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Cookies Anyone

>> Thursday 19 January 2012

Going to the grocery store with my DH means getting home atleast one pack of cookies/biscuits. Frequency has reduced over the years, however I intend to put a complete stop to it. Being a no kids home - its easy for us. And we dont need all that high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, colours, processed sugar and maida/all purpose flour either. I bake a lot so the solution - bake whenever he wants to buy a pack.

Apart from dietary no-nos, what troubles me is all the packaging it brings along.




note to self!:
- I need to follow Beth Terry's idea to write more frequently to companies and totally give up on buying them
- bake my whole wheat eggless versions at home

Please share your thgts on this..would love to hear if you ever think of this, and if you did, your solutions

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Guest Post ~ Second To None ~ Anu Gummaraju's green initiative :)

>> Monday 16 January 2012

I am glad I met Anu Gummaraju on the blogosphere. A genuinely warm lady who blogs over at scatter the batter and A fleeting Glimpse. Her blogs being one of the reasons for my admiration, another is her initiative in Banglore - An initiative called Second to None. (I had the privilege of doing one of the initial posts for the blog :). India has very few flea markets worth mention. More about the initiative and the flea market in Anu's own words :)

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Armchair enviornment-activism is all very good, but there comes a time in all our lives, I presume, when it just isn't enough. We may be thinking constantly of how much plastic the world is generating and consuming and discarding in dangerous ways, we see signs to keep our city clean and think yes! I will do it, we know we have to conserve water and electricity and do a little bit in that direction in our homes. But is that all?


This became a big, big question for me around mid last year. It wasn't enough. Could there be some way of first, practicing and then nudging the change on a broader scale? Prodded by this, I was looking for avenues in Bangalore by which reuse and recycling could be promoted.There were a few fora for giving away unused goods, but they were voluntary and not very wide spread. Craig's list was just too anonymous and scam-ridden too, at times. There was no physical space for such activity, apart from the really old Bangalore markets which are very congested today!

The Market
Flea markets have always been a favourite concept of mine, and the idea of a local market in Bangalore, which could serve as a promoter of recycling and conservation and at the same time, provide a fun atmosphere for people to congregate and exchange ideas and learn about going green, suddenly appealed big time.

Speaking to friends and fellow passionate green-people, Reena Chengappa and Shilpa Kamath, about the idea, their enthusiasm and willingness to be a part of this movement sealed it. And Second to None was kicked off in June 2011.

Initial days
We started first with an online group (an online flea market of sorts), on Facebook, to provide a platform for people in the city to interact and exchange reuse ideas and to buy and sell used goods online. A group with people who either knew each other or were added by friends seemed to be a reliable platform. The online group took off, with members selling anything from curtains to post and pans, to furniture, and exchanging reuse ideas. At the same time, we were also planning the first physical flea market, and scouting for an ideal location, a space which would support and nurture such an initiative and Jaaga (which means Space in Kannada) lent itself brilliantly to the cause. Read about Jaaga here (http://www.jaaga.in/).


With Jaaga booked for July of 2011, we were all set to kick off the flea  market experiment over two days of a weekend. The only publicity we had at the this time was the Facebook group network and two local news dailies who figured this was new enough in Bangalore to be talked about. And what a fun weekend that was! The two days of the market came quite abuzz with activity, where like minded folk came together to buy and sell used goods from their homes, gardens, and more. We had resourceful members well versed in waste management, composting at home, effort-free drip gardening, and so on talking to visitors and helping them start similar ventures on their own. We had sellers exhibiting papier mache lamps, paper bead jewellery, recycled paper products, knick knacks from homes, decor, books, movies and more. And everyone wanted more.


So the flea markets have become a regular event now, we had one more market in Nov 2011, and the 3rd market is happening in Feb 2012. Between markets, the Facebook group has grown to 1260+ members and everyone is sharing and talking about how we can make simple changes in our daily lives, which can cumulatively make a big impact.

The idea of a local market, which happens regularly, is what I think appeals to people and encourages thinking and participation. It has provided a fillip for people to come participate and be a very physical part of the reuse concept, making us believe that local groups, events and happenings is the way to go to spread the word and get people involved. And the involvement here isn't just with the facilitators (us and Jaaga). It is everyone who comes in to sell or buy.

The sellers make the space what it is, it is they who can make an event exciting and spread the word. When each one of them gives away, sells or makes new things out of old stuff, they are sending out a message. A message that says old does not mean useless, that we can use objects for more than their perceived shelf lives, that the more we reuse the less garbage we burden the earth with. Such a place is also a great place for bargains.

Let us face it, everyone is aspirational and there will always be people who want to own the next best thing, even in plastic, if they have not had it before. And what better than to get it at a good price? So the market has seen some barely used and vintage stuff going at incredible prices, which makes both buyer and seller happy.

Second to None began with a core principal of consuming less and reusing more, and making healthy choices for ourselves and for the planet. But we did not start with a blueprint, we have grown and learnt and accommodated new ideas along the way. We support home kitchens making organic food, and NGOs who empower people with training to earn a lving. Their products get exhibited and sold at the markets.

