9 Ways To Celebrate A Green Diwali & Do Our Bit To Save The Environment

Diwali is always the perfect excuse for excess. Between all the mithai, the insane Diwali parties where nights turn into mornings, gifts and just happy cheer, it¡¯s not only the most wonderful time of the year but the most wasteful, too.

In no way are we saying don't go all out or have a gala time on Diwali. Instead, what we are pushing for is having fun while being kind to the environment.

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While people want to be considerate about the environment, they simply just don't know how.

Most Indians also admit that it's sometimes easier to just buy things, use them and throw them away instead of spending time figuring out ways to celebrate the festival in the most sustainable way.

Luckily, this time, we've done the work for you. All the below mentioned tips will help you celebrate a green Diwali!

1. Cut back on food wastage.

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Please stop going overboard with the amount of dishes you serve at Diwali parties. No one will be impressed if you put out 10 dishes and no one will look down on you if you just have two to three food options. Please plan meals and also plan how you shop for groceries. The mantra should be to buy less and consume everything you buy. Stop hoarding food items only to throw them away because you have so many options.

2. Make this Diwali a #PottersKiDiwali.

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Don't buy Chinese LED lights or even candles as most candles contain paraffin wax made from petroleum, which are no good for the environment ¨C or your health, for that matter. Instead, pledge to buy earthen diyas made by our potters. They really look forward to the festive season all year for sales to earn money. This why you will be kind to the environment while making a difference in the life of others.

3. Mithai, electronics and dry fruits aren't the only gifting options.

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Most gifts that we get on Diwali are either deemed useless or add onto our weight because of excessive calories. So move away froM traditional gifts and give out small indoor plants, exotic flowers and even organic food items.

4. When you give out gifts, forego gift wrapping completely.

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Please stop buying gifting bags, plastic wrapping or spending money on expensive gift wraps. They just add to the wastage and once someone tears open the wrapping, it can never be used. So eliminating gift wrapping is an extremely sustainable choice.

5. Ban single-use plastic from all your Diwali parties.

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STOP buying plastic cups, plates and cutlery to serve at parties. Please use the crockery you have at home. We know washing them is a task and throwing plastic is far easier, but by not buying plastic items you aren't only saving money but making it clear to manufacturers that as consumers we won't buy single use plastic. Which will lead to less production, naturally.

6. Use natural ingredients to make rangolis.

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Why even bother buying organic colours when natural ingredients can make your rangoli look amazing. You can use the rice powder for white colour, turmeric for yellow colour and coloured rice for red colour and so on. You can also use marigold, roses and other flowers for making your rangoli look extra wow.

8. Go natural with your choice of decorations too!

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As for decorations? Choose decorations made from glass, wood or organic cotton. Nature is the best source for decor inspiration and things like cinnamon sticks make for a very atmospheric and fragrant room.

9. Don't waste money on crackers.

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Instead of bursting crackers that unleash havoc on the environment, why not come up with more ideas where you can spend time with the entire family? Think Diwali parties, dinner parties or evening drinks.