have no benefit for us nor for the environment. Then why not ditch them with Silver/Steel/Glass plates, bowls, cutlery? Every alternate is available in these variants and they are good for our health as well.

Stop using zip locks/ Plastic Tiffin boxes :

When you readily have a better alternative in the form of steel tiffin boxes. Steel is a non-reactive material and never harms our bodies.

Water Bottles :

Always use steel bottles while on the go or for kids’ school time. For home, you can have the options as Glass bottles, copper Jug’s (which are very good for health). Strictly say “NO” to those plastic bottles, which are not reusable and actually add up maximum to the plastic pollution. Bottled water is not only expensive, the plastic in which the water is is hazardous for our health.

Packaged foods and Juices :

These are completely in the plastic packaging and most of it is not recycled. Promote kids to go “Plastic-free” as much as possible and a small step towards it is to stop these plastic canned juices and packaged foods. It is much better if we give our kids “Homemade fresh juices”, buttermilk, and fresh foods. This will not only keep them healthy, off the extra sugar, but it will also help us contribute our lot to reduce Plastic trash.

If you feel, yogurts and curds are also adding up to it, try alternates. Curd can be easily made at home, start using fresh curd. If you like flavored yogurts during summers, like us, then opt for a yogurt maker, and make almost any flavor you like.

Say NO to Plastic Straw’s :

You’ve already read the facts and video of how serious straws can be. Every other outlet has some mocktail to serve in those plastic cans with plastic straws. Did you ever think, what happens to them? These are single used and end up in oceans. Did you knew that, you have the option of Reusable / steel straws?

Yes, they might be costly compared to the plastic ones, but see the longevity. They shall remain always with you. Take your own cups / Mason jars and straws and try saying no to the shops giving plastic straws. Do try, if one can start, why not others? Mason jars are cheap, they look trendy and are really apt for any type of drink.

Reusable mug for coffee :

When I was abroad, I used to see every second person having disposable coffee cups in their hands. They might look like paper but they’re usually lined with polyethylene, a type of plastic resin. Though it can be recycled, in most of the places due to lack of Recycling infrastructure, they all end up in landfills. As an alternate, you can always keep your reusable coffee mug on the go. This will really lead to much lesser trash of lids, and coffee cans. In your offices, ask the admin to start using teacups instead of these plastic ones. Coffee chains should actually be banned from pouring coffee into these plastic cups.

Chewing Gum :

So many of us love it, right? Ever thought how is it made? Do we know which gums are made from a sapodilla tree and which are artificial, basically synthetic rubbers? Most of them are synthetically produced, which means we are chewing on plastic and its toxins? Stop that right today.

Bread:

The plastic of bread can easily be ignored, if we plan to bake our homemade, good wheat bread, actually with the richness of pure wheat. Else you can even opt for bread in the bakery who give it bundled in the paper.

3. Baby feeding bottles :

There are some good options in glass bottles, do ditch the plastic ones, and allow your toddler or in fact to grasp the glass bottles. Hot milk retains its texture and purity in them:). You can easily buy them from amazon here.

4. Diapers :

Well, you all can imagine the number of waste diapers can create. You have a great option in the form of “Cloth diapers”. Read the comfort of Cloth diapers, since I used them on my child for 90% of the time. I know a few mamas would not be really happy with this suggestion, but try to reduce the use of normal diapers. Cloth diapers are really soft and they help the baby’s skin breathe in a better way. And then you will contribute to the environment as well. You can buy them here.

5. Shopping Bags :

They are havoc, to environment, and to animals. Why not get some cloth bags stitched and use them for different purposes? I remember that’s what my mom used to do for all sorts of shopping. She had all sizes of bags made out of cotton cloth and they are really a great alternative to the plastic ones. Reusable, washable, and best biodegradable.

India is a host this world environment day & the theme is beat plastic pollution.Read some facts and real practical solutions to reduce your plastic trash. #worldenvironmentday #beatplasticpollution #saynotoplastic #plasticpollution #environmentday #savenature #saveearth #tips #environment

6. Birthday party :

From party favors to decorative materials, synthetic balloons, disposable cutlery, Birthday parties are a big source of plastic pollution. There are many earth-friendly balloons options available (Natural latex), if you don’t wish to let them go completely from your party. Try making lanterns, use a cloth or recycled paper cutouts for the decoration. Use diya’s which our grannies used to do. Return gift bags can be filled with some eco-friendly things as pencil colors, cookies, homemade dough, ginger-man, which will amuse kids. Even the gift wrapping should be done with natural paper or recycled paper. Kids can rather decorate it basis their imaginations and creativity. It will be fun for kids and your contribution to the environment.

