Dear Eco-Gen members,

It is said more often than not, that to preach is one thing, but maintaining the practice of what you preach is taking it to a whole new level. Happy Earth Day to all Gulf News Readers!

This time, on the annually, much-awaited Earth Day 2015, I launched an initiative called ?The 3Rs Pick n Drop Green Box?. The aim of this initiative was to encourage Reusing, Reducing and Recycling at the same time. The testimony to that statement lies in the explanation of the idea.

This box was an initiative in my building which I took to inculcate the values of environmental conservation through practical, and a useful experience. As the new academic year has begun in most Indian schools, it is palpable that students will have loads of books of the previous year?s leftover, whilst they may need some books for reference that may have been used by their seniors.

That is the root cause of why this apt initiative for the ?Earth Day Month?, as I would like to call it, became an astounding success. As soon as I spread the word, this box became a big hit, with children of all ages, coming and contributing books for recycling, whilst picking up the books that they need.

Even I am going to use the course and reference books that have been dropped by my seniors and did not buy new books this time, in my efforts to go green.

Ebrahim Badshah, a Grade 8 pupil, said, ?I was looking everywhere for a reference book which is deemed to be quite helpful, but it was out of stock. I feel extremely elated to have found it in the 3 Rs Pick n Drop Green Box. I got the book I wanted and am going green too!? Ebrahim contributed more than 100 books of past years? used by him and his younger sister.

A Parent of a Primary School student Maimuna, also stated, ?I have been preserving her books since pre-school because I did not want to throw them, but did not know what to do with them. This idea has given us the right medium for disposing the books in a beneficial manner?

 The Initiative is still ongoing and coincides with Earth Day too, and that is one of the days, when I am expecting the largest outcome, breaking previous records too. In the first week of this Initiative, we managed to recycle more 310 Kgs, saving approximately 5 trees, 120 gallons of oil, 1 cubic yard of landfill space, 1250 kilowatts of energy and 2200 gallons of water.  

I would like to thank Bee'ah, Sharjah's Leading Environmental Co., for supporting my initiative and helping me recycle the books efficiently.

I encourage all budding eco-activists to take part because when you ?Drop? a book, you are Recycling, while ?Picking? a book, you are Reusing, and in the whole process, you are Reducing waste to Landfill.

This innovative initiative of mine on Earth Day was also covered in the National Newspaper, 'Gulf News':

http://gulfnews.com/your-say/your-reports/pick-and-drop-used-books-to-go-green-1.1501160

I want all the members of Tunza Eco-Generation  to start the initiative in their country and local community too, so that we can spread the chain.