“From 2010 Onwards: Deepa Sai’s Inspiring Journey Towards Sustainability – Part 2”

My shift to an eco-friendly lifestyle (part 2):

In 2010, I began my tenure with an environmental NGO, ExNoRa, discovering how our choices and actions negatively influenced the environment we inhabited. Throughout this period, I gained insights into waste management, kitchen gardening, eco-conscious products, recycling, and upcycling. I also encountered individuals engaged in mindful practices. This included someone who marketed biodegradable plastic wraps. Additionally, I met Mathew from Paperman, who transformed trash into treasure by gathering waste paper from households and selling it to factories. He generated funds from this endeavor for NGOs and scrap merchants.

In 2011, I immersed myself further by assisting an environmental advocate, Ms. Nisha Thota, in managing waste disposal and organic farming initiatives at universities and corporate entities. Concurrently, I initiated kitchen and organic gardening at home. The cultivated plants included tomatoes, muskmelons, fenugreek leaves, and chilies. My kitchen refuse served as fertilizer.

Four years later, in 2015, I underwent a personal transformation. Alcohol, eggs, meat, milk, and cheese landed on my list of items to avoid. Although I still enjoyed butter, buttermilk, and ghee (clarified butter).

Then in 2017, I viewed Cowspiracy upon my brother-in-law’s recommendation, particularly since I was inspired by his extensive journey with veganism and yoga. At that moment, everything shifted noticeably. I couldn’t quite pinpoint it yet, but I started contemplating veganism and a potential shift into a vegan way of life.

These transformations further motivated me to explore terrariums and indoor gardening. Terrariums aid in purifying the air around us, enhance our living spaces, and help combat pollution in their own way. However, due to the high costs of terrariums, I opted for money plants and lucky bamboo.

A year later, in 2018, Mahalakshmi – a fellow blogger – composed an article on veganism for me. In her piece, she encouraged her readers to watch Earthlings, a documentary. It was then that veganism evolved into a tangible concept, and I resolved to embrace it.

By shifting to a sustainable lifestyle, I aimed to contribute positively to nature through various avenues. Consequently, I identified areas where I could implement minor yet meaningful adjustments. Embracing vegetarianism, waste management, kitchen gardening, eco-friendly consumption, boycott of silk, reduction of plastic usage, and utilizing alternatives for harmful items (wherever feasible) were among them.

Staying away from cow milk and butter proved to be challenging. However, I started substituting them with almond milk and peanut butter. I chose cloth bags and cotton garments over leather purses and silk sarees. Rather than rejecting vegan products, I desired to explore them.

In 2020, I had to transition to vegetarianism due to health requirements. But that didn’t hinder my continual search for alternatives—I extensively utilize plant-based products and maintain an almost-vegan lifestyle. I am still striving to transition to a fully vegan existence.