7. Cloth/Wooden Toys :

I love wooden toys, though I cannot say that there is a 100% replacement for all plastic toys. The market is flushed with really cheap quality plastic toys. Kids put them in mouth, chew the toxins and we watch all of this happily. Try using soft cloth and wooden toys wherever the options are available. If not, opt for high-quality toys, wherein the plastic can be recycled. When your child no longer uses it, dispose of them at the recycling center instead of adding in the bin.

8. Start a Garden :

If you have a backyard, go for gardening. If you have space crunch still many options are available. You can prepare your own indoor garden. This will not just help you in clean air, but food waste can be easily converted into fertilizer for plants. You can use your garden to grow your vegetables, which will result in less dependence on grocery stores, thus less of plastic bag use. More of pure and fresh food!

9. Family Fun time :

The list-making should be a family activity and every time one plastic item is shunned, there should be a reward for it. This will encourage kids to ditch every possible plastic use from their daily lives. Remember, we are building their future, and kids need to be a part of this revolution.

10. Teach Kids Eco-friendliness :

This can be really a tedious task since we cannot help really young kids to understand the real magnitude of Plastic pollution. But a simple image or narration or the video shared above, that a turtle can die if a straw gets fixed in their nose will help kids understand the need.

  • Involve kids in beach cleaning activities.
  • Help them understand recycling and how we should reduce trash.
  • Reward them when they quit plastic packaged items at the store.
  • Different art and theatre forms may help them develop this vision.
  • Take them for a visit to a recycling factory

After reading and watching all this, can you say “NO” to plastics which can be easily replaced by other options? We don’t need an answer, your soul needs an answer! Keep educating kids, they will create a difference.

Happy World Environment day! #Beatplasticpollution

Xoxo, Jhilmil

India is a host this world environment day & the theme is beat plastic pollution.Read some facts and real practical solutions to reduce your plastic trash. #worldenvironmentday #beatplasticpollution #saynotoplastic #plasticpollution #environmentday #savenature #saveearth #tips #environment

Jhilmil

Quest to live the life surrounded with the charming little bundle's of joy. When they speak, I sing, When they smile, I rejoice , When they hug, I hold them never to lose, Such is my passion for these Gifts of God.This love urged me to navigate separately from my Travel Blog & establish an "All-In-One" Blog for budding mothers. Mum's have multi-tasked this world ,with all her professional commitments , she still makes an extra effort to be a loving, caring and be an intellectual mommy! Cheers, for me too come from the same fraternity, post having a superb academics & close to 8 years of professional experience and blessed with a little one "who has indeed changed my life from Autumn to Spring";)

This Post Has 45 Comments

  1. I love that there are so many options for the environmental day. I love to reuse items and try to recycle every two weeks at our local dump so that we are not throwing anything away that can be reused.

  2. Polly

    The world needs to see this post! As mountaineer who promotes ‘Leave No Trace’, it’s devastating to see all the trash being thrown n the trails of the mountains. It’s why I always carry trash bags with me whenever I climb. Thank you very much for sharing this.

    I am planning to write a collection of this kind of post, can I link this?
    Thank you again! <3

    1. Jhilmil

      Hey Polly, I’m so ecstatic that you carry trash bags with you, this point should be added in my post. Definitely, do link this most, I wanna spread as much awareness as I can..

  3. Melanie

    Wow shocked about the chewing gum…that one is right of my shop list x

  4. Gurjeet Chhabra

    I love the way you posted each point with solution to it. Plastic are really bad and my kids and me try to avoid as much as we can

  5. Elizabeth O

    There is some really great advice here. I definitely learned a few new things I can change to be environmentally friendly myself.

  6. Samantha Carraro

    Environmental pollution is such an important topic and plastic is a really big part of it.
    I think it’s so difficult to cut off plastic from daily life completely, but little steps can go a long way, especially if more people start employing them. Thanks for sharing all this information and advice!

  7. Very well written. Addressing the problem and offering solutions that are implementable in all our households.

  8. Autumn - Simply Amazing Living

    That poor sea turtle! I am never purchasing a plastic straw again. So much waste in this world. This is a great article as I didn’t know a lot of your points.

  9. Shilpa Garg

    Plastic menace is increasing by the day. In April a whale was found dead on the shore and its stomach had tons of plastic garbage. We should seriously ban plastic from our lives. Thanks for sharing some excellent ways to reduce plastic in our daily life.

