How to have a zero-waste wedding
Weddings are a huge deal in India. Everyone wants to have a big, fat wedding. So many people spend crores on the gala. But how many of us think about what all that garbage does to the environment once the festivities are over? It is high time we do. Wedding curators, Aaradhana & Prateek Kashyap share tips for a zero-waste wedding.
Ditch plastic flowers and choose local fresh flowers. This way you would also be supporting a small business. There are NGOs who upcycle waste flowers and turn them into different products. Ensure you use foam-free floral installations. A typical Indian wedding spends over Rs. two lakh on lighting alone. Instead of using too much electrical decor, go for candles, and solar lamps.
Try to make the wedding a no-plastic zone. Replace plastic water bottles with water stations with filtered water and glasses. Place reusable water bottles and jugs in the guest rooms. Use cloth napkins instead of paper napkins. Plastic spoons and bowls add heavily to landfills. So use ceramic, steel, or bamboo cutlery. Dry and wet waste should be segregated once the celebrations are over.
It is startling to note that between 10-20% of the food goes to waste at an average Indian wedding. This includes not just the untouched food at the buffet, but also leftovers on plates. Plated dinners work well to avoid this problem. Tie up with a food service that can take up the extra food and provide it to the needy.
Gifts also immensely add to garbage. Opt for gift registry services or e-gift cards to reduce the waste generated by gifts by almost 50%. You can also ask the guests to donate some money to charity in your name to play your part in both sustainability and helping someone. Donating gifts to those in need is a nice way to start your life together.
Talking about gifts, how about giving your guests sustainable return gifts? Be mindful of picking wedding favors and ensure they do not add to your carbon footprint. Use reusable containers and jute bags for the gifts. An interesting and sustainable return gift can be plants--you can give a nice collection of succulents, or a bamboo plant which is considered lucky.
