Diwali signifies new beginnings, and what better way to begin a new journey than with greener gifting choices. Professionals from different walks of life, too, suggest ditching the conventional hampers and mithai dabbas this festive season to incorporate sustainable practices.
“We have been seeing three trend changes in occasion based gifting this year — rise in adoption of online gifting as people still fear stepping out to shop, demand for packaged, sealed goodies instead of thali hampers due to hygiene concerns and environment taking precedence shows promising growth”, says Manish Saini, COO, Ferns N Petals, Ecommerce.
To adapt an eco-friendly lifestyle, Tannmay Varrma and Swati Sinha, founders of Taswa, an online plant delivery startup suggests opting for meaningful gifts. Varrma says, “A gift should grow, not exhaust. These plants help in reducing improve indoor air quality, are compact and easy to gift, and radiate positive energy. The plants come in a laminated jute bag which not only help in plant propagation but at the same time beautify the living spaces, because one can’t see the mud lying around as it is visible in terracotta pots. There’s also a plate beneath the planter which collects the residual water.”
{{/usCountry}}To adapt an eco-friendly lifestyle, Tannmay Varrma and Swati Sinha, founders of Taswa, an online plant delivery startup suggests opting for meaningful gifts. Varrma says, “A gift should grow, not exhaust. These plants help in reducing improve indoor air quality, are compact and easy to gift, and radiate positive energy. The plants come in a laminated jute bag which not only help in plant propagation but at the same time beautify the living spaces, because one can’t see the mud lying around as it is visible in terracotta pots. There’s also a plate beneath the planter which collects the residual water.”
{{/usCountry}}You can also gift skincare products as the exposure to air pollutants is a big concern due to rise in AQI levels, believes Ritika Jayaswal, founder of Nourish Mantra, a natural skincare brand. “People don’t realise the effect of pollution on their skin, they only think of the harmful effects on their health. This is why skincare products can be a perfect gift this festive season.”
With increase in awareness around nutrition and health, immunity building foods have become a popular choice. Seema Jindal Jajodia, founder of Nourish Organics, a home-grown clean food company adds, “People are moving to gifting options which are good for health and wellness. Lately, there has also been an expansion in well-being worries among Indian purchasers and they have started to look towards gifting healthy foods to their loved ones due to immunity-boosting requirements. Many health conscious people are preferring to stay away from traditional sweets and rather indulge in healthy options.”
Small changes such as gifting sustainable home decor can also make a big difference. Raghav Gupta, director of ecommerce, The Rug Republic, says, “At the beginning of the lockdown, wonderful photos of rejuvenating wildlife were being circulated. That showed us what Earth could do in such a short break. Ethically-made decor isn’t only for guests to see, it sort of communicates your beliefs without even having to explain.”
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