Christmas is greener on this side

Sujata Biswas gives us an excited chirp when we tell her that Sunday midday is looking for sustainable ideas for the festive season ldquoIt is difficult but not impossible This topic is really close to our heartsrdquo says the cofounder of Suta a sustainable fashion label Her tips are easy and adaptable and will earn you some glutenfree brownie points among your ecoloving guestsPick a gift that will last long Give someone a gift they will cherish and use again and again This will discourage a useandthrowway of life ldquoFor example at my wedding a friend asked me what I wanted and I asked for spoons that I was yet to buy for my kitchen The horse show piece someone gave me is long broken and forgottenrdquoFind a local indie brand to back Mindful shopping is better than end minute buys where your options are limited and choices hasty If the brand happens to be one that supports indigenous people or communities and fair price even betterRummage for preused gifts or socially conscious everyday use At one party we asked friends to gift us old plants or preloved gift items they wanted to give away Pack them in newspaper the ultimate symbol of purposeful recyclingrdquo For a return gift she once gave bottles of bioenzymes or natural cleaners to decontaminate the home and encouraged guests to read up its usageMake your own deacutecor Shersquos known for the terrace parties she hosts and often paints newspapers to make them into buntings ldquoIt looks even better than the store bought ones and offbeatrdquoOrder from home chefs not fancy restaurants or serve a homecooked spread Itrsquos most likely that they will use local and seasonal ingredients making the meal one with a lower carbon footprint Potluck is also a great option Itrsquos the car pooling of dinner partiesTurn large plant into Xmas tree Why buy synthetic and expensive Christmas trees that yoursquoll dust and use once a year when you can decorate a plant in your home with little buntings and fairy lights Any large plant with firm stems can work to hold decorationsSweet amp SavouryOrderin clean grub Green Therapy Company menu supports the wellness of your body mind and the environment The dishes are fresh local sustainable and available in vegan options too Get your gang together for a smoothie party and throw in a gourmet salad bowl tossed in their house dressing The Christmas special menu has a flat 25 per cent flat discount If you want our suggestion try the Deconstructed Sushi Avocado Bowl and Avo ToastsCall 7710063463To order ordergreentherapycompanycomCake thatrsquos good for you Play the Santa who brings in the sweet at the end of your festive dinner An Ode to Gaia has plantbased glutenfree and refined sugarfree delights to satiate every palate and dietary restrictions If you have a really picky request they will customise it for you Choose from a box of strawberry overload that contains Berries and Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake Strawberries and Cream Tart Dark Chocolate Brownies with Fresh Strawberries and Strawberry ShortcakeThis patisserie has sustainability on its mindPrice Rs 1400To order anodetogaiacom anodetogaia InstagramCookie indulgence Yogisattva and Saloni Kukreja have created a limitededition vegan gluten free and refined sugarfree cookie menu with quirky flavours like You Make Miso Happy which have Miso caramel cookies made with organic sorghum and almond flour white miso paste almond milk and unrefined coconut sugar Their seasonal special is the Ginger Snap with ginger molasses cookiesPrice Rs 699 for a box of sixCall 9867455009To order shopyogisattvacomIn the pink of spirit The smell of warm pies and desserts makes a celebration complete All your vegan and glutenfree desires will be met at Seeds of Life a healthy cafeacute for mindful eaters in Bandra and Juhu From their lsquoberryrsquo sweet Strawberry Menu Strawberry Chocolate Tart Almond Strawberry Cake and Strawberry Chocolate Swiss Roll a wholesome Banana Strawberry Smoothie and a yummy Strawberry Smoothie Bowl meet dietary restrictions and food choicesWhere Dinein Delivery and Take Away at Bandra amp Juhu OutletsPrice Rs 200 onwardsCall 9653336089DrinksA dollop of health Ditch sugarladen cookies or cakes and opt for allnatural preservativefree dried fruits juice gels and fruit bowls The Dole Christmas hamper comes with 4 single fruit bowls 3 single jellies 3 packs of dry fruits 50g each and 1 pineapple juice can with fresh fruit concentrate They have no added sugar colour or preservativesPrice Rs 1599To order Doleamozonin or dolesunshinein InstagramNeki aur pooch pooch Now even milk has got flavours Christmas and New Year Specials pours include Organic Strawberry Almond Milk Organic Blueberry Almond Milk and Organic Raspberry Almond Milk These can be customised tooPrice Rs 200 for 250 ml Rs 700 for 1LTo order 9821821818Gratitude with a tea It is the perfect time to brew a cup with closed ones or send someone warm wishes with a teabox Gratitude Box by Teabox contains 12 flavours including Organic Rose Green Organic Mint Green Kashmiri Kahwa Saffron Green and Organic Darjeeling Green The box has been made from a durable ecofriendly paperboardPrice Rs 2239To order inteaboxcomSeltzers count the calories The festive season makes it difficult to make the right choices but itrsquos great to see niche products flood the market Wild Drum has released lowcalorie alcohol beverages that are vegan gluten free in three flavoursmdashpure mango and lemonmint If you must know they are 99 calories per servingPrice Rs 150 for 330 ml canTo order Available at leading storesGifts and HampersBags go vegan too Bags go vegan too Yes you heard it right All Zouk laptop bags and handbags come in handcrafted with Indian prints and modern functionalitiesPrice Rs 999 onwardsTo order zoukcoin zoukonline InstagramDiscarded paper stationery We love our diaries and planners but we are always worried about the wastage Rescript Stationery started by Ashutosh Ananth and Naren Raj uses only discarded paper as raw material to manufacture their products From 95 per cent plastic free pens recycled copier paper notebooks and pencils this gift hamper is going to make your sustainable living friend happyPrice Rs 415 stationery kitsTo order wwwrescriptin rescript_stationery InstagramMake a conscious switch Selfcare has been the word of the year and with The Switch Fix you can keep the wellness of the planet in mind too The clean and conscious personalcare brand offers body butters scrubs to shampoos and conditioner bars One of their quirky collabs with urban farm Shroomery includes Magic Shrooms line that includes shampoo and conditioner bars scalp serum and hair maskPrice Prices start Rs 439To order theswitchfixcoLuxury thatrsquos responsible Itrsquos the season to by jolly but not at the cost of your health Kaashi Wellness has curated beauty and tea hampers that have bath soaps body oils and their signature energy drink mix of powdered spices nuts and seeds Their Kashmiri Kawa is spiked with highquality saffronPrice Rs 2100 to Rs 3000To order kaashiwellnesscom kaashiwellness InstagramPrebiotic skin care iORA a luxury selfcare brand that deals in a range of skincare products that are sulfate parabens artificial preservatives and colourfree All are made from organic ingredients and are vegan too Pick a prebiotic foaming face wash a prebiotic glow mask or prebiotic radiant serum for that perfect giftPrice Rs 599 onwardsTo order All major ecommerce portalsItrsquos Verth it Verth means We Are Earth and it aims to make a sustainable lifestyle accessible and affordable Indiarsquos first ecofriendly and zero plastic subscription box is a curation of a few handpicked ecoconscious products that are delivered right to your doorstep Their packaging is zeroplastic and 100 per cent biodegradablePrice Starting price Rs 799To order wwwverthboxcom