BYOB Green Concepts -- Paving the way to a a plastic packaging-free revolution

We all know how most of our plastic waste end up in landfills, rivers and oceans. We know how our plastic packaging profligacy ends up endangering wildlife, marine life and even domestic and farm animals. Green Living has been advocating reducing, reusing and recycling for years, but there weren't many alternatives to recycling the empty plastic packaging that our household cleaning solutions and personal care products come in. 

For years, my standard response has been to reduce the amount of cleaning agents we use, to clean with cleaning solutions and soaps less frequently and only when necessary, to use cleaning solutions such as vinegar and baking soda (which unfortunately comes in packaging, too) and to buy eco-friendly products that come in biodegradable packaging or post-consumer recycled plastic packaging. This means that choosing eco-friendly alternatives often becomes an expensive and tiresome option, rather than something we can and should all do as a matter of course. 

Sometime last year, however, I began hearing from other Malaysian Nature Society forum members of a Bring Your Own Bottle retail outlet in the Klang Valley where one can purchase cleaning solutions and shampoo/soap refills for a very reasonable price. 

So on 22.3.2014, right after Green Living's educational workshop at the CETDEM Demonstration and Documentation Centre, I swung by the BYOB Green Concepts store in Damansara Kim with a bagful of empty bottles. 

We were greeted at the entrance by a robot constructed out of empty containers to collect used bottles in. This is a brilliant idea, as first-time visitors and passersby who stop by without empties could then make use of the donated bottles and containers without having to go home, collect their empties and return another day. What a good way to share and reuse resources, and reduce the fuel usage of those who would otherwise have to return another day! 

The store concept is commendable and the layout and store design are consistent with their emphasis on the 3Rs. I love the pallet furniture and the repurposed bottles and cans as part of their interior decoration. The store has very clear signs on their products and price range, which is helpful. 

I also love it that they have many informative posters on plastic waste and waste reduction tips placed strategically all around the outlet. 

The store manager very kindly allowed me into the staff area to take photographs of the jerry cans filled with different soaps and cleaning solutions. Service was quick, efficient, polite and friendly. Some of the products have already been filled into existing donated containers, but as I preferred using my own containers, I asked the staff for the same. They swapped containers for me without complaint, and this constitutes good service for someone as OCD as I am about using only particular containers of particular colours and heights and make. 

I purchased some laundry detergent, dishwashing liquid and surface cleaner for myself and bath foam and handwashing liquid for a friend. The price was remarkably low at only RM28 for about 3 months' worth of cleaning supplies and personal care products. 

It's not all pros and no cons, however. 

The only eco-friendly range they have consists of cleaning solutions under a label I have never heard of, "OMG", which is reportedly from Australia. After using the surface cleaner, mopping solution and dishwashing liquid, I have this to report: They Don't Work. 

This is unfortunate, because I do want to make a switch to products that are not only eco-friendly but also zero-waste. The products in the OMG range are unfortunately so diluted and weak in cleaning power that I might as well have used tap water with a drop of food dye in it. It doesn't smell fragrant or appealing, it doesn't remove grease or dirt, and I ended up using up the whole bottle of dishwashing liquid in 4 days because it would not clean anything even at full strength. Mopping the floor using the surface cleaner felt like I was just pushing dirty water around. 

It was quite disappointing for me. I don't mind going back to using the products I have always used, such as those under the Method, Ecomax, Biohome and Ligent product ranges, but I had hoped to have a zero-waste option. Still, I can contribute my empties to BYOB so other customers can benefit from the bottles. 

I was also disappointed that they didn't have a phosphate-free laundry soap, and the store manager informed me that it was "not possible" to make a plant-based soap powder. That didn't seem logical to me as brands such as Seventh Generation and Dr. Bronner have been manufacturing eco-friendly laundry detergent powder for years. 

In addition, they didn't have an eco-friendly personal care product range. I am currently using vegan, eco-friendly, plant-based personal care products manufactured by Natural Health Farms (a local company, because we should always support local, ethical and sustainable businesses) and I had hoped that these products would be available at BYOB, although it is understandable that organic products have a shorter shelf life and probably could not be stored in massive jerrycans to spoil on the shelves. 

