Dusshera just passed us by, and before we know it, Deepavali would have crept up on us. As much as I love the cheer, family time and the well-deserved breaks from work that festivals bring us, it is hard to not ignore the amount of waste that piles up both inside and outside the house. Here are a few ways in which you can easily cut down on the waste without compromising on celebrations –
Ditch the sweet boxes – Every year boxes and boxes of sweets that most people don’t have the teeth or the stomach for make their way into our houses. It is tradition, yes, but the fact of the matter is that so many sweet and dry fruit boxes accumulate that most end up going to waste. Given that these sweet boxes aren’t inexpensive by any means, I’d like to think that it makes more sense to give away a few plants instead. They’d cost the same (if not lesser) and we could all do with a spot of green in our houses and more oxygen in our neighbourhoods. Alternatively, you could give fewer sweets in reusable packaging, like glass jars. Quality is far better than quantity, and your friends’ and relatives’ waistlines will be grateful to you.
Paaku plates and parties are a match made in heaven – Festival time is party time! Socializing is a great part of the season, and hosting (and attending) parties is something we all look forward to. When you’re the host, look to use cutlery made out of natural materials as opposed to Styrofoam. Not only are they easier to dispose, they’re also much better for the environment.
Donate Food –If you’ve received far too much in terms of sweets and dry fruits, to the point where you don’t know what to do with all of it, actively begin donating to local orphanages, or any other underprivileged people you know from the day you receive them instead of keeping them for a week until they become stale only to throw it all away, or worse, donate it then. The old oil and fat in the sweets and savouries make a person sick, and more importantly, no one deserves old food during festival times.
Say no to crackers –Perhaps the most obvious way to have a green festive season is by saying no to crackers. They’re loud, create great amounts of smoke and garbage on the roads, and traumatize animals year after year, not to mention the fact that most firework factories continue to employ children. Deepavali is the festival of light, not sound. Diyas are just as pretty without the pollution or the cruelty.
Pakku plates are plates that are made from the leaves of the Areca nut tree. These leaves are naturally stiff and broad making them the perfect material for disposable cutlery! The leaves are cleaned, dried and compressed into plate like shapes for ease of use. Since no chemicals are used in the process, they’re fully biodegradable, making them the most eco-friendly alternative to paper cutlery.
Photo credits:
cute planter: www.indooragarden.com
paaku plate: overstock.com
say no to crackers poster: pinterest.com
