We were featured on the popular news-portal ‘YourStory.com’ in a story titled, “This family’s resolution has helped over 2,000 stray animals and recycled tonnes of waste paper“.
Vasudha, Vivek, and their mother Neeru Mehta been ‘awakening’ a sense of responsibility in people through their organisation Jaagruti.
Credit : Kavita C Dixit
Having spent her teen years hooked onto shows like ‘Living on the Edge,’ a ‘90’s TV show made by the Alva Brothers that highlighted environmental concerns of the country, Vasudha Mehta knew that she didn’t want to follow conventional professions of being a doctor or an engineer, and instead wanted to make her career in the field of environment conservation and animal welfare.
Vasudha was inspired by TV channels National Geographic, Discovery and Animal Planet and often dreamt of being part of TV crews and observing nature and its beings from up close and documenting their stories.
This dictated the course that she would later take in her life in terms of her career, her passion, and how she started Jaagruti Trust, along with her mother (Neeru Mehta) and brother (Vivek Mehta), in 2009.
For the love of animals
After finishing her studies in 2006, Vasudha worked at People for Animals with Mrs. Maneka Gandhi and Wildlife SOS at their Agra Bear Rescue Facility for about 2.5 years, where she learnt her own lessons of ‘love and loss’ the hard way.
Ever since, Vasudha has been trying to ‘inform and inspire’ street animal caretakers across the country in learning and using laws and information to safeguard animal rights and learn street animal first aid to help heal the animals.
“This is all being done through the work that we do under Jaagruti 2009.
My mother has raised us both as a single parent and it’s in stray dogs that we found our best friends and Jaagruti is the and will always remain a tribute to the first stray dog we befriended and named Bhooru who passed away in 2007, after giving us seven wonderful years of companionship,” says Vasudha.
Jaagruti engages local caretakers in the process of treating the animals, a major percentage of which are those that are looked after by lower income group roadside dwellers or people living in slums. Local caretakers are often people who reach out to Jaagruti seeking for help. By including them, Jaagruti ensures that “people locally start getting more informed on first aid treatments and start taking responsibility for ensuring the well-being of neighbourhood animals,” as Vasudha says.
“Jaagruti believes in educating and empowering the caretaker to learn and serve other street animals in need independently through the knowledge they have acquired by observing us at work and participating in restraining the animal in need during treatment till the animal has recuperated,” says Vasudha.
For the love of nature
In May 2012, Vasudha left her job and started dedicating her time to Jaagruti Waste Paper Recycling Services.
Vasudha and Vivek, who jointly run the social enterprise, say that with the bulk of municipal waste management budget being allocated to transportation and collection, there is no money left to grade waste in different categories and reprocess/recycle it efficiently.
According to Indian Agro and Recycled Paper Mills Association (IARPMA), the country uses around 11.5–12.5 million tonnes of paper every year. Statistics convey that of the paper we consume as a nation, only about 20–30 percent get recovered and reach a recycling mill, thus leaving the rest to rot at a landfill site and adding to our greenhouse gas emissions.
Jaagruti Waste Paper Recycling Services started its operations in December 2011 and today extends its services to over 250 institutions across various platforms in the Delhi NCR region, some of which include diplomatic establishments like embassies of Greece, Italy, Belgium, and Sweden, central government institutions like Central Bureau of Investigation, Medical Council of India, National Informatics Centre, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, and BSF’s Medical Directorate to name a few.
The waste paper collected from various institutions is systematically graded at the unit before it is transported to a recycling mill where it is processed to make different qualities of recycled paper and board, by using Elemental Chlorine Free (ECF) bleaching technology.
As per standard industry parameters made available on the USEPA Website, one tonne of recycled paper saves 17 trees, 26,281 litres of water, 264 kg of air pollution, 1,752 litres of oil, 4077 KW hours of energy, and 82.62 cubic feet of landfill space.
“We have helped recycle close to 17,00,000 kg/1,700 tonne of waste paper so far. Before discarding waste paper in a general dustbin, you may do well to remember that paper doesn’t grow on trees, but rather about 17–22 full grown trees are cut to make one tonne of paper” says Vasudha.
From banning plastic bottles on campus, to recycling waste, installing solar heaters and promoting use of bicycles, Delhi University colleges are taking a number of eco-friendly initiatives to protect the environment.
Ramjas College has introduced a green cycle project to promote the use of bicycles within the campus and nearby areas.