The current product range at BYOB Green Concepts would be ideal for someone who is buying conventional products (e.g. dishwashing liquid, shampoo, bath foam) and is starting to explore eco-friendly products and a low-waste lifestyle. 

It would be wonderful if we were all able to make our own soap, cleaning enzymes and personal care products out of plant waste, but that would be a counsel of perfection. Our busy lifestyles, personal preferences (for example, I like scented products, so I really can't mop the floor with a vinegar-like enzyme without gagging) and budget, time and space constraints make it impractical and immensely challenging to make our own cleaning products. 

I will, however, definitely be visiting BYOB Green Concepts again to purchase refills of personal care products for my roommates and friends and to deposit my clean empties. We should all do whatever we can to reduce waste and reduce our environmental impact and BYOB Green Concepts is a good place to start. 

The BYOB outlet in Damansara Kim is open from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It is closed on Wednesdays and public holidays.

The address and contact information is as follows:

BYOB Green Concepts Damansara Outlet

No. 15, SS20/11, Damansara Kim (same row as Eurodeli)

47400 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

Tel: 012 245 5480

Google Map link:  http://ow.ly/ahsfV

For more information, please click on the following links: BYOB Green Concepts on Facebook: BYOB Malaysia

List of outlets in Malaysia: https://www.facebook.com/notes/byob-green-concepts/outlets-location/387392147977377

My "No Impact Week" Experiment (Part 2)

(Continued from previous post)

Day 5: Energy
(Thursday, 2nd September 2010)



Energy Efficiency: For a cleaner, safer future!

I participated in CETDEM's Home Energy Audit project years ago, and continue to carry with me many of the lessons I learned during the project duration, and have since conducted energy audit for various other organisations.

Our energy use at the bachelor pad is slightly below average at RM50.00 - 60.00 a month (less than 400 KWH) for the 3 of us. The housemates watch about 1 -2 hours of television or use their computer for about 1-2 hours a day (not that it is something within my control), while I don't watch TV and use my HP Mini for about 1-2 hours a day if there is any non-profit volunteer work (drafting/reviewing/correspondence) or paid freelance work (editing/drafting/translating) to be done. The housemates and I practice using a common area (the dining/study area) for watching vids, using the computer, reading, socialising and napping, so only one light and one fan needs to be switched on at any given time. Also, we purchase only reputable brands of electrical appliances with energy star ratings, do not buy unnecessary electrical appliances and gadgets, maintain appliances in good working order (especially important for fans and refrigerators) and switch off appliances after use. Therefore, the most energy-consuming appliance in the house right now is our refrigerator.

The pre-Falklands War refrigerator unit we used to have at our bachelor pad had a rubber seal so leaky that we probably ended up refrigerating the whole street. When we finally replaced it, our electricity bill went down by a whopping 30-40%!

Now we keep the current appropriately-sized, energy-saving one running smoothly by:
1. Not refrigerating hot foods or exposed liquids (both of which will make the condenser work harder);
2. Keeping the cooling coils clean and dust-free;
3. Positioning the refrigerator away from heat sources and direct sunlight;
4. Keeping the freezer stocked with bottles of water (which can be used as ice packs and impromptu air-conditioners -- stand two bottles up and let a table fan blow air in between the cold bottles.) Filling the freezer helps maintain the temperature as there will be less empty space and circulating air to be chilled;
5. Removing frost from the freezer manually, as the auto-defrost function consumes a lot of energy;
6. Keeping the fridge clean and not overstocked to the point that the door seal cannot close tightly;
7. Opening the fridge door with care (i.e. one hand on the door handle and the other hand on the fridge unit itself) to reduce wear-and-tear on the rubber seal, which was what did the old fridge in.

