Diwali is a festival that marks the end of evil and victory of good. Unfortunately, the practice of burning crackers that marks this theme is polluting Earth in many ways. During the early days and before modernization, people burned natural handmade crackers that were safe for humans and other life forms. But since the introduction of industrialization and chemical crackers, the burning of Diwali crackers is doing more harm than good.
Not just crackers, even shopping and gift tradition is also adding a lot of waste after this festival of lights. It is on all of us to reduce such waste production and turn Diwali into an eco-friendly Diwali. That said, it is not a tough task to refrain from damaging the environment on Diwali. With little awareness and a little more responsibility towards Earth, we can easily enjoy an eco-friendly Diwali and pass a good message to future generations.
Here are some ways how to celebrate eco-friendly Diwali:
Reduce festive purchases:
Diwali is a time for fun. That should not make you splurge on the festive shopping and buy all that is not essential. Try reusing costly clothes from your wardrobe. Control the temptation to purchase on coming across irresistible Diwali offers. Studies reveal that consumers buy a lot more than really essential during occasions like Diwali. Thus, keeping a check on festive shopping is your first step towards making Diwali eco-friendly.
Burn crackers in a limited portion:
Avoid crackers that cause too much smoke and sound. Celebrate eco-friendly Diwali using crackers that emit sparkles and light. This is one easy way to celebrate Diwali in an eco-friendly way without missing out on the fun of burning crackers.
Mind your Diwali gift packing:
Diwali is one festival that comes with gifts! Exchanging gifts is a norm on Diwali. As a result of this, tonnes of gift wraps end up in the garbage bins. Being not recyclable, this gift wrap is causing problems to nature. To avoid such damage to the environment, let us change to handmade paper gift wrapping for Diwali gifts. You can also try using newspapers and decorating them with threads, ropes, and buttons, etc. to give a rustic look. All such gift wrapping ideas save earth in many ways and turn it greener!
Use online gifting:
If your nearest ones are located far away, instead of sending them a direct gift, send them an online gift voucher. This reduces the shipping and the package involved. Encourage them to buy a gift of their choice in their vicinity. Thus, both of you together can save a lot of packaging material as well as fuel for the transportation of gifts.
Organize planting campaigns:
Diwali is a festival of 5 days. On one of the days, invite your friends and neighbors to join together to plant trees in your house or community. Plant local trees that purify the air and need little maintenance. This is a great way to celebrate eco-friendly Diwali and pass on a greener Earth to your children.
Cook your own food:
Diwali is a time to get together. Invite your friends and relatives to get together. Organize and cook at one place to enjoy the festival. This cuts down the expenses you would otherwise incur in ordering food, along with the food wastage that happens in the Diwali buffets in the hotels. We all know food wastage is one of the main contributors to the carbon footprint on the Earth. Thus, cooking together can bring this down while strengthening our bonds with each other.
So, what else are you doing to make Diwali eco-friendly? We are eager to know. Please comment.
