Diwali 2022: Ways to celebrate an eco-friendly festival of lights
What's the story
This festival of lights, let's go green and encourage the same. Diwali is just around the corner and we are at full throttle into the celebrations already. However, in the wake of rising pollution levels and global warming, it is important to take a step to make festivities healthy for one and all. Here are five ways you can celebrate an eco-friendly Diwali.
Colorful
Organic rangoli
Diwali is incomplete without making a beautiful rangoli at home. However, most of the colors we use are harmful to the environment. Instead, you can use colors that are made of sawdust, grains, rice powders, flowers, or spices from your kitchen. Even chalk powder is a great eco-friendly option to consider. You can later add them to your compost bin or bury them in the garden.
Festivities
Reduce plastic consumption
Whether it is while receiving a gift or giving one to someone else, plastic makes its way to each home in some or the other way. However, this year, you can plan on reducing your plastic consumption by wrapping gifts with newspapers or handmade sheets, instead. You can even ask your peers to either not wrap your gifts or follow the same idea.
Decor
Use LED lights and diyas
For decorations, it's best to use LED lights, especially instead of bulbs as they are eco-friendly. Diyas, in place of candles, is also a great addition to your eco-friendly Diwali as the latter is a petroleum-based product that emits toxins into the air when burnt. These toxins include formaldehyde, lead, and benzene which are quite harmful. Use terracotta or metallic diyas.
Gifts
Gift something handmade
Electronics and other items made of plastic contribute to waste after a certain point in time. This puts us in a never-ending loop of plastic consumption. So this Diwali, how about breaking the monotony by gifting something eco-friendly, handmade, and natural? Seeds, saplings, terracotta artifacts, flower-cycled incense sticks, plantable stationery, eco-friendly cutlery, and even healthy munchies and snacks are some safe ideas to opt for.
Food
Sustainable tableware
Diwali calls for some hearty meet-ups and food. However, this time, make sure to replace your plastic cutlery with eco-friendly options like those made with bamboo, or leaves. Additionally, these sustainable tableware essentials are inexpensive and most of them can even be reused in future occasions. What's more? Well, these items are 100 % compostable, sustainable, and biodegradable.