Upon evaluation, my highest energy use appears to be at the office, not at home. Therefore, in order to reduce the amount of time I spend on the computer at work and hence reduce energy consumption and carbon emission, I made a resolution a month ago to increase productivity at work so that I can leave earlier. Here are the steps I took to reduce computer and energy use at work:
1. Reset the monitor to go into sleep mode after 3 minutes of inactivity.
2. Shut down entirely if leaving my desk for over 1 hour.
3. Refrain from internet use during work hours.
4. Limit myself to only 2 hours of absolutely necessary internet use (for research) at work.
5. Stay focused and complete my daily work on time.

I have so far managed to reduce the number of hours I spend at work from 12 hours a day to 10 hours a day. My future goal would be to clear my backlog so I can further reduce my work hours to 8 hours a day.



I do my personal work on my HP Mini Netbook instead, as it is far more energy efficient than a desktop unit.
(Average watts per hour: Off - 0.57. Sleep - 0.69. Idle - 6.93. Load - 13.57. Raw kWh, 24.72.)

My future plans to further reduce home energy use would be to install solar outdoor lights so we won't have to leave the porch light on after dark.


Day 6: Water
(Friday, 3rd September 2010)



My housemates and I haven't had to pay anything for our home water use since the March 2008 General Elections, since we use less than 20 cubic metres (2,000 litres) of water a month and are therefore subsidised by the Selangor State Government.

For someone who is as fastidious about cleanliness as I am, how did I keep our water use so low? Here is an overview of my water footprint:

1. Each shower on average uses only 2.5 litres of water! I found out by standing in a pail and collecting the water used during a 5-minute shower. 3 showers a day x 2.5 litres = Only 7.5 litres a day, which is less than what an average bathroom cistern would use in a single flush.

2. I filled empty glass coffee jars (we don't have many plastic bottles lying around the house) with pebbles and water and used them as bathroom cistern water displacement devices, so that each flush uses 600-700g less water than it would have.

3. "If it's yellow, let it mellow; if it's brown, flush it down" is just too disgusting for words. Instead, I collect the soapy water from cleaning the house, washing sneakers/rugs/whatever and showering and use it for flushing the toilet with. No odours, no unsightly stains in the toilet, and no compromise on toilet hygiene.

4. The aforementioned soapy water collected from previous uses is also used for cleaning cat litter trays, the driveway and the drains. Clean water is only used for rinsing if necessary. Using clean water to flush toilets and drains seems such a waste, especially since so many countries are experiencing freshwater shortage.

5. Rainwater is collected and reused for outdoor cleaning, watering the plants and washing the Battletank.

6. I use only biodegradable and phosphate-free soap and cleaning agents. This means less water is needed for rinsing, as there is less toxic residue.



7. I have to do my laundry only once in 8-10 days, as I opt for clothes made of lighter materials. In addition, I use only biodegradable and phosphate & branched alkyl-benzene sulphanate-free laundry detergent, and further reduce the amount of detergent needed by using a laundry eco-ball, so less harm is caused to our waterways and groundwater supply. I make my own laundry spray using colourless eco-friendly dishwashing liquid and a few drops of tea tree oil. The eco-ball also eliminates the need for fabric softener, thus reducing consumption, packaging and waste.

8. When cleaning the house, I sweep up and dump the sweepings in the compost heap before mopping the floor or cleaning the driveway. This reduces the amount of water and cleaning solution needed in the cleaning process. It might be a little cumbersome, but one gets used to it quickly, and it's good cardio exercise.

9. Outside of the home, when I am bathing the dogs at the SPCA, I turn the water on only for rinsing; use a sponge, spray bottle or a dipping pail when applying tickwash (to prevent toxic runoffs); and sweep up and dispose of waste before cleaning the kennels. I advise all the other volunteers never to use a stream of running water from the hose to 'sweep' the floor -- always use a broom and dustpan instead, then swab all areas using a mop and pail of soap and disinfectant, and use a plastic broom to sweep away the water when rinsing/hosing down to speed up the process and avoid water wastage.

My home water conservation plans for the future would be to install a proper rainwater harvesting system and to replace the old washing machine with an energy-efficient, water-saving model.


