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Introducing eco-friendly adjustments in every area of your life is no mean feat. We asked three varied women to give us their guides to sustainable living.

Easy guides to lead a more sustainable life

Introducing eco-friendly adjustments in every area of your life is no mean feat. We asked three very varied women to give us their guides to sustainable living  

Our initial understanding of the idea of sustainability is often shaped by our personal interests. For instance, someone who loves fashion might, at first, associate eco-friendly living with buying pre-loved garments or supporting sustainable labels. However, a little deeper in their journey, many discover a broader, all-encompassing definition of sustainability, encouraging them to make kinder choices in more than one area of their lives. This learning can be both inspiring and overwhelming. While the information about how we can reduce our environmental impact in a multitude of ways is available in abundance, there’s no universal formula that works for each individual. Add greenwashing to the mix, and the task becomes that much more daunting. In order to better understand what a well-rounded yet personalised approach to sustainability looks like, we reached out to three eco-warriors and asked them to share their thoughts. 

Garvita Gulhati has bagged multiple accolades for 'Why Waste?’, a youth-led initiative which has helped save several million litres of water

Garvita Gulhati has bagged multiple accolades for 'Why Waste?’, a youth-led initiative which has helped save several million litres of water

“Sustainability is about making different choices, not difficult ones,

“Sustainability is about making different choices, not difficult ones," says Garvita Gulhati. Image: Pexels

Garvita Gulhati, founder and CEO, Why Waste?

Frequently dubbed “India’s water girl,” Garvita Gulhati has bagged multiple accolades (including the prestigious Diana Award) for 'Why Waste?’, a youth-led initiative which has helped save several million litres of water.  

On the meaning of sustainability: “To me, sustainability is about living in tandem with nature and having a more symbiotic existence rather than the parasitic existence that we currently have. We were born into this world with the way things are but we now have a choice to transform our own existence and push towards more sustainable ways of being. This could look like refusing to use plastic bottles or even walking to work instead of taking your car.”

On dressing sustainably: “I haven’t bought any new clothes in a while. My mother is a designer who upcycles clothes and I deflect to her for any fashion-related decisions. She can turn a sari into an anarkali and an anarkali into a kurta. This works especially well for heavy outfits, which are unlikely to be repeated frequently.”

On living sustainably: “Every item in your house can be picked from sustainable sources but your home can also be engineered in a way that makes it more sustainable. For example, you can have a home that’s able to harness enough solar power and rain water to run it. It can also be other little things like having a front-load washing machine instead of a top-load washing machine because the former consumes less water.”

On eating sustainably: “I am a vegetarian and try choosing foods that were grown more sustainably, such as millets and legumes. There’s also a lot said about sourcing food sustainably and growing your own food. I don’t have the capabilities to do that currently but I would love to try it someday.”

On identifying greenwashing: “There are some companies which use sustainability as a marketing gimmick and then there are those that are genuinely working hard towards bringing ideas that create more sustainable outcomes. Take time to understand the company you’re buying from and examine whether they are genuinely excited about the idea of sustainability and making changes to their system. Additionally, supply chains are some of the biggest polluters–they are unseen and hard for a consumer to understand. So the transparency of a business is key.”

On lessons learnt: “Sustainability is about making different choices, not difficult ones. Do as much as you can and you will slowly transition into a more sustainable lifestyle. For instance, I used to take hot-water showers but today I take cold-water, half-bucket baths. This saves both electricity and water. However, it was not an easy or immediate change but a gradual transition.”

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"If the brand uses words like ‘natural’ or ‘eco-friendly’ but isn’t explaining how and why, consider it a red flag," says Arti Jalan. Image: Pexels

Kirti Poonia, co-founder, Relove  

Throughout the course of her career, Kirti Poonia has made many meaningful conscious contributions. The latest addition to her list is Relove–a circular fashion tech company–which enables brands to have their own online resale and factory outlets. 

On the meaning of sustainability: “Living sustainably is about making conscious decisions everyday–if there is a less harmful way, I will choose that. This includes eating locally sourced ingredients, rewearing apparel, upcycling or reselling products I no longer use and deriving the most value from what I purchase.”

