Our Organisational Experiments towards Zero Waste

Contributor: Shashank 

As we come to a close of 2018, reflecting on several aspects of us evolving and getting more rooted - what enabled it and what became a barrier.

In these times, even personal change is radical as it has become increasingly difficult to take charge of our own lives given the technocracy indoctrinating our lives. Youth Alliance has been blessed with a community that stands firm and continuously enables personal change as well as collective.

Sharing about 11 organizational experiments that we began towards a zero waste being - all these experiments in our office space and work culture have emerged naturally from the being of the people involved. There are no policies written, no strategies made and no budgets put aside.

1. Composting in Office 

Post EarthShastra, it was almost natural to set up compost pots in office to reduce our waste by over 70% with simply some space and two pots. No smells, no insects - only some sometimes - part of the living system ;) Such a joy to witness such huge quantity of waste being reduced to such a small quantity of food for the plants.

For composting tips at home or in office, read this article

2. Said No to Ordering Food

We brought down ordering food from outside to almost zero this year. No swiggies, no zomatoes. So a subtle nudge to cook and get food from home. We have a huge proportion of fruits at lunch and if one needs to get food from outside - taking utensils from the office has become a norm. For Chai too, we have these kettles that we get filled or ask bhaiya to get his kettle - and we serve it in glass cups.

3. Creative Aesthetics with Local Materials

Those of you know of Youth Alliance, would know the role that aesthetics play in creating spaces we wish to create. We said no to rangoli colors - and started using whatever has been available around- old metal pieces, t-shirts, flowers, zenga etc.

This also go to Name Tags that we make on leaves. 

4. No Plastic Decor

We haven't used a standee since 2015, haven't got a flex (very dangerous plastic) printed since then. And very naturally we started finding innovative ways for decor. And it looks and feels infinitely much better than mass printed flexes. Its what we call Art with Heart. We are yet to figure out a replacement for transparent tapes, though.

5. Immersive Program-  Utensils (No disposables), Organic Waste Disposal

We do several immersive journeys a year. All of that includes at least 40 people staying at a place or moving around. It's a norm to carry one's utensils wherever we go. Here's a picture of participants washing utensils in a village. Also, whenever we travel we don't buy any plastic water bottle.

Last year, in Gramya Manthan - we generated under 10 kg of non-biodegradable waste when 45 people stayed together for 6 days in a small house - that included sanitary napkins, plastic packets (biscuits), paper (charts) and some more things. 

All the bio-degradable waste, we put in a pit and cover with soil.

6. Travel by Train preferred

A general inclination of all the members of the team has been to take the train wherever possible. And travel sleeper class for short distances. I took a flight only four times despite travelling over 25 journeys for work. 

7. Printing & Stationery

This one felt the riskiest, if we reduce merchandising, posters or sending invitation letter s pre-program will it reduce the value of the program in the minds of candidates - that was the question.

We experimented and I guess it been working very well. We did away with hard-copy invitation letter, diaries are on demand, use a lot of one side used paper (charts, sheets), reduced posters / pamphlets to 10% of what we used to do 2 years ago. Printing on paper in general has also come down a fair bit.

However, there's a flow of gifts in any cohort that are handmade and unique each one. And they are in the category of priceless. :) 

8. Old is gold? Repairing..

Almost everything you see in the picture - the chair, boards, mattress, cushions, has been a gift from Goonj that see and renew value in discarded urban material for much longer utility. We are grateful to Goonj for supporting us in this wonderful way.

This particular chair came to us 4.5 years ago (don't know how old it would be) and we have got it repaired twice gently pushing the dying culture of repairing. It brings me immense joy when the material gets repaired and renewed for thriving longevity. And our sense is that materials that were made a decade earlier have more chances to last longer than what may be made a year earlier. More and more products are designed for the dump / are irreparable.

9. Merchandise Experiments - Khadi Kurta

We used to give a Youth Alliance cotton t-shirt and sometimes steel bottles to participants. This year we experimented not gifting them - considering the environmental costs of cotton t-shirts. And we are trying to get khadi kurtas stitched along with an embroidered logo. We are excited about what comes out of this.

10. Dariya Dil Dukaan

Dariya Dil has become one of the key rituals in the programs. We experienced it the first time at Swaraj University, Udaipur. It means making the material sacred. In a circle, each one put out things that we do not need or things are precious to us but we would like to gift to one of the community members with a story. The story of the product and the person. And each one can pick up anything that calls out to him/her. It creates a magical interconnectedness within the community while making the material sacred.

We also set up a Dariya Dil Dukaan in our office to continue it over long-term. We need volunteers to build it, come support?

Also, check out the amazing Dariya Dil online community here. 

11. Landfill Pilgrimages and several other circles

To create awareness about waste and experiments around zero waste we organised 10 pilgrimages to landfills/dump yards in 8 different cities over the last 2 years with young people. Landfills are the most manifested expression of the environmental crises we are in - so a pilgrimage to the landfill transforms the person and makes her/him into an environment pilgrim :)

Along with that, we hosted circles on Zero Waste Lifestyle with Vandana (The Conscious Desi) and Deepa (Sustainability Coach) has been our inspiration and support to do all this.

A more deeper immersion into the ecological crisis happens through EarthShastra (one of our flagship immersive journey, know more about it here.)

It is important to see all these not just from the lens of the quantity of waste saved but more importantly from the lens of transformation that these ignited in people to find their ecological, conscious selves. The ripple of this phenomenon we believe is way longer than we can measure.

We have been inspired by Ravi (Gulati) Bhaiya and Dev (Tayde) Bhaiya who have lived the value of minimizing waste and environmental consciousness and inspire us through and through with their everyday practices. 

Grateful, to be part of these amazing unfolding with an amazing set of people.