Sunday Funday Craft!

Sunday is funday and today I did some craft activity using a waste sanitary tile piece, a black 

marker pen and sketch pens! 

On this tile piece, I first sketched something I liked!

Then, filled in the colors with sketch pens. It took some time for the ink to dry up. I baked the piece for 50 seconds in a  microwave too and it really helped to seal the ink.

I tried pasting a magnet but the piece was a hit heavy for it so using a good adhesive, I pasted it on a wooden shelf.

 

I just love it! 

Speak Up With Montu!

I sincerely believe in the power of team work. After all it is this synergy only that makes the work happen in reality. There are many issues that plague our society at this point of time. Even after the advent of technology, things hardly have gone better as far as cleanliness and sanitation are concerned. The electronic junk and the hell lot of plastic waste that we have been generating for the past few years is posing a serious threat to our eco-system, to the cities and towns we live in. Take a stroll down any busy road and the first thing you will probably notice will be the heaps of garbage lying here and there along with the waste like empty plastic bottles and paper cups, flying like free radicals all along the road. This can be stopped and it will only take few simple steps towards the solution, which is ‘recycle and reduce’. 

There are various ways to make India ‘Swach’ and trust me, this does not involve a long broom and a mask but only some spare time and a dash of creativity. Prevention is always better than cure so it would be far better to avoid the stage when we will be forced to sweep through the streets and before the garbage becomes as toxic as it can, we should recycle the waste first hence reducing its quantity. Let’s start with recycling. As per dictionary this term refers to

•         Convert (waste) into reusable material.
•         Return (material) to a previous stage in a cyclic process.
•         Use again.

So basically, when we reuse a thing, say an empty bottle or a bag, we are recycling it. This not only generates less waste per capita (per head) but also reduces your carbon footprints in the long run that means you end up doing something worthwhile for the ecosystem that sustains you. It is like giving back something to your parents or maybe like donating a helpful amount to your alma mater. Hence, recycling, I think, would be the first step towards ‘Swach Bharat’. 

This is a small fish I made using a waste CD and waste plastic sheet and it was fun! Plastic bottles can be used in gardening and for making decorative vases. The Internet is flooded with such simple and interesting DIY craft ideas. Papers must be recycled and you can use the back of calendars (the plain white side) for book covers and waste A4 papers for random sketching or for making grocery lists. Another important thing is to reuse stationary. It is illogical to throw an entire pen just because you do not wish to take up the gigantic task of buying a new refill! Come on! Imagine if millions of Indians will reduce their carbon footprints and waste every day, we will become ‘Swach’ within a very short span! 

There are many ways to reuse the things we throw into the bin, that too without any segregation, every day. That empty bottle with a wide neck can be a good pen-stand if painted something upon and that old fashioned sari can be a good cushion cover. Donating things that are no longer in use instead of disposing them in garbage is another good idea. Old clothes, old toys and books, I think, must be donated to the needy. This way, in the long run, we won’t be bothered with the heaps of garbage parading themselves on the road sides.

Now, there is no need of bearing the agony within yourself for you can speak with ‘Ab Montu Bolega’ campaign brought to you by Strepsils! Just visit this amazing website http://www.abmontubolega.com/ and say whatever you have to regarding social changes. You can join Montu in speaking against socials plagues at FaceBook and Twitter as well! So, just pop and Strepsils and bolo whatever you wish to and please do not forget to recycle and reduce the waste!

‘Kyuki Bin Bole Ab Nahi Chalega’ #AbMontuBolega 
is a campaign that empowers people to speak up, raise their voice to make a difference against the ills that plague our society.   

I agree to ensure (to the best of my abilities and circumstances) that this blog post remains accessible in an un-altered state for a minimum of one year.

 Images From:

http://www.socreativethings.com/9-creative-ideas-to-reuse-plastic-bottles/

http://www.eco-generation.org/ambassadorReportView.jsp?viewID=1110

http://sketchosphere.blogspot.in/2010/09/cd-fish.html

Use & Throw

A few days back, I went to my neighborhood stationery shop to get the refills for my favorite pen, Cello Gripper. I have been brand loyal to this very product for more than a decade or so. I usually keep extra refills in stock but when the last one was used, I decided to get a few more. However, to my surprise, I was told that the company was going to discontinue the refills and now this pen too, has joined the list of ‘use and throw’ items.

I remember a school friend of mine used small black ‘use & throw’ plastic pens her aunt got her from London. She found them ‘trendy’ and would dispose one every week or so. She gave me two of them but I found it quite annoying to throw away the entire plastic body after a single use. Now, I think, it has really become a fashion, a trend these days.

It is indeed a matter of concern. Adding to the waste and overloading recycle plants is a foolish thing to do. According to statistics, in India, the consumption of plastics will increase about six-fold between 2000 and 2030. Cutting down on plastic waste and reusing things are important requirements for creating a healthier planet. Already, India recycles a good percentage of plastic waste but simultaneously, we also need to focus on reusing things and cutting down on per capita plastic garbage.

Check this out!

	Percentage of Waste Recycled Top Countries
1	Switzerland	52%
2	Austria	49.7%
3	Germany	48%
4	Netherlands	46%
5	Norway	40%
6	Sweden	34%
7	United States	31.5%
Source: BBC

(http://www.aneki.com/recycling_countries.html)

I had read somewhere that the Germans use three separate waste bins for dumping their garbage. Even German kids never forget to segregate their waste before dumping. This is appreciable. We too can save our planet; we just need to make small efforts at our individual level in recycling waste and reducing carbon footprints.

These days, this concept seems to have seeped into relationships as well, that have lost their sacredness and sanctity. People change partners, make girlfriends, boyfriends and dump each other after ‘use’ so easily as if they are not dealing with real emotions but one of the ‘use & throw’ pens!

Now the pen ‘Gripper’ itself has been discontinued and I am really saddened by this 
    :(

Images from-

1. http://www.toonaripost.com/wp-content/themes/Yen/timthumb.php?src=http://www.toonaripost.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Reduce-Reuse-Recycle.jpg&w=580&zc=1
2. http://kellysthoughtsonthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/reduce_reuse_recycle.gif