Tips to go green this Diwali

In between all the shopping frenzy that comes along with Diwali, people often forget how the products they purchase can affect the environment. Being a little mindful will help.

Rajesh Aggarwal, Founder, Zedpack and Shreya Jain, Founder of Shreya Jain Couture, have listed down a few tips which can help people with an eco-conscious mind to save nature this Diwali:

* Use non-plastic bags: Shopkeepers and buyers are still using plastic bags which end up in landfills, causing soil suffocation and erosion. To contribute a bit to the environment, shoppers must carry non-woven or jute bags with them to counter the dependence on these hazardous bags.

* Use green wrappers for gifts: Apart from plastic bags, the second biggest delinquent for landfills are plastic wrappers. Use gift wrappers made up of newspapers, brown bags or wrappers made up of green fabrics. People can even design gift wrappers at home as per their convenience and comfort. They just need chart paper and the artistic family member for the designs and patterns.

* Using LED lights: LED light is a useful innovation to the energy saving products and people are buying it for cutting down unnecessary electrical expenses. During this Diwali, one can buy LED strip which is reasonable and eco-friendly altogether. The best part of LED lights apart from saving electrical costs are the materials used in its making like Gallium phosphide (GaP) which provides high reliability at low energy.

* Avoid crackers: Seeing the recent menace of air pollution, one should definitely spread awareness and discourage people from buying even small crackers, which can contribute to the smoke and smog altogether. So one should say a big no to firecrackers this season, after all, we want to raise a generation, who can witness these festivals without serious health ailments.

* Spread the joy by sharing leftover food: Diwali as a festival is known for its happiness and joy, people who can afford new clothes and great cuisines can help the environment a bit by minimising food wastage and sharing the sweets and foods with poor children and families. It will not just make your Diwali special but will definitely spread happiness around the environment.

--IANS

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