Sustainable SAYVA

Kareena Gupta, SAYVA Director of Sustainability

Environmentalism and sustainability are essential because they address the urgent need to protect the natural systems that support life. From clean air and fresh water to fertile soil and stable climates, our survival depends on ecosystems that are now under immense strain from pollution, overconsumption, and climate change. Without action, these challenges threaten wildlife, habitats, human health, food security, and will ultimately be bad for our future. As the youth, we have a responsibility to ensure that our planet is protected for ourselves and future generations. 

This year, SAYVA is committed to sustainability. As your new Director of Sustainability, I will be helping SAYVA become more environmentally friendly by composting/recycling at events, reminding everyone to bring reusable water bottles and carpool, and reducing waste whenever possible. 

So far, at our Launch event, we’ve combined sustainability with service to help the environment and our community. SAYVA members decorated biodegradable lunch bags for Meals on Wheels, an organization dedicated to providing food and kindness for those in need. We also made cards for a senior home on seeded paper. This special type of paper is embedded with seeds that will grow into wildflowers when planted.

Additionally, we are committed to minimizing waste in all our events. At our Launch event, we used minimal plastic bottles and instead ensured that all the members would bring reusable ones. We also served lunch on biodegradable cutlery and composted it. All in all, we were able to fill two bins with compostable items. When these materials are sent to the landfills, they are broken down by anaerobic decomposition, producing harmful greenhouse gases such as methane and carbon dioxide that ultimately contribute to climate change. However, when composted, they are broken down by aerobic decomposition and turn into fresh soil, and these greenhouse gases are not produced. By composting, not only did we minimize our own carbon footprint, we also contributed to creating fresh soil for the Earth. 

Looking forward, we plan to continue and advance our sustainability initiatives for the good of the people and the planet. These efforts position our community to serve our world and explore our culture while also contributing to a more sustainable future.