Celebrate a green Diwali this year, here are some ideas

The festival of Diwali is here and most of us are busy preparing for it, there is so much shopping and cleaning to do. This Diwali lets be a little more considerate and take some environment friendly steps and try and celebrate a cleaner and greener Diwali.

Here are a few ideas that can help make Diwali green.

1. When you go out for shopping, do carry a green bag– a bag made of cloth, jute or recycled material. This will help reduce the use of plastic bags and you can also comfortably carry them. A good idea is to keep the bags handy at home so you can take them with you whenever you go to the market.

2. Give ecofriendly gifts and avoid giving things made out of plastics. Books, homemade snacks or sweets are some very thoughtful and special gifts.

3. Avoid wrapping up gifts in plastic decorative sheets. These materials are not environmental friendly as they are not biodegradable. When wrapping up gifts for your loved ones, use different materials that are greener. There are lot of eco saving options such as gift wrappers made up of newspapers, brown bags or even beautiful fabrics. Think creatively and make unique gift wrappers from biodegradable materials.

4. Even other decorative things such as lanterns can also be made out of environmental friendly material, or bought readymade from the market. Invest in decorative stuff that is recyclable and not harmful for the environment.

   I believe in making in home cooked delicacies and sweets for festivals as they are healthy. This year I am making ‘torans’ and décor items at home from waste material and my son is helping. He has ADHD and the craft activity is a fun way for him to get ready for the festival and also learn about recycling waste. Madhu Bala, parent from Delhi

   Putting up decorative lights is a part of our festivals. This year use green lights – LED lights to light up your homes, shops and offices. The led strips come in various lengths and are easy to use. They are not only ecofriendly, but also consume less electric power making them friendly for your pockets as well. In fact you can use natural lightening such as ‘diyas’ to decorate on Diwali.

5. Avoid crackers this Diwali, as many places in the country are facing problems due to bad air quality. Crackers are a source of air and noise pollution and can also cause severe burns. You can make this Diwali green by saying no to lighting crackers.

   Rekha S a mother from Pune says that her son with autism does not like loud noises.

   “I have decided not to burst crackers on Diwali and also encourage others to do the same. The noise and smoke are not good for children, animals and sick people. We can instead light lamps and play entertaining indoor games with friends and family members to have fun”, she says.

6. While most people clean their households on the occasion of Diwali, they forget their neighborhood. Keep your surroundings clean as well. After all, cleanliness is godliness.

7. Eat healthy and avoid artificial sweeteners, you can try and make simple sweets and snacks at home instead of buying processed food.

8. Last but not the least, don’t waste food. You can give away left over food to the needy people as there are hundreds and thousands of them in the country. You can use the festival of Diwali for sharing happiness by means of giving away food, clothes, books and such things to those who cannot afford them.

If you have any more ideas about a green Diwali, do share with us. NewzHook wishes you a very happy and safe Diwali.

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