Diwali is a festival synonymous with celebration, love, and festivities. Despite the fact that crackers cause a lot of discomfort and distress to elderly people, young children, strays, pets, environment, the very thought of celebrating Diwali without crackers is one that is hard to imagine but the silver lining is that there are several alternative ways to celebrate this festival of lights.
We’ve picked up 10 ways to help you celebrate a safe and eco-friendly Diwali!
Buy Diyas from Local Vendors
Diwali is no doubt a festival of lights. And once you go to the market for Diwali shopping, it’s difficult to resist the temptation of shopping for those eye-catching LED lights, lamps and curtains, all made with low quality plastic.
But hold on to your urge. There are various alternatives to keep the house looking bright and illuminated. Why not give a thought to buying earthen lanterns/lamps and diyas?! Hanging a few earthen lanterns/lamps will give the decor an ethnic look and as well as give you a sense of pride to have contributed towards lighting your house the natural way.
Go Natural with Colours
Chemical colors may look appealing but try designing a rangoli using natural colors and you will never go back to using the chemical rangoli colors. Imagine being provided with an alternative to using varied colored pulses, fresh flowers, and bright yellow turmeric and red kumkum! What a stunning rangoli can be designed out of these!
Switch from Plastic Bags to Reusable Ones
Diwali is a time to shop which invariably points to the fact that you will be bringing in ample bags as well. How about you do a favor to the environment this Diwali?! It will not be much but all you need to do is to carry your own bags next time you decide to head off shopping. The best part is you save yourself the trouble of doing away with all the unwanted plastic at home when it’s cleaning time! A win-win for you and the environment! For gifting too, opt for bags made out of jute or cloth which can be reused over heavily dyed paper or plastic. Check out Clean Planet for options for some gorgeous looking eco-friendly bags for both shopping and gifting.
Buy Eco-friendly Decor Products, Like Clay Torans
Why we would like to use the word ‘designer’ here is since you would be putting in the efforts to design the Diwali decoration for your home. How?! Pretty simple!
Instead of buying readymade torans of plastic, opt for something more creative. Like you can use air-drying clay to make flowers and string them together or bottle caps, paint them and string them together, etc. Use old dupattas and sarees to create colorful curtains or just for wall décor.
There are umpteen ideas that will start pouring in once you decide that this Diwali you would make best out of waste and decorate your home.
You can also make your children participate in the decoration activities and use their creativity to help you make lanterns out of waste paper and paint them. And if you are unable to find time to make decorations, opt for those handmade by others and contribute towards making their Diwali brighter.
Go Biodegradable with Cutlery
Guests pour in numbers during any festive occasion. So it is natural that food and drinks are to be served, and this eventually leads to a lot many dishes to be cleaned. At such times, we tend to veer towards using disposable plates and glasses, which unfortunately are very damaging to the environment. To counteract and build a solution for both your problems, we suggest you opt for biodegradable crockery. It looks chic and elegant and will also save you all the effort to clean up post the event.
Gift a Plant
Gifting is a given during Diwali and you just cannot visit your friends/relatives without a gift to give. Instead of going with a cliché of carrying sweets and other edible items (which again come packed in plastic), why not opt for some decorative plants? Gift a plant this Diwali and set a new trend altogether.
Donate the Extras
Run through your wardrobe. You may come across at least a couple of clothes that you either no longer fit in or do not wear. There are hundreds and you can say, even thousands of people around who cannot afford anything new this Diwali. Gift those attires to them and lead a helping hand in their celebration of Diwali with a smile. Not only clothes, donate accessories/shoes and other things too. There is no better way to light up this Diwali than lighting up a home or a needy person’s face. There are NGOs like Clothes Box Foundation who provide doorstep service for donating clothes, etc for the needy.
Think Before you Buy
We agree Diwali means we need to go all out and shop! While we wouldn’t suggest you don’t shop, we’d suggest you shop with a sensitive eye.
Instead of piling on things that will have no value post the festival, opt for things that are longer-lasting, made by people who would benefit from your purchase or made using materials that do not harm the environment.
Like for instance, if you are to buy a greeting card, why not buy one from an NGO? Or get decorations handmade by someone who has put in time and effort into it?
The market is flooded with ideas where you can shop for eco-friendly jewelry made of terracotta and dyed using vegetable colors, clothes made out of organic cotton and pure silk, edibles home-cooked by women trying to contribute towards their family’s income, decorations made with reusable materials, and much more. Go for these, instead of the cheaper mass-produced alternatives.
Don’t Contribute to Noise Pollution
Loud music in any form is simply a nuisance. Tone it down. You will not only feel good but will also help those who need to rest. You never know your aged neighbor next door may be unwell and wanting some rest, or there might be a little child in the neighborhood waking up from her sleep with the loud music being played by you. Have a quiet and peaceful Diwali.
Eco-friendly Crackers are a Thing
Try and avoid burning your money on crackers. They literally do not serve any purpose. And as a matter of fact, they encourage child labor.
But in case you cannot celebrate Diwali without crackers, opt for the eco-friendly ones. They are made of recycled paper. And not only do they make lesser noise but also pollute the environment less.
A little change can go a long way, especially with each one of us trying to add on the change. Let’s be sincere in our endeavors to save our planet because as of 2019, we don’t have a choice.
We are celebrating an eco-friendly Diwali at IndoreHD, are you?
This festive season use our DIY Ideas to decorate your home your style, here