  10. Denni

    im actually trying to use less and less plastic everyday , beside recycling obviously . I can tell you is not easy , every little thing comes wrapped in plastic

  11. Gunjan

    Very well written post.. cant agree more with all points here. I have switched to cloth for most of our needs

  12. Jessica Martin

    It is so sad how much plastic and waste is affecting our environment. We try so hard to think of the environment and my oldest gets upset when he sees trash on the ground. We use cloth diapers with our younger 2 babies and I love it because we aren’t polluting the environment with paper diapers. Everyone needs to read this post.

  13. Shalini R

    This is one well-researched article. Thank you so very much for writing in detail. It’s eye-opening and I wish everyone reads this.

  14. Megha

    literally a much needed post! we really have to save our planet!

  15. Sayeri

    I couldn’t watch the video. Its pathetic. Really in daily life we are using plastics and it harms the sea animals. We have to ban plastic.

  16. Disha

    Definetly the need of hour to curb our plastc usage and your post is helpful in raising awareness.

  17. Abhinav Singh

    I am so glad to see that you talked about it. This plastic menace needs more awareness. Government should ban plastic across India. Sikkim is a good example. I feel most sorry for wild animals and marine life. They suffer due to our mistake.

  18. kim

    Thanks so much for the reminder of how important recycling is! All of the info that you mentioned was really very eye-opening and I honestly know that I need to be doing a better job with recycling!

  19. Manisha Garg

    Plastic is a big mess for sure. We should take steps to curb this menace. Its a collective effort which can make a difference.

  20. Rohini James

    It is good to know that India is part of this change a day hopefully our people will take this seriously henceforth.

  21. Susan Thomas

    This is a very serious topic which most of us seem not to heed to much. Those are some very valuable tips and we as parents need to teach our kids about the dangers of using plastic.

  22. Deepali

    I’m moving towards substantial living and trying to minimize plastic use. I really want people to understand the facts you shared.

  23. jhilmildsaha

    The tips are definitely very much doable and helpful. It is important that we make our children aware of the harmful side of plastics.

  24. Nisha

    you made so many good points 🙂 and very well-researched 🙂 Ban, reduce or reuse of plastic.

  25. Bulbul

    It made my heart cry to see the sea turtle video! I would now be starting indoor garden to do my bit

  26. Judy

    Such a thought provoking post on environment day. Truly we have replaced technically all biodegradable materials to plastic ones and then litter them after just a use. 🙁

  27. di

    I love that we have world environment day and bringing awareness to the decline in the planets environment. The real problem that no-one wants to acknowledge is that reducing animal farming is the single biggest thing we can do to help the planet. Reducing plastic is a drop in the bucket to the damage animal agriculture is doing.

  28. Kate Andrews

    I never thought of gum as being an issue but you are so right. I’ve tried cutting down on how much plastic I use.

  29. Isheeria

    this is such an important and pertinent post. some of the alternative suggestions are excellent, and frankly i hadnt considered them – good ideas!

  30. Priyanka Patwari

    I love your each and every step of solutions.. we have to spread the awareness and make real clean and green

  31. Akanksha

    This is such an informative post. These days awareness has increased and I have seen schools also teach kids to recycle and reuse products to save environment. We personally recycle items in our nearest recycling centre and use appropriate bins for recyclables and non recyclable wastes.

  32. I recently bought a metal straw and i consider it one of the better purchases that i’ve made. I never realized how many straws i used!

  33. preety85

    We must follow these tips to save our planet from pollution, plastic is very harmful for our health and for animals too…i really wish to see our earth free from plastic.

  34. Extremely well written post, and we all should be working towards keeping our environment clean

  35. Namrata

    I agree with you on everything and let us make this world a better place to live.

  36. zainab

    I agree we really need to look after the environment! It’s sad what are we leaving behind for our kids ?
    The list is really nice. Thanks.

  37. Mommy Sigrid

    Wow! Thank you for these ideas that we can do at home. Yes, we need to inculcate to our children a love for the environment., They are the ones who will stay in this world when we are gone.

  38. Seema Wadhwa

    These are some great tips, and most importantly the subject. It’s best to have awareness and sensitivity towards pollution control at the earliest possible age.

  39. Seema Wadhwa

    Pollution is a pressing issue, and the earlier its awareness and sensitivity is created, it’s better. These are some great tips, thanks for sharing!

  40. Harshitha

    This is such a well – written post ! And these are some amazing ways to save our environment ! Thanks for sharing 🙂

  41. What an excellent post . I think if we all even did half of these things the world would be such a better place to live in.

  42. Rachel

    Saving the environment is so important! I much prefer glasswares to plastic in the kitchen because they don’t stain and retain odor, but if plastic is used, people need to remember to recycle!

  43. Bhanu

    Very good blog to saving environment from using plastic. I will follow your solutions in daily use and replace plastic as much as possible.

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