“We have tied up with Delhi Cycles Private Limited (GreenRide Public Bicycle Sharing Service). We are the first college in Delhi University to do something like this. As a part of the project, Delhi Cycles will be providing cycles to us, free of cost. Two stands – On our campus and at the Metro – will be built. Students can swipe a smart card to access and drop off the cycles. Services will be available from 8 am to 8 pm, says Nalini Nigam, associate professor, department of botany in Ramjas.
From the past three years, the college has also been sending all its waste paper to Jaagruti waste paper recycling services. This year, waste paper sent totalled 2,230 kg, Nigam says.
Our Co-founder, Vasudha Mehta was one of the Speakers at “A Conference on HCD – Human Centered Design Thinking in Practice:Case Studies in Urban Waste Management” — which was held at the Uchicago Delhi Center and in line with the theme given to us, we shared with the audience, our story of setting up and scaling up JAAGRUTI Waste Paper Recycling Services across the three phases of adopting a Human Centered Design based approach – from INSPIRATION to IDEATION to IMPLEMENTATION.
As per IDEO.org:
Human-centered design is a creative approach to problem solving . It’s a process that starts with the people you’re designing for and ends with new solutions that are tailor-made to suit their needs. Human centered design is all about building a deep empathy with the people you’re designing for; generating tons of ideas; building a bunch of prototypes; sharing what you’ve made with the people you’re designing for; and eventually putting your innovative new solution out in the world. Human-centered design is a process that can be used across industries and sectors to approach any number of challenges—from product and service design to space or systems design, to name just a few
Many of us take for granted that paper allows us not only to enjoy our lives but also to go about our daily routines with greater efficiency.
From the thinnest tissue, to the most absorbent diaper, to the toughest corrugated box, there are almost as many different kinds of paper as there are uses for it.
Most of us begin our mornings by enjoying the comforts of paper products – from facial tissue and paper towels, to the morning newspaper, to the carton that holds your orange juice, and the paperboard packaging that holds your breakfast cereal.
Our children benefit from paper each school day from classroom drawings and notebook paper to text books that students learn from.
At work, office papers help us communicate. Even in this digital age, and despite talk about the “paperless office,” office papers are essential for copiers, laser printers, brochures, notepads, and other uses. And since digital documents can be deleted, there’s nothing like having a back-up on paper.
Wherever we go, paper is there to help at every turn. It’s the bags that hold your groceries or latest clothing purchase. It’s the cards, letters and packages you receive, the cup that holds your coffee, and the album that holds your memories.
Even while we sleep, paper is still hard at work providing a host of innovative paper products that help hospitals deliver cleaner, better patient care and protect healthcare personnel. Paper is at work in thousands of industrial and manufacturing applications helping keep the air clean, and providing protective apparel and innovative packaging.
When you consider the tremendous benefit of paper, it’s clear that we must all continue to work together by recycling used paper.
Recycling is easy to do and it’s good for business and the environment….and we at Jaagruti™ Waste Paper Recycling Services can help recycle your waste paper at no cost, if your organisation is based out of Delhi and NCR.
So next time you read the paper, open your mail, clean out your files, or empty a box, don’t put that paper and paperboard packaging in the trash. Complete the circle and recycle it.
Complete the circle by recycling your waste paper through us at ‘Jaagruti Waste Paper Recycling Services’
Next time you waste paper, you may do well to remember that paper doesn’t grow on trees!
But, about 17-22 full grown trees are cut to make 1 tonne of paper.
Paper usage is inevitable, we understand that because we also use paper, BUT you can help the environment by reusing paper. Reuse minimizes the amount of trash you produce and conserves precious natural resources.
Many everyday paper items can be reused and kept out of landfills:
Replace using tissue papers with handkerchiefs, why waste paper made out of trees, when you can use a piece of cloth that can be washed over and over again and reused..Think?
Save paper that has print on only one side. This paper can be reused in a variety of ways: for writing lists or notes, as drawing or coloring paper for children, for home printing that doesn’t need to be professional.
Save toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls. These can be used for school or home art projects. They can also be used for starting seeds.
Save tissue wrapping paper. It can be reused for wrapping another gift, as packing material, or for protecting Christmas ornaments for storage.
Save junk mail. It can be used to make lists, as scratch paper, for a child’s drawing.
Replace paper bags with cloth bags while you go shopping.
If you have some paper left that hasn’t been reused through some method above or has been used and re-used to the hilt and can’t be used or re-used anymore, don’t throw it away!
In the video below, virgin paper (paper made from wood-pulp) is being compared to recycled paper, in a point-by-point manner thereby showing which one is better for our environment and why so?
After watching this video you would have been able to analyse that recycled paper uses less energy thereby producing less carbon emissions , making it much more environmentally friendly.
So, which one would you chose for your work? Recycled Paper or Virgin Wood-based paper? The choice is now entirely yours!
