SDG 6: Clean water and sanitation

In order to reduce pollution that is affecting our environment, I will make sure to reduce my use of plastics by using reusable items such as drink bottles. If I do use a plastic I will ensure that it is empty and placed in the correct recycling bin in order for it to be recycled. My aim is to stop buying plastic water bottles to reduce the amount of waste found in our oceans. Additionally, if I see plastic on the floor I will pick it up and put it in the bin.

For my take one step challenge I have decided to make a pledge towards using less water. Whether that be taking shorter showers, not leaving the water running while I brush my teeth, or only running appliances that use water if they are full. Oftentimes I find myself wasting fresh clean water which is a scarcity today and affecting our planet in so many ways.

Do not buy or use anything processed or packaged. Support sustainable farming by buying groceries from sustainable farms. This helps avoid the use of chemicals in food growing, processing and packaging which ends up as waste in soil, water or air. Also, the process of processing and manufacturing consumes energy and emits gases that are harmful. I believe if each person can commit to sustainable eating which contributes largely to pollution and climate change, it will make a big difference.

I often find that at university I will purchase food that comes in cardboard or plastic packaging. Vendors such as wholefoods have proactively encouraged use of your own Tupperware. I will continue to make best use of this practice and attempt to do so from other food stores in addition to pre-preparing meals at home to reduce environmental impact as well.

Malaysia produces approximately 2.4 billion pieces of sanitary waste a year. This is equivalent to 2,400 tonnes or 480 garbage trucks full of sanitary pads. To counter this, my first step to reducing waste in landfills is to use reusable menstrual cups from this day onwards. I believe this is a small step to creating a big movement in the right direction.

- Stop using plastic bags and use reusable bags instead. - Use keep cup to reduce plastic and paper cups - Reuse, reduce and recycle more - Use an alternative source of energy, cleaner version such as solar and focus your future on that.

Although I have taken steps to reduce my reliance on commercially bought foods by implementing veggie patches and tailoring my diet to be more sustainable, sometimes it is very difficult to say no to the conveniently available products on grocery aisles. These shelves are usually filled with foods from large conglomerate companies with extensive outreach. It is important to be wise about each individual food item as detrimental climate harm can be wickedly masked behind bright branding, and sometimes even 'green-approved' labels. Therefore, I have been doing research before purchasing and when I do find a sustainable item, I am sure to advertise it to my friends and family so they can contribute towards a cleaner planet. I intend to do enough research into products to be able to form a weekly meal plan based on actual sustainable foods.

Since the beginning of this year, I have been trying to find more sustainable solutions when it comes to cleaning. The cleaning products found in commercial markets are often loaded with harsh and toxic chemicals that can pose serious health risks to both humans and animals with prolonged use. In a world where the 'DIY' movement is becoming increasingly popular, I thought I would focus my efforts onto DIY cleaning solutions. Some major benefits of DIY cleaners include: 1. Knowing exactly what ingredients are going into your products. 2. Getting to make more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY decisions: like switching to essential oils, creating unique concoctions using baking soda and vinegar, using sustainable packaging for storage etc. 3. Posing zero health risks as almost all the ingredients used can be found in your own kitchen. Here's a tip: These products are not nearly as strong as the ones you find in the market, so instead of opting for a deep clean every other week, try cleaning up every couple of days. This is when I've noticed them to be the most effective. My aim is to slowly transition into other DIY alternatives (e.g. sustainable bath products) once I have gotten used to creating and implementing these products in and around my home.

With economies like India advancing to middle class economies and increasing consumption levels, it is correct time to direct consumer towards sustainable living practices and products. Seeing a gap in this place, we are setting up an online sustainable living marketplace initially for the Indian Market. Where we are tying up with vendors having organic food material, Cycles, indoor and outdoor plants and planters, reusable sanitary pads and many more such products. Some of Earthgasm's own products are made by up cycling waste wooden products, and we tend to keep a branch which collects such waste products and make beautiful products using it. Currently we have secured partnership with 4 vendors, and our portal is under development. So, in the coming 1 month we will be launching our marketplace for India.

Single use plastics are made of petrochemicals and are commonly used in inordinate amounts to package foodstuffs and goods. Moreover, many of these are composed of endocrine disruptors and in addition to being damaging to the health of human beings, are also hugely detrimental to animals and sealife. Consequently, I want to reduce my plastic waste and I pledge to refuse to use single-use plastics.