Day 7: Giving Back
(Saturday, 4th September 2010)




The "No Impact Week" participants' manual urges us to assess where we are on this ladder, the highest rung of which has the highest impact on society and the environment, in descending order:

Where are you on this pyramid?

Career: Work for a non-profit.

Leader: Run an ongoing project.

Weekly: Donate time to more than one project.

Monthly: Volunteer.

Annually: Write a cheque.

I am on rungs 1, 2 and 3.

Career: I left a career in legal practice to work full-time for a humanitarian organisation and have never been happier.

Leader: I am currently the Vice-Chair of the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) Selangor Branch and Senior Volunteer/Volunteer Coordinator of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor. I also continue to coordinate most of the activities for Green Living and Eco Kids, including environmental outreach programmes for underprivileged children. Also, I set up and run Project Second Chance, a personal initiative to rescue, rehabilitate, vaccinate, neuter and rehome stray and vulnerable animals.

Weekly: I volunteer with the SPCA animal shelter for a minimum of 4 hours almost every weekend and assist in supervising and training new volunteers. I also volunteer with the Malaysian Nature Society on an as-needed basis, usually 2-3 times a month. I assist other organisations such as CETDEM, Waterfall Survivors and Bentong Farm Sanctuary on an as-needed basis and am also looking into volunteering with the Global Environment Centre and a community recycling programme on a monthly basis.

Day 8: Eco-Sabbath
(Sunday, 5th September 2010)

For the No Impact Week Experiment, we are encouraged to plan our day of rest in such a way that we don't use any of our appliances, electronics, motorized transport, or money. This is a rather difficult challenge for me as my weekend routine is that I go back to the parental home every Saturday night and spend Sunday cleaning my parents' house, doing yard work and bathing our dogs, Amber and Chocky.

I am not sure if my efforts to cook simple, healthy meals at home instead of taking my parents out to eat will be appreciated as I am vegetarian and they are not, therefore I will just endeavour to use as little electricity as possible and avoid driving on Sundays.


Conclusion:
While personal action may not always equal political change, it does have value. Personal action completes and complements political and public action. When there are enough people taking personal action, it sends out a clear message against exploitative and destructive systems, and lets lawmakers, businesses and service providers know what we want. Also, the idea behind a low-carbon, low-impact lifestyle is not that the world is better off without us, or that living an environmentally responsible lifestyle would necessarily entail many sacrifices, but that our act of choosing a lower-impact lifestyle and products is also a form of voting -- with our money, our time and our resources.

"No Impact Week" is not about giving participants a false sense of moral superiority. It's not about doing 'too little, too late' when the world is going to hell in a handbasket. It is about exploring and experiencing choices and possible solutions. It is about reclaiming our quality of life and mitigating our sense of helplessness in the face of environmental problems. It is about integrity. It is about making sure one's actions and decisions reflect one's environmental values. It's about doing what you know to be the right thing, whether or not someone else is watching or keeping count, whether or not the other 99.99% of the population is following suit.

We may be calling it "No Impact Week", but it is a week with great impact indeed.

My "No Impact Week" Experiment (Part 1)

Although “No Impact Week” officially started on Sunday, 29th August, I commenced my week-long experiment in taking personal environmental action a day early to make a concession for Tuesday, on which I had to drive to the Bentong Farm Sanctuary.

Day 1: Consumption
(Saturday, 28th August 2010)

I am a reasonably mindful consumer and I usually only ever shop for essentials and groceries. Others might practice the 30-Day Rule or an annual Buy Nothing Day; I practice the 364-Day Rule and a bi-weekly Buy Nothing Day. I reduce and reuse to the point that I rarely ever contribute to the recycling bags in my bachelor pad anymore. Most of the items on my grocery list are locally grown or produced, and have minimal packaging. I do most of my shopping at the neighbourhood organic shop or the weekend night market after volunteering at the SPCA, as the night market traders are more amenable to my using my own shopping bags and food containers, and fresh produce at the night markets are not packed in plastic bags or foam trays.

I’ve done my shopping for the week and have enough fresh produce to last me a week.





