Indian weddings are typically known for their opulence and extravagance, often leaving behind a trail of plastic waste at the venue after the celebrations have ended. However, Anupama Harish and Charulatha R decided to break this norm by hosting a heartwarming no-plastic wedding for their children, Ashutosh and Nidhi, which also involved composting 1000 kg of waste.
The two mothers were thrilled about their children's upcoming wedding and finalized the date for the ceremony three months in advance. As they gathered to discuss the wedding arrangements, the groom's mother made a non-negotiable request: the wedding must be entirely plastic-free.
Charulatha, the bride's mother, shared with The Better India, "Plastic litter has always bothered me. We already compost at home, and I have a terrace garden where I use it. Even the engagement ceremony we arranged did not have plastic, so we gladly took up the challenge of having a plastic-free wedding."
Anupama took on the responsibility of managing the waste and ensuring a plastic-free wedding. They started by printing a minimum number of invitation cards that conveyed the message of a minimum waste wedding, urging guests to avoid bouquets and gift wrappers.
To minimize waste, they chose a menu with fewer cutlery requirements and served food on banana leaves. They also rented steel cutlery from a free cutlery bank. Despite having over 1,000 guests for the reception and other events, they successfully generated no plastic waste.
“We decided on a menu that would involve less cutlery and chose dishes accordingly. We also didn’t want any plastic cups or water bottles. We rented steel cutlery from Adamya Chetana, a free cutlery bank. Food was served on banana leaves. We only used steel plates for the reception,” says Anupama.
To ensure that no waste from the wedding ended up in landfills, Anupama sought the help of Vasuki Iyengar, a composting expert from the Solid Waste Management Round Table (SWMRT) Bengaluru. Together with the SWMRT team, they composted the 1,000 kg of wet waste generated during the three-day event, turning it into 300 kg of compost, The Better India reported.
They also made thoughtful choices for decorations, using only fresh flowers and distributing naturally dyed blouse pieces to the guests. The flowers were later sent to a studio in Mumbai, where they were used to create clothes using natural dyes for the bride and groom.
Anupama and Charulatha believe that planning a no-plastic wedding is cleaner and easier, with no waste lying around at the venue. They advocate for more people to embrace a plastic-free lifestyle and highlight the importance of adopting sustainable practices.