By Hema Vaishnavi:
The increasing global temperatures and the rising sea levels have got everyone’s attention, and that doesn’t exclude the new age wedding planners. An eco-friendly solution to anything and everything is the current trend of today and surely the wedding planners are not the ones to fall back on this lucrative yet beneficial option. The concept of a ‘green wedding’ has impressed the west with its simple and chic ways to a great wedding. The west has embraced the green way of celebrating an occasion pretty quick and the concept is seen to be spreading the world over.
It is an acknowledged fact that an occasion as big as a wedding does indeed generate a lot of waste and the carbon emission exceeds more than usual. It is estimated that a single wedding, on an average, will produce 62 tons of carbon dioxide and around 200-300 kilograms of garbage. And imagine when around a thousand weddings stop reducing such kind of wastage, the world would be such a happy place to live in.
The concept might seem a daunting one, but one really need not worry because the way to organize a green wedding is easy and simple. All one needs to do is follow some thumb rules and calculations and some right choices.
The first thing anyone should do is analyse and enlist the areas where the maximum amount of wastage is generated. The amount of paper that goes into sending out invitations often goes unnoticed. In order to minimise this, one can use recycled and post-consumer waste paper, tree-free paper, soy inks, and digital correspondence options all offer beautiful and elegant ways to reduce resource consumption.
There are other areas where one can infuse some creativity to reduce the carbon footprint. Often the make-up and the jewellery that goes with the bridal costume do a lot more harm to the environment than one envisages. Chemically treated imported flowers, toxic makeup and skin care products, mined gem-based jewellery, and individual packets of rice, are to name a few. Eco-conscious jewellers use recycled stones and metals, as well as ethically sourced diamonds, gems and metals to create breathtaking and unique items. Family heirlooms, vintage or antique pieces, or handmade items are also sustainable, and often less expensive options to consider. Also, using all-natural beauty and hair products or seeking out a green salon for your wedding day will be much better for your health.
While these may come across as the major waste generators of any wedding, there are other miscellaneous sources that are of major concern, such as the leftover food, the number of people attending a wedding and the decorations that go into the wedding. It is advised to donate the leftover food rather than throwing it out. More guests equals more impact from travel, costs and quantity of requirements form the venue size to the amount of food to be prepared. A seemingly trivial point, but it should be ensured that the flowers that go into the decoration have not been treated with pesticides and herbicides.
Weddings are said to be occasions of memory, celebration and joy. It’s only understandable to find people wanting such occasions to stand out, but they often forget the impact that their moments of joy make on the planet. If only every person makes an effort to create a wedding that leaves an impression on everyone who attends but the planet, the world will surely be a better place to live in.