Earlier this month, in the United States, major F&B companies announced that they were stopping the use of reusable mugs as a precautionary measure to maintain hygiene standards. While videos of clear seas and blue skies surfaced due to the halt of human activity, Hong Kong's beaches were piled up with single-use face masks. The current global scenario forces us to rethink our lifestyle choices, but the environment shouldn't be a second thought. We invited Sushank Tomar, a Thane resident who practises a zero-waste lifestyle to share tips on minimising environmental damage while at home.

Do a waste audit: Tomar, 23, who is part of a youth organisation called Muse Foundation that works on different aspects of the society including menstrual hygiene and environmental awareness, says that such a lifestyle demands individuals to come out of their comfort zone. "It's not convenient in the initial stages. There are some things like a sanitiser or a smartphone for which there might not be a replacement. But it's definitely possible to sustain it," he says. In a scenario where garbage collectors might be off duty, it is important to audit your waste yourself ie identify the kind of waste you generate. The simplest way is to bifurcate material into wet and dry categories. "If your dry waste comprises 50 per cent plastic and 30 per cent paper, for instance, find alternatives for those categories first," he suggests.