New Delhi: Break the conventional norm of ‘big fat’ weddings that end up leaving truckloads of garbage – from food wastage to flowers waste, a mini avalanche of all things plastic, thanks to the endless decorations, one single wedding ceremony can end up taking a huge toll on the environment. Instead, celebrate your special day in an eco-friendly and greenway that leaves a zero impact on the environment. Here’s a lowdown on what one needs to do if they have decided to celebrate the wedding with a #SwachhTwist.
1. Save Paper, Go For E-invites
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First things first, with the wedding comes the good-old discussion of cards. Don’t go all out with the endless market trends for the wedding cards, instead, go for e-invites.
Your e-invites doesn’t have to be boring, think creatively and design your own wedding cards, there are multiple apps and online tools these days from where people can make their own wedding cards. One can also go to the caricature artists and get the e-invite done.
2. Ditch Thermocol And Plastic For Decorations
The main welcome board made from waste at Deepa and Prashin’s Green Wedding in Mumbai
Say no to these two conventional wedding decorations – thermocol and plastic. Instead, go for wooden décor or decoration supplies that can be recycled. Replace flexiboards with cloth or recycled wooden banners, don’t opt for balloons, and instead go for paper lanterns. Keep the décor minimum, keeping in mind the zero waste phenomena. You can also try a lot of do-it-yourself wedding theme decorations like create your own photo strings using pictures of the couple and put them together using a thread. To give a bright and colourful décor, one can also hang colourful cloth flags by the thread. Make your own banners for the walls and light up the stage decorations using plastic bottles filled with lights or candles.
Also Read: Mumbai Couple Express Love For Each Other And The Environment By Going Green On Their Wedding
3. Go Easy On Flowers
Zero-waste wedding decor, use only seasonal flowers at the wedding, which later can be converted into fertilizer
Stay clear of flowers for decorations, and if you must use flowers, then go for locally-sourced floral decorations and afterward use the flower waste for composting instead of just throwing it into the trash bin.
4. Serve Food In Eco-friendly Cutlery
Don’t use plastic or disposable cutlery at the wedding, use the good old steel cutlery so that no waste can go into your trash bin. Stick to this reusable alternative as much as possible. Wherever there is a need to use disposable cutlery, switch to the tableware range that is eco-friendly. In the market today there are many alternatives available such as CHUK’S eco-friendly solution to India – tableware made with from sugarcane waste, Trishula, one that has a solution for single-use plastic spoons in the form of edible spoons, Astu Eco, who is providing eco-friendly alternatives to plastic cutlery via its areca, bagasse and paper made tableware, to name a few.
5. Live By The Zero-Waste Rule
Follow the rule of 3R’s – Reuse, Recycle and Reduce while hosting your wedding party. Along with that, be careful with the waste that is going into the trash bin – items like food and flower waste can easily be composted. The other way to handle food wastage is to get in touch with an NGO that can help you distribute excess food to the poor.
On the other hand, plastic bags that your guests brought along with the presents can be collected and given to a local scrap dealer. Make sure, your trash bin remains empty at all times – think of ways in which you can help make the wedding a zero-waste affair. If there are other recyclable wastes produced during the wedding, then collect it and give it to the recyclers instead of simply putting it in the trash bin.