What is most exciting for us is that people from across the cHide allountry have joined the group and have started similar ventures in their own cities, citing Second to None as their inspiration. We are so happy about that! There is Reduse in Hyderabad, by Ipshita Roychowdhury and Rashmi, The Best and The Rest in Ahmedabad by Saurabh Pacheriwala and Anushree Poddar (https://www.facebook.com/groups/225422360867287/), BombayB by Joanna Lobo and Yoshita Sengupta (https://www.facebook.com/groups/BombayB/).

As we set up the 3rd market in Feb 2012, we are seeing so much enthusiasm and sincerity in people who really want to make an effort in reusing and recycling. Everything under the sun that has a use and a purpose is being sold online and at the markets today, and here are just some of the repurpose ideas shared by the group:
Painting, decorating used bulbs as decor items or plant hangers.
Bags from denim pants.
Fashioning anything from bangle stands to soft boards with salvaged wood pieces.
Runners, table cloths and more from wasted pieces of fabric from tailors.
Candle holders with used bulbs.
Waste toilet seats refashioned into mirror frames, pieces of art.
Etching and art on used wine bottles.
Jewellery and accessories with used buttons.
Old photographs, prints from magazines into wall art.
Decoupage old boxes and containers with used newspaper, other prints.
Bags, pouches and more made from tetra pack paper, jute rice bags, etc.
Side tables with cable spools.

The list is quite long and growing every day! Check into the FB page or blog to stay updated on all the cool ideas that are out there!

Thank you Sudha, for asking me to write in A Green Crusader @ Work. Many of your posts on the environment and green choices are inspirational!
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Thank you Anu...people like you give me hope and will to continue what I do :)

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New beginnings for the better at University of California

>> Wednesday 11 January 2012


I got this message in my email and had to share it here. 

For Immediate Release:
Student groups at the University of California Santa Barbara, including the Associated Students Coastal Fund, Environmental Affairs Board, Isla Vista Surfrider Foundation and CalPirg, have banded together with campus administration and the Plastic Pollution Coalition to make a profound impact on the campus community and the City of Santa Barbara. 
Compelled by the goal to ban single use plastic bags and raise awareness of the detrimental affects of plastics on our environment, the students have created a new partnership on campus named the UCSB-Plastic Pollution Coalition (UCSB-PPC).
The global Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC) is an alliance of individuals, organizations and businesses working together to stop plastic pollution and reduce its toxic impacts on humans,animals and the environment. The UCSB-PPC is participating in the global PPC's "Plastic-Free Campuses" project as the pilot school. The goal of the project is to encourage more universities to reduce their plastic consumption by educating their fellow students, raising awareness in the campus community and actively engaging students in campus policy.
Alyssa Hall, a core member of the UCSB-PPC, described the importance of the campaign that "We live in one of the most exceptional places in the world. We go to one of the most exceptional schools in the world. Shouldn't our policies around single use plastic be exceptional as well? We can do better than single use plastics and the UCSB - Plastic Pollution Coalition has unified our campus around eliminating this wasteful practice."
The week of January 9 - January 13 marks the kickoff of the campaign and will include such displays as dumping a single days worth of plastic collected in the center of campus, the installation of a sculpture made completely of plastic found on local beaches, and a press conference.
In conjunction with UCSB-PPC's campaign, UCSB Reads, which hands out over 3,000 free books to students every year, has chosen a book focused on the theme of marine plastic pollution. Moby Duck, by Donovan Hohn, discusses a spill of plastic ducks into the Pacific Ocean in the 1990s and the hunt to find them on local beaches. These organizations have joined forces to bring even more campus support to the campaign.
Upcoming events for the UCSB-PPC include the author Donovan Hohn coming to campus to discuss his book, "a day without a bag" where they will be giving out free re-usable bags, a re-usable item vendor faire on the UCSB campus. Students organizers will continue to collect signatures on campus with the goal to make an impact to City Council and the campus to be plastic bag free!

For more information on the PPC and upcoming events, email ucsbppc@gmail.com.
Pic courtesy: UCSB-Plastic Pollution Coalition (UCSB-PPC).

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Klean Kanteen water bottle

>> Thursday 5 January 2012

Wishing everyone a very happy new year and more greener choices for 2012...This post is long overdue...bad health dint let me post it earlier..I have something exciting to share...

My hubby bought us a pair of all steel and bamboo Klean Kanteen water bottles for our bdays :).  I had Klean Kanteen on the list, but the cost made me look for other options.After a long and disappointing search for all steel and no plastic water bottle, we decided to buy Klean Kanteen bottles


I was excited...no styrofoam peanuts..yay!!!

Was a little disappointed to see my bottle wrapped in plastic :(


But then the bag says 100% compsotable..I really hope it is!!

Arent the bottles amazing. They costed us $32 with taxes...(after we used an online $2 coupon)


I plan to reuse jute rice bags to make nice compact totes/bags for the bottles

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About me

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My blogs and my thoughts are what I am. See you around!

I Blog Cos I live

My weblog is my journey towards a greener living...I am not into any fad or being green for the sake of it. I feel very strongly about what I write.

My efforts continue - 24x7. I have tremendous support from my amma, my husband and my family who appreciate what I do and try to be a part of this crusade...

Thank you Green Bag Lady

Thank you Green Bag Lady
Bag and the Blog mentioned - Image linked to the post!

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