Conscious Ways to Celebrate This Festival Season
Colours. Joy. Vibrance. Celebrations. Enthusiasm. Excitement – these are some words we can use when it comes to India and its festivals. But sometimes, these celebrations also lead to pollution, wastage, and depletion. We think we can all agree that one of the beauties of our country lies in its culture and diversity, and the festivals that we celebrate are a big part of our culture. We’re a nation that loves celebrating. Our festivals are grand and when celebrating them, we like to do it big. While on one hand, these celebrations bring so much joy and vibrance, on the other hand, the repercussions of these festivities could be very damaging to the environment.
With the festival season starting soon, we have a chance to turn this cycle around. To help make this festive season truly guilt-free, but just as joyous and vibrant, and in fact, even more fulfilling, we’ve rounded up a few tips on how we can also go green this festive season ☺ Keep reading to know more!
Biodegradable Idols
To all our folks who love to DIY, this one's for you! Let’s take this festive season as an opportunity to fashion our own worship idols! A project that can be both eco-friendly and fun – these DIY idols can be easily made using natural clay, and natural colours made from turmeric, red sandalwood, Multani Mitti (Fuller’s earth) etc. can be used to paint them.
For our folks that are not big on crafts, there are plenty of idol makers who use materials like Alum, which dissolves quickly and also purifies wastewater.
Eco-friendly Decorations
Let’s avoid using decorations made of plastic and thermocol, as they can be very damaging to the environment. Let’s opt for more natural alternatives like fresh flowers, leaves, and festive candles to decorate, which are not only better for the environment, but look so much better too!
Save Electricity
When it comes to decorating around the house, let’s opt for LED lights or energy efficient lights, and keep in mind to switch them off where they aren’t needed. Another option is to avoid using high power consuming lights and instead going old school and using diyas (earthen lamps) or tea-light candles, which not only solve the purpose but also add a touch of elegance and intimacy to the celebrations. Imagine the stunning pictures you can get with this set up!
Say No to Plastic
Discourage the use of plastic bags for carrying prasad or disposing of the offerings. Use natural plates like banana leaves or eco-friendly paper serviettes, like the ones from Good Karma, instead of plastic plates for distributing prasad. Use recycled paper sheets and boxes for packing gifts. Imagine how guilt-free you’d feel doing this!
Dispose Responsibly
When it comes to disposing off any waste from our homes or from the celebrations, let’s responsibly segregate them into compostable and non-compostable piles. All the organic waste like flowers, garlands, etc. can be composted and used as fertilizers, and the non-compostable waste can be recycled!
And finally, let's opt for green options wherever we can. Whether it’s to decorate our houses, or hosting guests. At Good Karma, we make this switch easier by offering a range of 100% recycled, unbleached and compostable paper tissues, not only help make your celebrations green, but make your homes green too! We believe in celebrating responsibly, and consciously, and believe that every little choice that we make counts.
Choose wisely and make correct decisions! Lets celebrate big but at the same time look out for something even bigger - the planet we live on!