Contact us at ‘Jaagruti’ if you/your organisation wants to do either of the following:
Recycle your organisation’s waste paper.
Or if you want to replace/supplement your existing paper stationery at work with 100% Recycled White Elemental Chlorine Free Paper stationery products.
Whatever you wish to do, we at ‘Jaagruti’ can help you save both, paper and our planet!
We use paper every day and as a nation 11.5 to 12.5 million tonnes is used each year,as per statistics made available by Indian Agro and Recycled Paper Mills Association (IARPMA) in India. But in India, with the bulk of waste management budget being allocated to transportation and collection, there is no money left to grade waste in different categories and reprocess/recycle it efficiently.
We at ‘Jaagruti‘ help organisations in India recycle their waste paper effectively by grading it at our recycling centres, before getting the same processed at mills for recycling.
To know how, we at Jaagruti can help you organisation in India do this, contact us.
Now, let us tell you what happens at a Recycling Plant:
At the paper mill it is pulped in a tank containing chemicals such as hydrogen peroxide, caustic soda, soap and water which separate out the various fibres.
These fibres are then screened to remove various bits of debris such as paper clips, staples, sticky tape and plastic.
In a floatation tank the fibres are cleaned and deinked several times and as a result the fibres get whiter and whiter. Whitening agents are added at this stage and the pulp, which is 99% water and 1% fibre is then pumped onto a paper machine.
It is then passed over a vibrating machine or through rollers which remove most of the water. The water is sent back to the beginning of the process, the remaining material now contains half fibre and half water.
The sheets are then passed through a drying section on heated rollers where the temperature reaches 130 degrees and water is reduced by 5%. The process makes the paper whiter, smoother and more useable.
The paper is then dried and then run through a machine that acts like an ironing board and then wound into huge rolls that weigh up to 30 tonnes.
The paper is then tested to make sure it reaches the correct standard and quality for strength, gloss and brightness.
These rolls are then divided into smaller reels or sheets, packed and stored before despatching to printers.
The quality of paper produced through our recycled paper is comparable to that made from virgin raw material.
Paper, it is said, can be recycled up to seven times. Taken with the fact that recycled paper is also cheaper and easier to convert to pulp than wood, it makes an ideal candidate for collection and reuse. But what exactly are these seven cycles, and what happens to paper after this point? In order to answer these questions, we need to examine the paper-making process more closely.
Learning Curve: Definitions & Grades
First, it’s important to know that “recycled” can mean many different things. For example, paper companies used to consider mill scraps from lumber cuttings recycled content. The key phrase to identify is post-consumer. This refers to content that comes from used paper products.
Second, you should know that when it comes to paper, grades count. There are five main grades of paper according to the EPA, but you’re most likely to find these four in your home or workplace.
• Newspaper: Not the same as magazines or catalogs. Only newspapers fall into this category
• Office paper: Generally high-grade white printer and copier paper, envelopes and letterhead.
• Corrugated containers: These include boxes of all kinds, from shipping to food and shoe boxes
• Mixed paper: This category is a catch-all for the other types of paper, such as phone books, magazines, junk-mail or colored papers
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While lower grade paper, such as a cereal box, can be turned into another cereal box, it cannot be recycled into a shiny piece of office paper; however, if office paper is kept separate from low-grade papers, then it can be turned back into office paper. For this reason, sorted paper gives companies more versatility in what they can produce.
Once sorted, the paper is broken down in much the same way, regardless of type. Batches are soaked in a water and chemical bath in order to break them down into “pulp,” the small fibers that make paper. Next, the pulp undergoes several stages of cleaning in order to remove contaminants like glue, plastic, staples, and finally, ink. Once paper is re-bleached, if necessary, it is ready to be mixed with virgin fibers and made into paper once more. At this final stage, recycled pulp is no different from virgin pulp. So why only seven cycles?
And The Answer Is…
The answer boils down to size. Each time wood fibers are reprocessed (chopped, heated, pressed) they break down a bit. After about five to seven cycles, the pulp bits are so small that they simply slip through the filtering screens and end up in the wastewater. In this manner, the quality of recycled paper is not affected by pulp that is no longer useful.
Most products today, especially corrugated containers, contain recycled post-consumer content, but consumer demand, more than federal or industry standards, is what drives paper companies to increase recycled percentages. When it comes to paper (all kinds), purchasing or requesting recycled goods maintains a steady demand for this product.
Contact us to help understand how we at Jaagruti can help recycle your Organisation’s waste paper in India
JAAGRUTI - Waste Paper Recycling Services in Delhi NCR 