I buy my bread from the organic grain shop within walking distance of my bachelor pad. The low GI organic multi-seed loaf I purchased was produced in Puchong.



My purchases for the week. Of course, the agar-agar mooncakes on the far left were completely unnecessary purchases, but I figured life’s not worth living if you’re not allowed the occasional dessert.

As per the instructions on the “No Impact Week” participants’ manual , I had collected all my trash from Day 1, which naturally leads us to Trash, the topic for Day 2.

Day 2: Trash
(Sunday, 29th August 2010)

The instructions I received were to collect all my trash from Day 1 and separate them into 2 piles: stuff that I used for more than ten minutes, and stuff you used for less than ten minutes, but none of my trash could fit into the 2 categories. I had nothing to recycle either as I did not accept, use or dispose of any packaging at all on Saturday.



We take our trash out only once a week nowadays, and over 80% of it consists of used kitty litter, as we have 6 cats at home. It would go against good taste to post a photo of what I had to throw away, so I’ll post a photo of a bag of shredded paper instead.

I use shredded paper for kitty litter for the following reasons:
(i) Alam Flora no longer collects the shredded paper from my office due to its low scrap value and lack of long fibres needed in recycled paper, so the shredded paper would have ended up in the trash if I didn’t take it.
(ii) Shredded paper is non-toxic, biodegradable, does not come in packaging, does not have to be transported to the stores using any vehicles running on fossil fuel and is lighter and therefore costs less to transport and dispose of.
(iii) Paper isn’t as good as covering smells as clay litter, so to eliminate the smell, I clean the litter trays twice a day and wash the trays with soapy water left over from washing my shoes/rugs/other items. I also sprinkle Arm & Hammer baking soda on the litter to eliminate odours.

My future plans are to acquire and install a Green Cone composting system, which, unfortunately, is not yet available in Malaysia, but if it were, it would help reduce my garbage by over 80% as the device retains sufficient solar heat to kill the bacteria in pet waste, thus making it a safe way of disposing of pet waste.



The rest of my rubbish for Saturday consisted mostly of fruit and vegetable peel...



... which goes directly into my compost heap.



The only non-compostable waste I generated consisted of 2 nougat wrappers, a sweet wrapper and the paper wrapping and bamboo ice lolly stick from an "ice cream potong" (i.e. Asian ice lolly). I suppose I could compost the bamboo stick, although it would probably take years to disintegrate.

The alternatives to dealing with 3 miserable sweet wrappers would be to:
(i) Give up confectionery altogether: But where's the joy in living without the occasional sweet?
(ii) Make my own packaging-free sweets: After which I would be too huge to fit in the door, and would have to break down a wall so I could enter my own home.
I believe in having all things in moderation, and sweets are no exception, although it would be good for me to:
(i) Reduce consumption of sweets and non-essential food items;
(ii) Choose sweets that come in minimal or biodegradable packaging (e.g. Mentos or Polos instead of individually-wrapped sweets); and
(iii) Lobby manufacturers to reduce packaging or switch to biodegradable packaging.


Day 3: Transportation
(Monday, 30th August 2010)



My Battletank has been retrofitted to run on Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for greater savings and fuel economy, and because CNG vehicles, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, have the following advantages over petrol ones:
* they reduce carbon monoxide emissions by 90-97%;
* they reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25%;
* they reduce nitrogen oxide emissions by 35-60%;
* they potentially reduce non-methane hydrocarbon emissions by 50-75%
* they emit fewer toxic and carcinogenic pollutants;
* they emit little or no particulate matter; and
* they eliminate evaporative emissions.

Although there are arguments that choosing one fossil fuel over another is only delaying the solution (of finding cleaner, renewable, alternative fuels), alternatives are practically non-existent. Hydrogen fuel cell and compressed air vehicles are not yet on the market and public transport is largely unavailable at my workplace. No colleagues live close by enough to make carpooling and ride sharing a practical option.

