How to Have a Plastic-Free Festival Celebration? 6 Easy Steps You Must Take

How do you make festivals eco-friendly?

With all the food, lights and flowers also come the burden of single-use plastic materials, and packaging items. How will you take care of the environment during a festival?

Here's the answer - whether it is Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, Eid or Christmas:

1. Light up your world the sustainable way

Lights form an integral part of our festivals. Today they take the form of battery-operated or electric lights.

But consider the amount of plastic waste you are generating. Toss the idea of buying plastic lights and go for eco-friendly candles, or Diya stands instead.

2. Gift a livelihood

The packaging has to be just as attractive as the gift. This festive season, let your gift packing convey your love with decorative Kashmiri boxes.

Each box is handpainted and handcrafted by Kashmiri artisans with disabilities. Also, one gift of yours is making two recipients smile!

3. Present your present in fancy packages

Don't tarnish your festivals with plastic wrappings around your thoughtful gifts. Wrap them in beautiful cloth bags instead.

Choose your favourite pattern on the bag, and you will have given not one, but two different gifts since the bags are reusable!

4. Areca leaf tableware

Hosting dozens of friends and family members? These sustainable tableware options will be right by your side.

They are disposable, organic, and easily biodegradable. No more washing a pile of dishes and no more throwing away plastic.

Your festive dinner just became eco-friendly to the max!

5. With great scent comes great responsibility

Do you know what happens to flowers offered in temples? Many temples throw them out. However, some exceptional places actually give away these flowers to be made into upcycled incense sticks!

You can light these eco-friendly incense sticks to make your place smell sweet and contribute to recycling flowers at the same time!

6. Eco-friendly cutlery

Let not your guests have prasad or sweets with plastic cutlery. Opt instead for sustainable and biodegradable utensils.

You can choose from wooden, copper or upcycled coconut shell materials.

After all, what is a festival if not for some special decor, right?

You may also like: Modak, Puranpoli & Laddu: 5 Millet Recipes To Kickstart Your Ganesh Chaturthi!

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

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