Our traditional industries are widely known to follow unsustainable practices that overlook the limited nature of natural resources, leading to pollution. Thanks to such human activities over the years, our planet is on edge, displaying signs of significant distress through climate change. The future of our planet and its very health in supporting and sustaining our future generations is shrouded by clouds of uncertainty. Even though efforts are being made in the positive direction, the same isn’t going hand in hand with our day-to-day choices and harmful practices. Despite the alarming rate of environmental degradation, most of our lives around the world are going as usual. Admittedly, developed countries, big corporate giants and pressing needs are the key reasons behind the mess. However, we at the individual level aren’t very much behind in contributing to the same. It won’t be incorrect to say that the unsustainable habits of billions of individuals and their behaviour change are one of the biggest challenges in this fight to save our planet to eventually save ourselves. Individual action for planet conservation refer to all that a person consciously does to contribute towards the betterment of his/her immediate environment and the the overall planet. At the heart of these individual and collective actions lies the environmental consciousness which is the driving force towards such changes, sans which it would be difficult to lead this campaign towards positive climate action. 

Figure Caption: Collective Action involving action by the governments' corporates and civil society organisations accompanied by individual actions are held together by environmental consciousness. 

While collective action is something that in many ways lies beyond our control, It is individual action that everyone can strive for. In recent years, there has been an increase in public understanding of the value and acceptance of individual action owing to its favourable effects on the environment which has helped us to take a critical step in easing the burden on our ecosystem.

One of which is Recycling; which in layman's terms is a simple process of reducing and reusing things that would often be thrown in the trash. Nowadays, people have found a way to recycle pretty much everything such as rubber, glass, plastic, ferrous and nonferrous metal etc.For example, waste materials are turned into new products by mechanical recycling without having their chemical makeup altered. Processes used in this kind of recycling include grinding, washing, and compounding. The leftover materials can be recycled time and time again to create new goods. 

Like our three-pronged strategy of positive climate action, Recycling can’t alone lead the movement towards sustainability. In the words of Mckenzie Jones, 

"While recycling is great in a lot of ways, the ultimate goal is to get people to prevent waste in the first place."

Recycling follows a linear path where Resources are extracted, goods are produced, bought and utilised by consumers, and finally they are discarded. Now the problem with recycling is that the products are not made to be high in value or preserved as the recycling part begins at the final stage. A product gradually loses value until it is eventually deemed useless and thrown away. And this is where the other two parts of the process known as reduce and reuse comes into the picture, creating what in other words is called a circular economy model for sustainability. 

Whereas linear economy emphasises take-make-consume and throw-away, circular economy focuses on, driving out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use for a longer time, and regenerating living systems. In essence, the circular economy is a production and consumption structure that prioritises sharing, renting, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and recycling pre-existing materials and goods, thereby prolonging their life.

When a product reaches the end of its useful life, recycling helps to keep as many of its components in the local economy as possible. These can be productively applied repeatedly, adding more value. In the circular economy, products are made to last several lifecycles from the very beginning of their production. Circular economy strategies are used for combating climate change and other environmental issues such as waste management, pollution abatement, policy creation, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction etc.  A circular economy imitates the naturally circular structures of the planet. All waste is designed into products and processes so that it can be used as new material. 

As the circular economy for sustainability gains acceptance among people, one can hope that positive climate action at this critical juncture might help reduce the strain on Earth. Currently, only 9% of our activities abide by this circular economy all over the world. There's a need to do more. It is this call to do more and to do it now, IndiGive Foundation, an organisation devoted to social transformation to take its first step, to contribute towards saving our only home, our Planet Earth. Observing 5th June as World Environment Day, IndiGive Foundation launched the the “June as an Eco-Month” initiative to spread awareness about climate action through recycling donation drives and creating environmental consciousness among individuals to lead a positive climate by practising sustainable habits and practices.   

 IndiGive Foundation is on a mission to drive Social Good through Giving. The 5Gs—Goodwill, Giving, Guided, Grounded, and Genuine—direct our approach to social goodness. We encourage a commitment to doing good, value charitable giving, rely on ethical behaviour, value the influence of the grassroots, and pursue authenticity in all that we do. On the path of goodness, it’s always a good time to take a first step. If you are willing to start your journey towards betterment of the society, we are here to hold your hand and guide you in the right direction.

Reference: 

• Circular economy: Definition, importance and benefits | News | European Parliament. (2023, May 24). https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/economy/20151201STO05603/circular-economy-definition-importance-and-benefits

• António Guterres, (n.d.). International day of zero waste. United Nations. Retrieved June 23, 2023, from https://www.un.org/en/observances/zero-waste-day/messages

• What is circular economy & how does it work? : Complete guide - rts. (n.d.). Recycle Track Systems. Retrieved June 23, 2023, from 

• https://www.rts.com/resources/guides/circular-economy/

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