Dressing up is a big part of Diwali celebrations. But with so much fashion waste ending up in landfills, let’s steer away from buying a new Diwali outfit for the 2021 festivities. Instead, dig out something from your closet and rewear or restyle it. Or raid your mom’s closet and give an interesting spin to her sarees or lehengas.  How can we make this Diwali sustainable? 🪔 Instead of gifting sweets with tonnes of wasteful packaging, gift experiences. Or choose healthier alternatives like dates. Buy those in bulk and pack them sustainably. For example, you can g ive them a personal touch by wrapping them up in recyclable paper yourself.   🪔 Make Diwali parties plastic-free. Make use of biodegradable cutlery & plates over plastic or thermocole options.  🪔 Reuse the decorations you put up last year. Most decoration products are made from plastic, and if they are single-use they end up in landfills.  🪔 Try a vegan Diwali this time, will be great for your health, skin, and the pla

Shopping for packaged food is one of the most challenging tasks. From confusing labels and long lists of complex ingredients to loose government regulation, identifying foods that are truly good for our health and the environment can be a daunting task. Fortunately, some companies have made their business out of offering truly healthy products that prioritize the health of their customers, their producers, and the environment. I did my research and discovered three amazing sustainable Indian food brands that focus on healthy and mindful consumption and are good for you and the planet. Can picking up a bar of chocolate, or your favorite garam masala during your next grocery run really help support the environment? Scroll on to find out.

  Italian luxury fashion house Gucci drops a range of sneakers crafted from its proprietary eco-friendly and vegan material Demetra .  Demetra, named in homage to Greek agricultural goddess Demeter, is composed of "77 percent plant-based raw materials" including bio-based polyurethane from corn and wheat, viscose, and sustainably sourced wood compounds. Produced in Italy, it took Gucci two years of research and development to perfect the Demetra textile and the company has filed for its patents and trademarks. For now, Gucci will be using Demetra to craft their own in-house products, however by 2022 the company plans to open access to Demetra to the fashion industry. The 'Basket', 'Rhyton', and 'New Ace' are Gucci’s first shoes to be partially crafted from Demetra, demonstrating the textile’s leather-like properties. Unfortunately, Gucci has not disclosed a complete list of materials used in these sneakers on their website, so it's hard to say if a

The world is generating more and more rubbish every day, and we do not know what to do with all that waste. The throw-away culture that has seeped in every part of the world has resulted in the exponential growth of landfills, and that is dangerous.   Landfills are one of the causes of climate change as they generate and release biogas into the atmosphere. Plus, many of the items that are thrown away contain toxic substances. Over time, these toxins leach into our soil and groundwater and become environmental hazards for years. Fortunately, a lot of companies and individuals are trying to find a solution to the waste problem. This has resulted in a movement that looks to craft beautiful and functional products from discarded waste. From sneakers to incense sticks, here are 3 Indian companies that are turning trash into really cool products. 1. Phool Offering flowers in temples is a popular practice in India among worshippers. The problem is heaps of these flowers, approximately 8 mil

  Sustainability has become a hot topic everywhere. A surfeit of brands that are calling themselves sustainable or eco-friendly have recently flooded the market, behemoths like Unilever, Zara, H&M, are launching sustainable products and collections. Magazines, newspapers, and digital publications are all about tips and tricks to incorporate sustainability into your lifestyle. Whether it is switching to a zero-waste shampoo barm choosing a bamboo toothbrush, buying sneakers made from recycled plastic waste, or using reusable bags for your grocery shopping, there are plenty of products and ideas to inspire you to make conscious chocies. This is great news, and I believe we are living in exciting times because finally people are accepting the impact of climate change and are aware of the consequences of their choices. But at the same time, so much information can be overwhelming for some. Plus, there is a lot of pressure to be perfect. As a consequence, many people end up not doing an

 Have you watched the TV Show Emily in Paris? Not only did I find Emily in Paris clichéd and uninspired (and the style of the main character tacky most of the times), the show was also very unrealistic financially and a disaster when it comes to sustainability… The show practically teaches you that being financially reckless is glamorous. A novice social media strategist wearing new {designer} outfits and bags every day make no sense at all – financially or practically. Her spending and lifestyle habits set a wrong example, especially for the young viewers, when it comes to sustainability and managing your money. She’s driving around in taxis in an expensive city like Paris instead of taking public transport (a common practice by people in her salary bracket). And all those fancy restaurants she’s spotted dining in. Dah….! I know, I know. Emily in Paris is not about sustainability or money. But just because it's not, doesn’t mean the show writers can’t be creative with beli

Abuse of plastic is one of the biggest problems our generation is facing.  The problem is not the plastic, its the way we are irresponsibly using the material.  Single-use plastic - the plastic that we only use once and throw away forgetting that it will outlive your generation and next's, is one of the major problems. While we have started being more mindful about single-use plastic use like plastic bottles, plastic straws, food that comes in plastic-packaging, we pay little heed to the plastic in our clothes and wardrobes. And I am not talking about the plastic packaging. Did you know 65% of clothing produced worldwide is made from plastic? From your gorgeous flowy dress, sexy swimsuits, and underwear (yes even that!) to your stylish vegan heels & chic handbag everything has plastic. Surprised?  The problem is the when these garments are washed, they shed and release thousands of tiny, unseen microplastics (or microfibers) into the oceans, consumed by sea creatu

Last updated: 25th June 2020 ‘ Sustainable fashion ’ aren’t just buzzwords but its the need of the hour and the future of fashion. We are consciously damaging our planet and it turns out a lot of it has to do with the way we produce and consume things. How? In case you didn’t know already, fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world.  The good thing is, we are living in interesting times where technology and innovation have given us access to materials that we never thought possible. However, at the same time, consumerism and mass production is damaging our planet and exploiting the people involved in making the beautiful clothing and accessories we wear. It is time to give some thought to how our fashion choices affect the lives of so many people and our planet and start making a change. The exploitation of labor has been going on for decades, but after the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh, on 24th April 2013, the dark side of the fashion industry finally ca

Every woman should get a pair of organic cotton pads (with wings!) so they are not ingesting toxins in their bodies when their hormones are giving them enough grief as it is. Its 2020, and we are still uncomfortable talking about periods. The good thing is that while periods are still a taboo for many, we also have ongoing open and frank discussions on menstrual cycles making periods a little less agonizing.  An average woman uses over 10,000 pads in her lifetime. Like most women, until a few years back I was also happy with my regular feminine hygiene brand - well-advertised on TV and easily available at any supermarket or pharmacy. In fact, I even collaborated with the brand when they launched a new product which was softer, thinner and smelled nice. As part of the collaboration, when I posted about it on my Instagram, someone pointed it out that regular pads are damaging our health and that of the planet. When I looked more into it, I realised how bad for the environ