Are you a burden on your planet? Do you want to know how to become carbon neutral? What are the ways we can make more climate friendly choices?

Our daily activities comes with a baggage of burden called carbon footprint, from eating your food to shopping for clothes in a mall, each activity is associated to emitting certain amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse into the atmosphere. In India alone the emission of CO2 per individual per annum is approximately 1.84 tonnes! And we are a billion people.

What is carbon footprint?

Carbon footprint is the grassroots level of measurement used to quantify the impact of the green house gases emitted by a product or service consumed by a person, organisation or country. A single pair of jeans for example is guilty of producing 20Kgs of CO2, so is driving your car for 80 Kilometres. Every product consumed or every service taken comes with a certain emission that cumulates to your carbon footprint and it all boils down to choices and decisions what you as an individual would make.

Why should you reduce your carbon footprint?

One could wonder how can you as an individual really make a difference compared to big organisations, businesses or governments. The fact of the matter is that these business, companies thrive on your consumption to produce more and more and directly contribute in emitting more and more CO2. Climate change is directly proportional to the emissions in greenhouse gases, right now we are at a stage where it is too extreme and can’t be ignored. In the next 20 years it is estimated that global temperatures may rise by 1.5°C - 2°C, this will result in more heat waves, longer warmer seasons leading to rise in sea water levels and more natural disasters unless there is drastic reduction in carbon emissions by 2040.

Reducing your carbon footprint is not just about the environment only, it can help you lead a healthier lifestyle and save money in the process as well.

Road to going carbon neutral

The last question is HOW? Well, charity starts at home and it starts with the basics.

It is always perceived that a sustainable lifestyle takes a lot of effort and money, but in the words of Naren Raj the co founder of Rescript, “Sustainability is achieved only when it is implemented at a subconscious level”. What this states is that to strive towards reducing your carbon footprint we need to first start using sustainable alternatives that can be switched without any effort or any extra investments, this will help us get into the groove of a more sustainable lifestyle, a hard transition may burn you out, the key here is to start slow and be steady with it to a point where it is the new normal, in other words, done at a subconscious level. So what are the few things that we can look at to start this transition?

At home

• Vegetable gardening - If you have a thing for gardening there is nothing like vegetable gardening, there are various services that even set up planter boxes on terraces and help you get good fresh produce.

• Keep it fresh - Source produce locally, avoid buying vegetables packed with plastic wraps. Also consider buying condiments which are sold loosely.

• Waste to resource - Compost your food waste or find services who collect food waste and use it for composting.

• Switch to sustainable consumer goods - The FMCG space is a big contributor towards green house gases, making simple switches with everyday products is a great start. The following links could help you opt for some sustainable alternatives.       

  • Toothpaste tablets - A great alternative to the regular toothpaste as the tubes after use contribute to a large amount of plastic waste. A company called Dent tabs is pioneering in this space. https://denttabs.in   

  • Slow fashion is the in thing - We have moved passed the era of fast fashion, shop for good quality clothing that can last longer. Companies like www.thesoh.in are working on creating high quality clothing at reasonable prices where its products have drastically reduced in its carbon emissions. A part of Jeans from The Soh consumes less than 10% of water compare to that of a regular pair of jeans.   

  • Use handmade soaps and shampoo bars - Shampoo bottles are another big contributor of plastic pollution, switching to handmade soaps and shampoo bars not only helps the environment but also encourages artisan entrepreneurs. Soapamma Soaps, Scarlet Soapworks, Soapistry, Suffuse Soaps are some great handmade soap brands. 

  • Use sustainable stationery for work at home and study material for kids - Stationery products are hugely dependent on trees, from pencils to paper, India itself cuts over 50 crores plus trees per annum for stationery. It is absolutely crucial to switch to a more sustainable alternative. The best part is paper is recyclable and www.rescript.in is doing just that. From notebooks, copier papers, pens and pencils everything is made out of waste and discarded paper. Thus reducing the burden on the planet and efficiently using the natural resources. 

  • Use homemade all purpose cleaners - One of the easiest ways to make your own all purpose cleaner is by Soaking citrus peels in vinegar for 2 weeks, then adding water to it. 

At work / office

• Cycle to office or use public transport - Cycling not only helps in reducing your carbon footprint but also keep you healthy. Public transports or even carpooling is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.

• Limit use of tissue papers - Office restrooms are the biggest dispensers of tissue papers. In fact majority of the paper produced from cutting trees is tissue paper. Carrying a hand towel for basic needs will save a lot.

• Switch to coffee mugs and carry on water bottles - Single use plastic water bottles and single use paper cups for coffee/tea can be avoided by keeping a coffee mug and water bottle at work.

• Reduce, reuse, recycle - Office generate lot of waste from electronic devices, paper, packaging etc. All of this can be segregated and recycled. It is a great practice to even use both sides of the paper. Many offices use a lot of paper from invoicing, inventory, documentation etc. but all of this comes to adding to your carbon footprint as paper is dependent on trees. Switching to a more sustainable option to recycled copier paper, recycled notebooks, scribble pads, pens, pencils can make a huge difference. And https://www.rescript.in/collection has got it all!

• Switch off lights and computers when not needed - Modern machines are so efficient that people don’t mind it being switched on even when not in use as it does not heat up, but it does consume energy. India is still majorly dependent on coal for energy, and even a small fraction of energy saved can collectively have huge impact.

Conclusion - Think green

Every step we take adds our carbon footprint, it's inevitable, but it is possible to reduce it significantly and we need to start. The above points are only a small fraction of alternatives to help you get started to a more sustainable lifestyle but there is still a long way to go. When it comes to climate change and global warming, there is no country, religion, race or sex. We all stand as individuals, as humans that are each equally responsible to ensure the legacy of our planet is being rescripted. #ResctiptThePlanet. It is time for us to make the difference, let's work together to Draw the line on climate change.