Deepavali or Diwali, the much-loved festival of lights will be celebrated on November 12, 2023. Every year the most anticipated festival of India is preceded by decorating homes with glittering lights or rangolis, bursting crackers, and exchanging gifts among loved ones. Now new traditions like Diwali taash parties or dance parties have also become common in many states.
However, in recent years the issue of air pollution, waste items, and garbage generation has prompted many people to change the way they celebrate this festival, in a bid to make it more sustainable. Here are some tips for an eco-friendly Diwali celebration.
Say NO To Crackers
The first and most important thing one can do to make their Diwali celebrations better for the environment is to reject the use of crackers of any kind. Reports have shown that Air Quality Index (AQI) worsens near Diwali due to the extensive use of crackers.
If at all you wish to use crackers then pick the ‘green’ crackers that are designed by the National Environmental and Engineering Research Institute. These ‘green’ crackers are made with less polluting ingredients and emit less noise compared to regular crackers.
Give Eco-friendly Gifts
Choose gifts that are made of organic or eco-friendly material. Instead of using plastic gift wrappers make use of recycled wrapping paper or use newspapers to pack your gifts. One should also be mindful while gifting. Avoid giving useless or obligatory gifts that will remain unused by the receiver. It’s better to ask your loved ones what they want. You can also simply give them a gift card or money or plants.
Donate Old Things
Diwali is also a time of deep cleaning and throwing away things that no longer serve you. However, instead of adding your unused items to the landfills, you can donate them and give these items a new life. There are nonprofits that accept old clothes and shoes. You can give old appliances or electronics to organisations like Karma Recycling and ExtraCarbon. The process of segregating materials and donating them might be time-consuming but ultimately fulfilling.
Make Rangoli Using Natural Items
Replace chemical colors with natural ingredients such as rose petals and marigolds. Embrace traditional rangoli-making techniques that employ items like flowers, flour, roli, turmeric, and leaves. Rangolis made of synthetic colors may look more vibrant but these colors ultimately end up contaminating the soil and water table/groundwater level after they are washed out following Diwali.
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