Diwali 2021: How Mumbaikars are growing conscious about zero-waste celebrations

With lockdown restrictions eased, since the past week Mumbaikars have been engrossed in preparations for Diwali, a festival that enlivens the city during October and November. Though the festive zeal is greater compared to the low-key celebrations of the previous year, the government guidelines and the impact of the pandemic has generally reduced the craze about firecrackers.

In addition to giving up on firecrackers, people are exploring options and altering their choices wherever possible to celebrate Diwali in a sustainable and environment-friendly manner.

While Diwali is considered to be an auspicious occasion to purchase new items and do away with everything old and dusty in the house, in the recent years many have adopted sustainable methods to celebrate the festive season.

Choosing to re-use already available items

The lantern being made by Sunil Indulkar using sticks and pieces of wood available in the surroundings. Picture courtesy: Bhakti Indulkar.

Shraddha Bhakare, an advertising professional from Mumbai, says they usually re-use the previous year's materials for decorating the house. These materials include the earthen diyas or lamps and re-usable lanterns made of cloth, which can be folded and kept safely.

"We don't use plastic lanterns and apart from food ingredients and clothes, we don't really indulge in extra expense," says Bhakare.

Shraddha Indulkar, an engineering professional and city-based resident, uses earthen diyas to support local vendors and prepares faraal (Diwali sweets) at home instead of buying from shops.

"Since last year, my father has started making the lantern at home using a wooden frame he made using a large wooden stick he found on road," says Indulkar, adding that they also do not use heavy cosmetics during festive season except for the traditional Jai kaajal and an eye liner which can be used for a longer period.

The Indulkars are also looking for methods for eco-friendly packaging of festival delicacies, which are distributed to relatives and friends.

Both Bhakare and Indulkar have also stopped bursting crackers since a decade, considering the air and noise pollution concerns.

Switching to eco-friendly products

Earthern diyas are available in a variety of colours, shapes, sizes and designs in the market and are generally preferred over simple diyas depending on the prices. However, the paint used to decorate the diyas is considered to be harmful for the environment given the amount of time they take to decompose when used for years or when coated with chemical paints.

Semtika Maurya, a city-based architect, will also be celebrating an eco-friendly Diwali and intends to continue it in the future. She says, "I have been celebrating the festival with terracotta diyas and fresh flowers for the last three years now." This time around, she will also be travelling to the Konkan region and helping locals manage their waste better too.

Cow dung diyas sold by Slow N Conscious Living. Picture courtesy: Pooja Damodia.

With increasing preferences for traditional and close-to -nature items, people are also switching to cow dung diyas, which are relatively new to the urban markets.

Pooja Damodia, founder of Mumbai-based Slow N Conscious Living - a start-up which deals with eco-friendly products and sustainable living, explains that the cow-dung diyas are made up of cow dung collected from a native Indian breed of cows and are essentially zero-waste products.

"Unlike earthern diyas, the cow dung diyas burn away along with the wick leaving behind the ashes which can be used as a pest-repellant. Thus, the whole of the diya is useful for the environment leaving behind zero waste," says Damodia.

One dozen of cow dung diyas are sold at Rs 110 by Slow N Conscious Living and this year Damodia was able to sell approximately 50 dozens of cow dung diyas with little promotion. Damodia, who has been selling eco-friendly products for the festive season for over three years now, stresses on a growing demand among those focusing on environment friendly celebrations and organic products.

This wood framed lantern with patterns on a translucent cloth has been in use for a couple of years now, says Shraddha Bhakare. Picture courtesy: Shraddha Bhakare.

Ways to manage festive waste

Celebrations also mean a lot of waste generated at home and in public spaces, which can be harmful to people, street animals or to nature in general if not disposed of properly. During Diwali, food waste becomes one of the major concerns given the amount of food cooked for guests and for distributing to acquaintances.

According to Hamsa Iyer, a passionate ‘eco warrior' who believes compassion and kindness are key to rebuilding the planet, one should determine how much quantity of food is needed before cooking and, preferably, stock up on fruits which can be preserved well, in case the cooked food is not sufficient.

She also adds that one should be mindful about not glorifying the act of donating leftover food for charity purposes during festive seasons and must preserve the dignity of people and the food served on their table. If an individual is willing to donate food, Iyer suggests a respectful way is to clearly communicate the needed amount and donate fresh food before time.

Diwali season also means a boost in the sales of electronic products owing to the discounts, offers and other campaigns by brands and businesses. Many invest in new home appliances or personal electronic devices and discard old devices. The GreenCiti initiative, undertaken in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Bombay, focuses on electronic waste generated during the festive season.

GreenCiti, a non-profit organisation working towards the cause of encouraging environment friendly practices, has launched an e-waste collection drive across several residential areas in Mumbai to encourage people to dispose of their electronic waste for recycling or reusing.

The 200 volunteers of GreenCiti collect e-waste from their locality, residential complexes and office spaces and dispatch it for re-cycle or re-use depending on the condition of the products.

"We usually accept all kinds of e-waste. As more people are working from home, we are getting a lot of smartphones, old personal computers and Bluetooth devices. The ones that are re-usable are distributed to the needy by our volunteers and others are sent for recycling," says Kamal R Mishra, lead volunteer of e-Waste initiative, GreenCiti.

Quick tips to ensure a cost-effective and zero-waste Diwali

Hamsa Iyer suggests some tips and practices that one can adopt during the festive season:

1. Decoration: Try to make rangoli powder and garlands from scratch. Use leftover colours from Holi to make rangolis to avoid waste. Switch to flowers and petals for making rangoli instead of sticking to colours. The idea is to be mindful of what is available around you and then use the resources.

2. For vacation: Take your kids to local potters and let them watch the pottery skills. Similarly, invest in experiencing local food and flavours. Also, if possible, get in touch with local artisans or farmers and go to the fields, engage with them and lend a helping hand in their work.

3. Planting: Plant seasonal fruits and vegetables. For example, winter vegetables during Diwali.

4. Gifting: It is advisable to gift cash and give the receiver the option to buy what they need, instead of gifting something they already have or do not need, which might end up as waste. Adopt sustainable practices like sharing or handing over clothes and other reusable items among family members during festivals instead of spending on new items every year.

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