Sustainable Activities of the Month

For human civilization and the environment to co-exist, and to maintain the ecological balance, it is important to survive without compromising on the needs of future generations. Sustainability is understanding the impact humans have on earth, and what we leave for the generations to come.

At CHIREC, we believe in educating students about sustainability not only to protect the environment, but also to create awareness about the importance of an eco-friendly lifestyle. CHIREC encourages students’ engagement with their surroundings by conducting workshops on environmental issues, teaching them how to plant trees and grow vegetable gardens at home, and helping them with their own sustainable initiatives, etc.

To create a dialogue among a wider audience, we are using this platform to share with you the sustainable activities initiated by the school.

Hyderabad has had a longstanding water crisis with water levels plummeting to even lower levels each passing year. As the monsoons set in, we have a huge potential to help restore the city’s water levels. Rainwater harvesting is an excellent practice with environmental and economic benefits that stores water, replenishes groundwater, reduces flooding and prevents erosion. It can be done by simply collecting rainwater on a rooftop, directing runoff water underground or creating a recharge pit for bore wells. Please contact us if you would like to know more on what you could do.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the rain deficit in the southern peninsula has risen to 28%, which is the highest among all the four sub-divisions of the country. Even though the monsoon has covered almost all states of the country, deficient rains in the southern parts of the country continue to push several states into drought-like conditions. Since it has been strained by misusing it to the core, it is necessary we save water and use it more efficiently.

Children love celebrating birthdays at home with their family and friends. However, birthday parties typically generate large quantities of waste, mostly unrecyclable. Here are some ideas to have a fun celebration that is also zero-waste and environment-friendly.

Donating is a beautiful pursuit; an act of kindness towards those in  need!
CHIREC, in collaboration with the Veni Rao Foundation, is conducting a Donation Drive to celebrate Daan Utsav, a festival where people give their time, material or money to any cause they believe in! We invite you to participate and spread happiness by being a Wish Tree for someone in need!

Diwali is a most awaited festival of the year! With beautiful decorations and lights all around, delicious food, and new clothing, it is the start of new hopes and beginnings. However, it has unfortunately also become the festival of pollution. The major contribution to this pollution comes from bursting of Fire Crackers. It not only causes health hazards to humans but also to animals.

Over the years, the usage of plastic has increased manifold. Since it is easily available and quite cheap, it has become part and parcel of our daily lives. But the major drawback here is that plastic is non-biodegradable and thus, remains for thousands and thousands of years. The volume of plastic waste generated every day is quite scary. This has resulted in great environmental challenges, affecting not just humans and animals but also marine lives as most of the plastic debris is being dumped into the ocean.

On October 2, 2019, Prime Minister of India Mr. Narendra Modi announced the ban on single-use plastics that would be implemented by 2022. Single-use plastics are one time use disposable plastics such as plastic bags, water bottles, straws, sachets, food packets, etc.

While the ban still seems quite far, we as individuals should stop the usage of plastic from our side. Many start-ups and other big firms have come up with numerous Eco-friendly alternatives to single-use plastics.

Due to fast fashion, large amounts of clothes are produced and bought every day. Every weekend, the malls witness huge crowds with bags full of things. Clothes, clothes & more clothes! Yes, we love to shop for the latest styles and our wardrobes are spilling over with our prized possessions. But, have we ever paused to wonder whether we really need these many clothes? What is the effect of our shopping sprees on the environment? The fashion industry is one of the largest polluters globally. The emissions during the manufacturing and transportation process and the dumping of unused clothes is having a detrimental effect on the environment.

In our endeavor to contribute to a better future, our Grade XI students from the Fashion studies department are working on Up-Cycled Fashion.

It is aimed at developing products that are sustainable, affordable, innovative, and creative. Students are using old bed-sheets], worn out denim jeans, unused dupattas, old skirts, saris lying unused in a corner of the wardrobe, and giving them a new lease of life with unique cuts and different blends of fabrics and textures. Some of them are using the garments as canvases to showcase their painting skills. Through this collection, we aim to spread awareness about Sustainable Fashion and bring about a sense of connection with our clothing!

Let’s encourage an eco-conscious lifestyle by recycling clothes instead of buying new ones!

 If you would like to suggest some ideas or give us feedback, kindly do so in the comments section, below.