On average, I drive a total of 274 km each week.
(To the office: 16km each way x 5 days a week = 160 km;
To the SPCA: 22 km each way x once a week = 44km; and
To the parental home: 35 km each way x once a week = 70 km)
All my shopping and other errands are carried out within the same route as the aforementioned 3 destinations, so the fuel miles I travel rarely exceed the calculation above.

Just for No Impact Week, I made an attempt to take public transport to work for 3 days, at great risk of life and limb. I had to cross one busy highway and several busy intersections to get to my office from the nearest monorail station. I was late to work and so covered with perspiration, grime and exhaust soot when I arrived that I must have looked like the Tar Baby in the Brer Rabbit story. There were no pedestrian crossings. The road shoulders and pavements were so narrow that I practically had to grip the edge of the curb with my toes -- arms flailing and windmilling wildly while each passing vehicle shaved a millimetre of skin off my stomach.

My office does provide a shuttle van service to the KL Sentral Transport Terminal for interns and interpreters every evening at 1700 hrs, but not in the mornings. If enough of us in the Staff Council are willing to lobby for a pick-up service in the morning (the van would, after all, have to make only one more trip each day), I would be motivated to manage my schedule in such a way that I am able to take public transport to work 3 times a week for environmental reasons, although it is much cheaper for me to drive on CNG fuel.

However, I believe the way to a cleaner, greener future isn't in compelling people to opt for public transport that is often unavailable or unreliable. It isn't in making cyclists and pedestrians out of all of us, not when it can often be unsafe or impractical to do so. Not everyone has a job that allows for working from home or telecommuting. It is not always convenient or practical to opt for non-motorised travel or public transport, and most people opt for private vehicle ownership because it affords them safety, flexibility and freedom. Green transport options should not cost the people their safety, flexibility and freedom. I believe that all the recommended actions can only complement the biggest challenge faced by our generation -- that of finding sustainable and renewable alternative fuels, and of making it available to all consumers through retrofitting and through laws, subsidies and tax relief. Governments should invest more in alternative fuel research than in constructing more highways. We need more efficient catalytic converters that won't end up belching laughing gas into the atmosphere. We need the legislation and technology to enable car owners to retrofit their vehicles with hybrid electric power, without having to go out and buy a Prius. We need non-fossil fuels that are more than just greenwash to shore up the price of failing agricultural commodities. The issue of green travel must be addressed with wisdom and consideration for the safety, needs and occupational requirements of all strata of society.

Day 4: Food
(Wednesday, 1st September 2010)

I compiled a food list of the food I ate the last 4 days in order to calculate my carbon "foodprint". Most of the grains and fresh produce I consume are locally grown (in Kajang, Semenyih, Sg. Buloh, Banting and Cameron Highlands) within 250 miles of where I live.





I bring my food to work in reusable lunch boxes, thus eliminating the need for packaging. Being vegetarian, I have also made the choice to consume fruit and vegetables in their least processed form, thus reducing fuel and energy use. I have also managed to replace imported fruits such as apples and pears with local seasonal fruits such as guava, papaya, bananas and dragonfruit, and purchase organic produce whenever possible.



I have mostly eliminated some of my favourite processed foods, including high-sodium and heavily packaged instant meals such as Aloo Gobi, curried spinach and curried chickpeas. Nowadays, I dine in at vegetarian Indian restaurants, and reserve instant meals for when I am travelling to places where vegetarian food is likely to be unavailable.

Following "No Impact Week", I have resolved to reduce/eliminate these 5 items from my food list:
(i) Red Bull, because I am just paying for fuel cost, packaging and artificial flavours and additives. (ii) Nachos and potato chips, because of the fuel miles they have to travel and they are packaged in non-recyclable plastic packets.
(iii) French fries, because potatoes are not locally grown and it's another one of those highly processed junk foods that I should be eating less of anyway.
(iv) Cheese - this is something I need to reduce as cheese production is incredibly energy intensive compared to just drinking powdered or fresh milk.
(v) Sweets: Refer to sub-post on Trash above.

