One of the most hopeful stories on the internet right now is that of three Indian teens—Vivaan Chhawchharia, Ariana Agarwal, and Avyana Mehta—winning the Global Earth Prize for inventing a tamarind-based powder that can effectively remove microplastics from water. The trio tackled one of the most significant environmental and human health contaminants on Earth with an ingredient widely used in the region. It reminds us that sometimes all it takes is looking closely and caring enough. And examples of that are everywhere in our backyard.
For nearly a decade, brothers Naman and Vipul Gupta, of Noida-based Code Effort, have been recycling cigarette butts into everything from plushies and denims to paperbacks. In Kerala, community-run swap shops continue to give pre-loved items a second life. And in Goa, I recently came across Zero Posro, Jonah Fernandes’s zero-waste bulk store in Panaji, where customers bring their own containers and local farmers are supported through his subscription-based patlos (‘baskets’ in Konkani) that bring the freshest seasonal produce from their farms to your doorstep.
There’s a lot to celebrate this upcoming World Environment Day, and a hell of a lot left to do. Thankfully, some of the most promising solutions are already taking root closer to home.
