Sustainability isn’t as simple as one upcycled outfit or one meal served on banana leaves. It needs to cover all parameters – from décor, favours and waste management right down to the season you choose to marry in. “To ensure a wedding is genuinely sustainable and not just for social media, couples need to adopt a holistic approach. This means considering the environmental impact of every aspect, from planning to post-event cleanup,” explains Aishwarya Lonial, co-founder and designer at Nose to Tail that specialises in green weddings. For a sustainable South Indian wedding they planned in Bengaluru, Lonial minimised waste with digital invitations, local crafts such as coconut and palm leaf weaving for décor using reusable mauli thread, foam-free floral arrangements and composting of wet waste. “All the natural materials were collected and donated for conversion into Holi powder and other products,” she adds.
Nose To Tail
Food: “An often-ignored part of a wedding is food wastage. A typical Indian wedding of 500 guests can produce over 800 kilos of waste,” reveals Malwade. So opt for live stations, local cuisines and ingredients, and consider working with NGOs like Feeding India, Robin Hood Army and Roti Bank by Dabbawalas to collect leftover food. Single-use plastic bottles are a big no.
Waste management: Malwade adds that nearly 2,000-3,000 kilos of waste can be generated at an Indian wedding of 500 guests. “This waste, if not segregated and properly processed, will go to a landfill.” So, have a waste management agency at the venue to scientifically manage this.
Décor: Work with elements that can be mindfully reused, repurposed or recycled. Reuse these across your various events even; and work with terracotta, jute and paper which don’t cause much damage to the environment.
Nose To Tail
Nose To Tail
Flowers: Use locally sourced flowers and potted plants, and opt for arrangements that don’t require non-biodegradable floral foam. “Hang floral strings instead, but using thread and jute ropes instead of GI wire and tape,” adds Dileepan.
Favours: Instead of wedding favours, Greenmyna planted a sapling in a municipal garden for each of a couple’s 300+ guests. Guests were handed small cards with the GPS position of where their saplings were. Mansoor created hampers with everyday essentials as gifts, ensuring it wouldn’t go to waste. You can also curate these from certified sustainable brands.
Guest list and travel: Travel — to a destination and within it to get to the events — is a big culprit due to the carbon emissions generated. Since they couldn’t avoid it, Mansoor took adequate steps to offset it. “We ensured the wedding venue was a stone’s throw away from the airport. Most of our guests carpooled in electric vehicles for internal travel. We also offset our carbon footprint associated with flights and travels through Climes.”