(...To be continued in Part 2)

The "No Impact Week" Experiment and other news

I've been feeling despondent since Tigerlily's death. It's not going to stop me from fostering and rescuing animals in future, of course, but I just need a week or two to grieve and to overcome caregiver fatigue. I am grateful for everyone's kind words and condolences for my little Tigerlily.

Pouring all my energy into my work and volunteer commitments helps me cope with the knowledge that I didn't and couldn't save Tigerlily, reminds me that I am part of something bigger than myself and calls to my attention my pledge to put service before self.



Kota Damansara Community Forest Park trail clearing session on Saturday, 21st August. I am glad I remembered to bring my biodegradable rubbish bags, despite the grief and confusion which immediately followed Tigerlilly's death.



A recent freak storm had uprooted some trees and damaged part of our trails. We agreed to help with the trail clearing in the interests of environmental education. If the local community does not have access to the forest park, they would not feel any sense of stewardship or love for it.





My colleague and buddy Marvin was a wonderful asset to us on Saturday morning. His jungle and knife skills made up for the fact that many of the other volunteers there were n00bs with machetes. And a n00b with a machete is a dangerous n00b. "In my tribe, you have to earn the right to carry a knife", Marvin told me. I have to concur with him.



The Kennel D Dogs at the SPCA looked and smelled clean and pleasant after their bath. I had also cleaned and disinfected the kennels after bathing and tickwashing the dogs. These dogs have just been given their chew treats, as I believe in positive reinforcement and want the dogs to associate volunteers and baths with something nice.



"This is my treat. Mine. All mine."



"Close, but no cigar!"




~ The No Impact Project Experiment ~

I had signed up for the
No Impact Project Experiment a few months ago, which is described as an 8-day carbon cleanse to help participants make lifestyle changes that will reduce their carbon footprint and help us understand how a lifestyle that is gentler to the environment can improve our quality of life.

I registered as a participant partly to see what other measures I could take beyond those I am already practicing, and partly because I hope to initiate a "No Impact Week" project on a large scale in the Klang Valley next year. After all, our actions must reflect our environmental values. I cannot hold forth on the deficiencies of REDD or cap-and-trade until my own environmental track record is beyond reproach.

Here are the guidelines and my basic plans for No-Impact Week:

(Note: I will have to drive on Tuesday as the Bentong Farm Sanctuary Helping Hands Visit had been planned weeks in advance and my friends are looking forward to it. However, we will be going 4 persons to a car so it is going to be quite a fuel-efficient trip. Nevertheless, Day 3 of my No-Impact Experiment will be pushed to Wednesday and the rest of my No-Impact Week will resume from there.)

Day 1: Consumption
I will have to audit every purchase I make and save all the rubbish I generate for the entire day in a plastic bag, to be taken out and reviewed the following day.

Day 2: Trash
Trash generated the day before will be separated, audited and reviewed. Participants are urged to rethink their consumption patterns to reduce waste.

Day 3: Transportation
Participants audit the number of fuel miles they travel each day and think of ways to reduce private vehicle usage / fossil fuel usage. Participants are encouraged to experiment with public transportation, ride-sharing programmes and alternative modes of travel.

Day 4: Food
Participants take their food list for whole week and calculate its Foodprint. Where did it come from? How did it get here? What is used in its production? Participants are encouraged to buy local, organic and fair trade whenever possible, and to opt for the least processed and least packaged foods.

Day 5: Energy
Participants carry out home and office energy audits and take action to reduce energy use. Which appliance is used the most? What can we do without? How can we reduce the number of electrical appliances we own and use?

Day 6: Water
Participants analyse their water footprint. How much water do we use at home and at work? What measures can we take to reduce our water use and wastage?

Day 7: Giving Back
Day 7 is spent on community service and environmental projects, and finding ways to contribute regularly to environmental movements and community initiatives.

Day 8: Eco-Sabbath
Participants analyse how they usually spend their day off, and think up what they can do on their rest day that doesn't require electricity, fuel, water wastage and/or unnecessary consumption.


Think you can own the Experiment? Then sign up for to participate in the next No Impact Week here!