[prasi55]

Years ago, a famous singer crooned,
"Make It A Better Place
For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race".

Whether or not one believes in buzzwords such as sustainability and global warming, I am sure there are small things we do on a daily basis to make our world a better place.

Recently, I got to know that almost 1.5 billion toothpaste tubes go to landfills annually. The plastic in those tubes take about 500-700 years to to degrade.

It got me thinking: this simple daily habit unknowingly causes so much pollution! Some brands are coming up with fully recyclable toothpaste tubes, but until those are available, do we have better choices?

I realized that one can make tooth powder at home very easily using simple ingredients:
- baking soda
- salt
- (optional) bentonite clay
- (optional) charcoal
- (optional) flavorings such as peppermint oil, cinnamon, clove, stevia

Such tooth powder will not contain:
- Fluoride, which is known to be harmful if ingested in large quantities.
- Other additives that are unnatural.

So I made a start using existing tooth powder that I had:
- I just added some clove oil and stevia leaves to it

At first, I missed the lather of regular toothpaste and the minty feeling. After adding clove oil, the teeth feel as fresh as before -- only the lather is missing.

It got me wondering. Little things that we do daily can significantly impact our world. What things do you do or choices do you make to make our world a little better than we found it?

[Everlearner]

Very good and a much needed thread. Thanks for posting. Small habitual changes go a long way to help the environment than spontaneous random acts.

We always try to carry cloth bags for shopping and avoid polythene covers.

We carry steel water bottle and try to refill it in restaurants instead of buying new water bottles. Yes, it saves money too.

[Raghu M]

Very good thread. We don't buy ghee outside. We make it at home. Pull out malai from everyday curd and store it for 2 or 3 weeks. Then it will be sufficient to make ghee for the family for the next 2 weeks.

[Eddy]

Unfortunately, we do not do anything currently to contribute. Except limit the use of plastic bags.

Will be keeping a keen eye on this thread for ideas

[Jaguar]

Originally Posted by prasi55

Such tooth powder will not contain:
- Fluoride, which is known to be harmful if ingested in large quantities.

Isn't fluoride required to prevent tooth decay? I was reading about cavity prevention and almost all articles talk about using toothpaste with fluoride.

[Rolling_Stock]

An important thread for anyone concerned about the future generations.

Few simple things at personal level:

1. If something is broken, Fix it and do not throw it and replace it with a new one. (ex. Shoes, Pens, clothes, gadgets, appliances, etc.)
2. Do not accept plastic carry bags even if it is offered.
3. Maximize utilization of all consumables
4. Appropriate usage of Electricity and Water resources. Rain water harvesting.
5. Have a small garden and grow vegetables if possible
6. Reduce pollution (Maximize walking to nearby shops, Proper waste disposal, reduce usage of chemicals/pesticides, reduce usage of Paper)

I try to follow the 1 - 4.
5 & 6 are WIP.

Importantly, educate and create awareness to your children and if possible your family members. Set yourself as an example.

Preaching without practicing don't work !!

Cheers.

[prasi55]

Originally Posted by Jaguar

Isn't fluoride required to prevent tooth decay? I was reading about cavity prevention and almost all articles talk about using toothpaste with fluoride.

While cavities are not a result of fluoride deficiency, from what I've read fluoride can indirectly help by combining with calcium and phosphate to form a compound called fluoropatite. However, fluoride can be toxic if ingested in large quantities.

An upcoming formulation uses a non-toxic compound called hydroxyapatite to achieve the same effect that fluoride achieves.

[Additional info...]

Another option, if one prefers fluoride, is toothpaste tablets. I had ordered these from a relative who was traveling from the US, but they remained out of stock for a long time and I couldn't check them out. These products come in portable aluminum tins and are recyclable, and are travel-friendly as well.

Finally, if not toothpaste, one can reconsider using plastic toothbrushes and switch to bamboo/wooden toothbrushes (the bristles will still be plastic, though).

Sustainability is a continuum. Sometimes, I think -- does it matter? Other times, I think -- every drop makes a difference.

[IshaanIan]

I stopped eating fish. Anyone who has watched the documentary, Seaspiracy, would know that the impact of industrial fishing on our planet is far greater than all the other environmentally detrimental activities we carry out on land, combined.

[KrisTvpm]

A topic close to heart! FWIW, some small changes/actions that might help to reduce pollution/load on earth that I follow:

* Use glass bottles (old wine bottles) to carry drinking water from home - downside: at restaurants waiters are keen to have a look & ensure I'm not carrying in liquor!
* Cloth bags for all purchase, no carry-away or single use plastic bags
* Non-aerated single-squirt perfumes instead of deos with continuous spray/O3 depleting gases
* Baking soda + vinegar instead of commercially available bathroom cleaning liquids
* Switch off the car in traffic if wait time is > 1min
* Ensure to switch off lights/fans/AC/TV as soon as purpose is over - both at home & office (ofcourse, can't switch off centralised AC at office!)
* Use public transport or two-wheeler for solo outings, car strictly for family/with friends outings
* Use minimal amount of water to clean cars - generally one litre of water mixed with shampoo/cleaning liquid in a spray-bottle per car per week; pressurised car-wash at washing centre twice per year.
* Rechargeable A3/A2 batteries instead of use & throw

Know this is not enough, but again, what one can do one does...!

[deathwalkr]

Originally Posted by IshaanIan

I stopped eating fish. Anyone who has watched the documentary, Seaspiracy, would know that the impact of industrial fishing on our planet is far greater than all the other environmentally detrimental activities we carry out on land, combined.

I have not watched the documentary but i hope you have not come to the decision based on one documentary.

Edit: Added it to my watchlist

[m8002?]

Nice thread.
1. I try to avoid plastic bag as much as possible.
2. Everyone at home are very particular about turning off the lights and fans after use.
3. I Avoid using lifts upto 4 floors.
4. Use two wheelers for all local shopping. Car only for family outings.
5. I had switched to Volvo for 6months before the pandemic.
6. Reduce buying new clothes on a regular basis.
Clothing( particularly Fast Fashion) is very resource hungry and one of the biggest pollutants after Oil and Mining.

[AZT]

I have stopped using single use plastic bottles. It would take a lot of thirst for me to buy one when out. Also from a health perspective, that plastic is bad and best to stick to high quality BPA free if you have to for home use. Bad for environment, bad for you, absolutely no reason anyone should drink for those or worse store water in them at home.

[dmplog]

Everyday, I clean the Milk plastic bags with warm water. Dry these and store them. Over couple months, I gather enough bunch to hand it over to a local recycle (raddi) shop who pays me a tiny sum!

I know it sometimes feels like too much trouble, but when I gather loads of clean, dried milk bags and ready to give it to recycler, the satisfaction is immense!

[Miyata]

Nothing in a targeted or sustainability-conscious manner! However, few simple things -

1> Majority of my purchases are buy-it-for-life (BIFL) kind.

2> RO run-off is always re-purposed!

3> Much before the plastic ban etc, we've always carried our own bags for any grocery or other shopping!

[giri1.8]

Not an eco-warrier by any means, but I usually try to keep all my gadgets/automobiles in good shape, repair if possible. Selling old things off if it's in good condition and we no longer need it, swapping gadget with friends all probably helps a little.

If I forget to take my own bag for shopping, usually avoid cotton bags from the shop if the items can be carried, looks like it's common misconception that cotton bags are eco-friendly, its water and resource intensive compared with plastic ones. Below video gives an idea on the same.

https://youtu.be/JvzvM9tf5s0

P.S : I no longer own the RX100 in my DP