Sustainable Celebrations — Rethinking The Way We Gather

Discover how sustainable celebrations reduce waste, cut carbon footprints, and inspire eco-friendly choices in weddings and events, creating joyful moments that protect the planet.

Sustainable Celebrations

Source : Pinterest/wedmegood

{By: Anup Garg}

Sustainable celebrations are gaining attention as people increasingly recognise the environmental impact of traditional events. From replacing plastic banners with reusable materials to serving meals on banana leaves and using steel glasses instead of disposables, many are adopting eco-friendly practices. These conscious choices help eliminate plastic waste and ensure that biodegradable waste is composted rather than sent to landfills.

Such instances highlight a growing awareness. It is important to understand that celebrations, while joyous, often leave a significant environmental footprint. As per information available in the public domain, In India, the wedding industry alone is valued at approximately $50 billion, with an average wedding producing 200 to 300 kg of food waste, accounting for nearly 20% of total food waste.

Why Green Celebrations Matter

Globally, a three-day conference with 1,000 attendees can generate approximately 530 metric tons of CO₂ emissions and produce 5,670 kg of waste. In India, a typical three-day wedding can emit around 250 tons of CO₂. Events contribute up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, factoring in material usage, energy consumption, and participant transportation.

Mindset Shift

1. Measuring To Manage

The first step towards sustainable celebrations is a change in mindset. It's essential to recognise that what isn't measured can't be managed. By assessing the carbon footprint of our events, we can identify areas for improvement.

In fact, there are many green and conscious start-ups, which conduct comprehensive carbon audits for weddings, considering factors like travel, venue energy use, and catering.  They then offset these emissions by planting trees, each absorbing 20 kg of CO₂ annually.

2. The Green Checklist

• Venue And Decor: One can opt for open-air or naturally lit venues to reduce energy consumption, use upcycled, locally sourced, or reusable décor, and avoid single-use plastics and thermocol.
• Food And Catering: Here, we can source local, seasonal produce, partner with vendors who minimise food waste, and use compostable or reusable cutlery and crockery.
• Invitations And Gifts: One can argue that using technology also produces emissions, yet choosing digital invitations over printed ones, reduce carbon footprints. Besides, one can suggest green gifts or warmly convey to donate for environmental causes. Important is to encourage zero-waste gifting options.
• Waste Management: This aspect is quite simple. We can set up segregated waste bins at the event, collaborate with local waste management services for composting and recycling and donate excess food to verified food banks.

3. Embrace Green Technology

Incorporating green technology can significantly reduce the environmental impact of events. For example, using LED lighting consumes up to 90% less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs and lasts up to 25 times longer. Additionally, solar-powered lighting and energy-efficient appliances can further decrease energy consumption.

Inspire Others, Share Green Journey

Our commitment to sustainable celebrations can inspire others. We all love to win social media medals, so why not for something meaningful? Let’s share our experiences on social media, detailing the steps we took to make our event eco-friendly. By documenting and sharing our journey, we not only celebrate responsibly but also encourage others to consider the environmental impact of their gatherings.

Let’s understand that sustainable celebrations are not about sacrificing joy but about making conscious choices that protect mother earth and honour our heritage and traditions. We must create memorable events that leave a positive legacy for future generations.

The author, Anup Garg, is the founder and director at World of Circular Economy (WOCE).