World Environment Day 2018: Here's how you can do your bit

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June 5 marks the World Environment Day, and it is indeed a proud moment for us as India will be hosting the global event today. The theme is ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’, urging citizens to stop single-use plastic and replace with something sustainable.

So, here are some small changes that we can make in our daily life to do our part for the welfare of our environment:

1.     Say no to plastic bags while shopping. Small changes can lead to big achievements. Daily use of plastic bags by millions of Indians leads to a large amount of discarded waste. Using a cloth/paper bag while shopping is a small change that an individual can begin with to contribute in caring for the environment.

2.     Conserve Energy whenever you can. Don't forget to switch off your lights, fan and other electronic appliances when not in use.

3.     Harness rainwater for minor activities like watering your plant. You can achieve two goals in one move - first, conserve water and avoid its wastage; second, if implemented properly you can get rid of the effort to water your plants.

4.     Keep your taps closed when not in use. We often have the habit of keeping our taps open while doing daily activities like brushing teeth or washing clothes. The amount was water wasted doing this is unmeasurable. So, it is highly advised to close taps while brushing teeth and other such activities.

5.     Using office facilities judiciously. Making small changes like printing on two sides of the paper, turning off electrical appliances when not in use can go a long way. One can also start a small office recycling program to engage more people in this activity.

6.     You can get up and make the day count. Do some activity for your environment, clean your neighbourhood, give lessons about environment's importance to the younger generation or simply support those who are doing some work for the environment in any way you can.

7.     Spread the word about today's importance through social media.

8.     And lastly, but most importantly, plant a tree and take a pledge to take care of it till it exists. This is also the International Year of Forests so why not celebrate by planting a tree.