But this is not a new idea. In fact, it is literally going back to the past. Pretty much all countries started being green, became non-green due to the industrial revolution, which demanded mass production of pretty much everything with little regard to the impact it could have on the natural resources, and then are now trying to be green again, although with a higher price tag.
Having born and brought up in India, a 'developing' nation, it is kind of ironic to see the new green competition. I lived through the times when things were in fact as green as they could be, witnessed the systematic destruction of the same due to 'modernization', and having come to a 'modern' world, seeing the good ol' ways being promoted as the next 'modern' thing to do at a much higher price point!
To prove my point, let me give you some examples.
Cleaning Supplies
Probably the most obvious and the most immediate idea that is being recycled from the 'developing' world to the 'developed' world is that of cleaning supplies.
When I was young, my mom used cleaning products that were pretty much based on Grandma's recipes - ones that used all sorts of natural ingredients like lemon, coconut fibers, etc. As time progressed, the more chemical based solutions such as bleach and phenyl became the norm and those who did not conform to the new standards were shunned, ostracized, and termed as 'ancient'. Ironically, now I see Chlorox and 3M coming up with a whole bunch of 'green' products that use - guess what - the bloody same ingredients that the 'ancients' used to use in the past.
Source: http://www.ecosherpa.com/green-home/chlorox-green-cleaning-products/
Source: http://www.3m.com/us/home_leisure/scotchbrite/greenerclean/
Sadly, in the process, the chemical products have become the norm in the developing world causing harm, which is further complicated by the fact that the population of the developing world is much more than the developed one. I am sure the concept will recycle back to them, but I wonder if it will be a little too late.
Bagging
The next obvious section is that of bagging.
When I was a kid, my mom used to give me a cloth sling bag, which was primarily used for groceries. Optionally, we had a variety of other cloth bags or worst, plastic baskets. There were no department stores as we see today, but rather, a local grocer. The grocer would pretty much have everything in bulk and would measure the ones we need, wrap it up in newspaper, and tie it with a jute string (natural fiber, made of coconut tree, I think). Once I come back, my mom would unwrap everything and put them in respective jars.
Source: http://trak.in/Tags/Business/mall-culture/
As times changed, department stores started emerging. The biggest advantage they had against the grocers (which as a much more personalized service as we would shop with one grocer for decades) was that it was reliable (no skimping on weight or suspicion of adulteration) and it came individually wrapped in plastic, which was more convenient for storage. Eventually, even the grocers started adopting the plastic wrapping concept except for a few products, combined with an extravagant use of plastic bags (thankfully constrained by the general stinginess of the grocers to give too many plastic bags).
Source: http://www.indiansamuraimovie.com/visual.html
In pretty much all supermarket stores (Wegman's, Kroger, Path Mark, HEB, you name it), there is an option to 'buy' a cloth bag that's sold at a premium (say, $3 or $4) compared to the free plastic bags. The products are still being sold in individually wrapped packets, but then again, in some areas, more 'mass' versions are being suggested compared to individual wraps.
Source: http://www.thisnext.com/item/058EAD5A/Wegmans-Easy-Shopping-Reusable
Once again, we see the idea of recycling being recycled from developing nation to developed nation and back, hopefully, again to the developing nation.
Such recycling does not necessarily stop just with household products. It seems to be prevalent across all facets of life.
Teaching
Ancient India had a fairly robust and comprehensive educational system known as 'Gurukulam' - a Sanskrit word that roughly translates to 'teacher's community'. Per the system, a student would literally be under the tutelage of a chosen teacher along with his fellow students, live in his quarters (kind of like a boarding school) and learn the skills necessary for life. In the process, the student was expected to perform household chores while getting education.
Studies were not limited to rote learning. It was comprehensive in that it included both textbook learning as well as practical learning and focused on leading a balanced life, while excelling in one's area of expertise. The philosophy was centered on learning that involved teaching, group studies, self study, and experience over time.
Of course the system was transformed during the British Raj into changing the educational system so that it reflected the British system. The intent of this change was less of bringing good education than in 'civilizing' the natives so that they can be assimilated better in their world if required. This transformation led to the Gurukula system transformed into a more structured, albeit rote-based learning that we have today. This process also led to the shift in importance from being all-rounded to being memory-prioritized.
Recently, Sir Ken Robinson, a British educator, gave an excellent lecture in TED on how schools should allow students to be creative and be able to pick their passion instead of being forced to memorize stuff and pass exams that value memory more than skill. The same debate is being made in the USA as part of the educational reform - to get rid of the 'standard tests' and replace them with better ways to judge students.
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html
I cannot help but see the idea making a full circle.
My intention is not to sound like a 'Western World' basher. There are numerous other aspects that current developing nations can learn from the developed ones. Rather, my rant is more about opportunities that are missed both by developed and developing countries just because we perceive something to be 'old school' or what our parents did and hence, 'uncool'.
I wonder how many more such 'inventions' are made before someone realizes the pattern, steps back, and says, "Gosh! Why don't we take a look at what people used to do before we invented all the toxic junk and improve on those practices to suit our improved needs and stop messing up the world in the process."
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