Kamal, Eco Blogger
Can you describe yourself in a couple of words?
An Eco Blogger, Indian, 38, Marketing Specialist
How has your sustainable journey started?
I have been very inclined from a very early on to lead a low waste lifestyle. I must have been very young when I first experimented with composting with my Mom. Looking back now, I think My mom has influenced me tremendously to lead a low waste lifestyle. Having said that, I have created my share of trash, but now I am a more conscious consumer and very vary of what I leave behind.
What is your vision and how do you think you add value to the community?
There is a lot of awareness among people and a lot of options for people who would like to adopt a low waste lifestyle. My vision is that all of us care more. Just a little bit more. Caring for family, friends, colleagues, the environment, animals, our oceans, our forests then we would all be living in less wasteful times.
The objective of eco everything is to reach out to people to encourage them to make one small change and commit to that one change.
Can you share a couple of practical examples on your sustainable living that would be useful to the others?
- Composting kitchen scrap for close to a year now. One of the easiest and most rewarding things we can all do to reduce our trash
- Welcomed the Cloth Sanitary napkin and menstrual cup into my life. No more disposable pads and panty liners for me. (I got the products online from Amazon. I have the Eco Femme cloth pads and Luna Menstrual cup. I understand now that Boots does stock Menstrual cups.)
- A homemade tooth powder and mouthwash is a part of my oral hygiene now. Ditched the plastic toothbrush ages ago.
- I have this amazing water filter from Brita. It requires no electricity to filter the water and there is no water wastage. I got the water filter from Ace Hardware. The used Brita filters can be sent back to them for recycling, and unless there is a facility to recycle filters, I plan to collect them and mail the filters to them once a year. I have also seen a very similar Culligan filter at Ace.
- I make a lot of my cleaning solutions that require just a handful of ingredients.
- I shop more responsibly. I plan ahead and prep and freeze my meals, to avoid food wastage.
Since when do you live in the UAE?
I have been living in the UAE for over 8 years now.
Why do you love this place?
It is a wonderful place. A melting pot of cultures. A melting point of ideas.
If you would get a magic stick what would you improve and make better?
Have absolutely no food waste. Not at home. Not at restaurants. Not at supermarkets.
Where do you like doing your grocery and why?
I shop at Union Co-op, Carrefour, Grandiose. I get my fruits and veggies from the fruits and vegetable market.
What is your favourite eco-brand?
I do not have any single brand, but I think theGoodKarmaCo is something I would use more. They seem to have most of the products that I would otherwise get from different stores.
What is your favourite eco-friendly restaurant or cafe?
I’m still figuring this out.
The best way to spend time with family and friends?
There are a lot of places in the UAE where you can spend time with family and friends. Beaches, parks, a lot of places to visit over the weekends.
How do you spend your free time?
I read, write, cook and binge watch series.
The best recent discovery in the UAE?
Not sure if this counts as a discovery but I think sustainable cities in the UAE and the many organic farms.
Do you recycle and how?
Most of the food I buy is plastic free, I carry totes and bags for produce. I compost kitchen scraps. Milk bottles, paper and bits of plastic that make its way inside my home, I collect and put them in their respective recycling bins.
What is your compasting method?
I read a lot about the Bokashi bins and the food dehydrators, but I am so glad I started with the traditional composting method. I use a regular plastic pot that I already had. Drilled a few holes on the sides for airflow. I add dry leaves and paper along with the kitchen scraps and stir the contents daily. Once the pot is completely full and it cannot take any more kitchen scraps, I continue to stir it for a couple of days and then I stir it only once a week. Anytime between 2 – 3 months, from the time I start the composting process, I sift the remnants from the pot. The compost is ready. What is left is added back to the compost. On days when I do not have dried leaves, I only add paper.
What is the best way to learn about sustainability and green living?
Family and friends are the best way to learn about a greener way of life. We need to gear our next generations to be more conscious and aware of what they consume and the consequences of our actions.
For more info about Kamal’s blog you can visit https://eco-everything.com/ or follow her on Insta handle – eco_everything
