With modern amenities come bigger responsibilities.

In our quest of becoming modern and inventing new methods of production, we have been neglecting nature completely. In India, until just a few decades back, we had been using organic products such as wool, wood, and paper to fulfil a lot of our needs but these have now been replaced by plastic.

However, it seems everyone forgot that the materials used earlier had been bio-degradable. That means what we took from the nature was eventually returned. However, nature refuses to take anything it did not produce. It takes anywhere between 300 to 10,000 years for plastic to decompose naturally. The plastic waste is often eaten by stray animals and fishes and through them, the toxic waste transfers to our bodies causing several fatal diseases including Cancer.

Burning any kind of plastic can be even more deadly. Burning plastic releases Dioxin gas, a major contributor to air pollution. The gas is absorbed by our grass and plants and when our cattle eats them, it is transferred in their bodies as well. Now, when we eat their meat or drink their milk, Dioxin is transferred to our bodies as well.

Dioxin poisoning is untreatable. It is passed on from one generation to the next. In spite of such dangerous effects of the gas, why are we still actively producing it?

Yes, it is wise to stop using plastic. But what about the trillion tons of plastic humans have already polluted the Earth with? Do you know how much waste has piled up and is continuously piling up right now? Do you know how much waste you generate in a day that includes plastic in some form or the other?

You need to be self-aware of every piece of waste you decide to throw out. Do you remember that plastic bottle you took on your last trek? Or the empty packet of wafers you threw off a peak just to see them fly? 
Do know know every such bottle and wrappers made of plastic can be utilised?

But how? One solution- Eco Bricks

Eco Bricks

Eco bricks are made by stuffing plastic wrappers inside a plastic bottle, which are considered the most long-plastic form of plastic. Thick mud is used to keep these bottles in their place.

Currently, Eco bricks are being used extensively in India, Europe, Africa, the US, and Central and South America as a method of utilising plastic waste.

In India, Eco bricks are being used in New Delhi, Chennai, and Hyderabad for some time. Now, the initiative has spread its wings and is cleaning the little villages of Himalayas around Bir.

A structure made entirely from Eco Bricks

Our team has been educating locals on the importance of reducing plastic waste. Residents of Bir have realised the importance of ecotourism and have been actively participating in making eco bricks. Our team in Zostel Bir is working towards promoting in all neighbouring villages of Bir and collecting every possible plastic waste by going to every household in these villages. This initiative will soon spread to many more neighbouring villages and we hope the wave of responsible ecotourism affects all travelers and tourists, not just in the Himalayas but all over the world.