<img title="Pooja Sinha Roy" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2018/apr/Healthier-lifestyle.jpg" alt="Pooja Sinha Roy" />
Pooja Sinha Roy Brand consultant, Versova resident
The one thing we did this week was to stop ordering as much as we used to. Usually, even if there was food at home, we'd order in junk, like chips. This would happen five times a week.
Victory for the week Since that [ordering from outside] has stopped, we have also not collected dabbas this week. We have replaced our snacks with fruits. When we go out, we take our own bottles. If we run out of water, we ask restaurants to refill them or if we are near a friend's house, we get it from there. We have stopped drinking soft drinks and are trying to replace it with fresh juice made at home.
This has been smooth because a lot of people around are conscious and is a healthier lifestyle as well. The other day I was out with a few friends and we stopped to buy a few soft drinks, when someone picked up a bottle of water. Two others looked at her saying, "Why are you doing this? Keep it back. We can drink water there [at home]."
Do you have a solution? The trouble we are facing is finding a replacement for the bin bag. The ones that are bio-degradable are not available at most stores and are also so expensive that not everyone will be able to afford them.
<img title="Reagan Creado" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2018/apr/Healthier-lifestyle-a.jpg" alt="Reagan Creado" />
Reagan Creado Organic farmer, Juhu Resident Our main aim this week was to replace the plastic bags we used for storing meat in the freezer. We had intended to use glass jars, but didn't want to buy them. We tried sourcing them through other means. For instance, my mother tried getting hold of them through raddiwalas in Bandra. However, we realised that while glass bottles &mdash; from whiskey and wine &mdash; are easy to get, glass jars not so much. We tried sourcing them in this fashion, so as to find a solution that would be economically viable for everyone.
<img title="Reagan Creado" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2018/apr/Healthier-lifestyle-b.jpg" alt="Reagan Creado" />
Victory for the week We eventually settled for stainless steel boxes. We tried looking for rectangular or square ones that would easily fit in the freezer, but they weren't available. We had to buy round ones. This resolves one problem that we had discussed the previous week. We will carry these boxes when heading to the market to buy meat and have the meat placed in these dabbas. That way, we will not need to carry plastic bags.
Do you have a solution? What I am trying to find a replacement for is the plastic folders that we use to keep documents. There are quite a bit of these in the house, but if we go back to cardboard files, what happens during the monsoon. Are there folders that are not plastic, but are water-proof? There's also the plastic that comes with plant saplings, toiletries, etc that I would like to know how to eliminate. Is there a way I can make hair gel at home? What are the places in Mumbai that recycle plastic?
<img title="Danielle Singh" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2018/apr/Healthier-lifestyle-c.jpg" alt="Danielle Singh" />
<img title="Danielle Singh" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2018/apr/Healthier-lifestyle-d.jpg" alt="Danielle Singh" /> 
Plastic hacks you can use Reuse the sturdier stuff Danielle Singh Vikhroli Resident For several years now, we have been converting the plastic bags that pet food and rice comes in. My mother stitches them up to look like a regular bag and we have been using it to buy vegetables and carry my dogs' food. It can hold weight up to 20kg in weight.
<img title="Meera Shah" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2018/apr/Healthier-lifestyle-e.jpg" alt="Meera Shah" />
Compost wet waste at home Meera Shah Mulund resident Until November, we used to create compost at home. Now, we do it in the building. Making compost at home is simple. Take any old bucket. Start putting your kitchen waste in that. If you have compost, add that or dry cowdung powder and butter milk &mdash; microbes facilitate making of the compost. Mix it with kitchen waste, and every three to four days add dry leaves to it. The compost will be fine.
<img title="Aditi Malik" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2018/apr/Healthier-lifestyle-f.jpg" alt="Aditi Malik" />
<img title="Aditi Malik" src="https://images.mid-day.com/images/2018/apr/Healthier-lifestyle-h.jpg" alt="Aditi Malik" />
Buy groceries in paper bags Aditi Malik Director, Conscious food We have the option at Lower Parel for buyers, who want to ditch plastic, but also want the assurance of a brand. Here, you can buy your masalas or grains or cereals and we will give it either in brown paper bags (or glass if it's liquids) or you can bring your own bags and dabbas. We are open six days a week (not Sundays) from 10 am to 6 pm.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a title="Plastic free campaign" href="https://www.mid-day.com/articles/two-mumbai-families-take-up-sunday-mid-days-challenge-to-go-plastic-free-for-two-weeks/19268165" target="_blank">Two Mumbai Families Take Up Sunday Mid-Day's Challenge To Go Plastic-Free For Two Weeks</a>

In the week after taking up SMD's plastic-free challenge, two Mumbaikars, Reagan Creado and Pooja Sinha Roy, discuss their victories and what more needs to be done with Gitanjali Chandrasekharan

Sunday mid-day's plastic free challenge: 2 Mumbaikars discuss their victories

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Home / Mumbai / Mumbai News / Article / Sunday mid-day's plastic free challenge: 2 Mumbaikars discuss their victories

Sunday mid-day's plastic free challenge: 2 Mumbaikars discuss their victories

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