On dressing sustainably: “A sustainable wardrobe would contain thrifted, rescued, mended and hand-me-down items. The idea is to find selective pieces of clothing that you will value for their entire life cycle. In the past year, I’ve only bought pre-loved clothes from brands which use Relove technology, including The Jodi Life, The Summer House and Okhai.”

On living sustainably: “You can build a sustainable home by buying second-hand products, upcycling (you can turn an old sari into a curtain or duvet cover), mending and shopping from factory outlets where the defects are minor yet the price and product is effective.”

On eating sustainably: “I try to shop from local stores, and brands that source their ingredients locally. I also love going to my local mandi for groceries. When it comes to shopping locally, India has an extremely conducive environment.”

On identifying greenwashing: “Products cannot greenwash, only marketing can. So I always look for proof in the product. For instance, I assess whether it has recycled plastic buttons or whether it has been made through a low- or zero-waste design process.”

On lessons learnt: “The one challenge with living sustainably is that you need to be updated–there is a new eco-friendly alternative launching daily. To keep up, I read a lot, observe new launches and I’m an active member of Zero Waste Mumbai, a WhatsApp group that actively discusses alternatives.”

Arti Jalan founded  Forage and Sustain, a platform which supports sustainability through online guides, a curated marketplace, workshops and consulting for small businesses  ALIXANDRA gould

Arti Jalan founded  Forage and Sustain, a platform which supports sustainability through online guides, a curated marketplace, workshops and consulting for small businesses

ALIXANDRA gould

Kirti Poonia is the co-founder of Relove–a circular fashion tech company–which enables brands to have their own online resale and factory outlets

Kirti Poonia is the co-founder of Relove–a circular fashion tech company–which enables brands to have their own online resale and factory outlets

Arti Jalan, founder, Forage and Sustain 

Toronto-based Arti Jalan is the founder of Forage and Sustain, a platform which supports sustainability through online guides, a curated marketplace, workshops and consulting for small businesses.

On the meaning of sustainability: “Some of my brand (and personal) values include intersectionality, accessibility, artistry, reciprocity, transparency and kindness. I try to infuse these into my perception of sustainability, so that when attempting to elicit change, I can do so from a place that considers the collective on every level (people, planet, plants) versus just a singular, isolated goal.”

On dressing sustainably: “I always try to share the idea of ‘fewer but better’. Fashion is a polluting and wasteful industry, and influencer culture makes it seem like we need new things far more than we actually do. Deviating from this narrative and choosing fewer pieces that are better (in terms of materials, craftsmanship, ethics) is how you can begin building a conscious wardrobe, while also challenging your relationship with consumption.”

On living sustainably: “Instead of simply shortlisting sustainable lifestyle brands to buy from, first take a step back and consider your home. Your lifestyle, budget and personal aesthetic are all important. Some sustainable steps for your home include opting for classic pieces with a long lifespan, choosing natural materials over synthetic ones, adding plants and buying second-hand furniture. One of the changes I’ve made is in cleaning products. I’ve swapped almost all chemical-based solutions for natural ones. I make my own pine vinegar and all-purpose cleaner.”

On eating sustainably: “Itry to support standalone grocery stores over chains. I also shop at farmers’ markets and buy locally grown food whenever possible to support farmers and small, independent growers. Additionally, last year, I started planting my own vegetable garden.”

On identifying greenwashing: “There are a few things to keep an eye out for here. The first is transparency. Study whether the brand is open about their process and how they make their products. The second is the use of buzzwords. If the brand uses words like ‘natural’ or ‘eco-friendly’ but isn’t explaining how and why, consider it a red flag. The third is the brand’s history. If a brand is notoriously well-known for their poor ethics, and all of a sudden, they are offering you ‘green’ products, don't immediately buy into it.

On lessons learnt: “In addition to greenwashing, the other challenges are that of cost and accessibility, especially in fashion. However, despite this, doing the best you can, being discerning wherever possible, and engaging in this movement in a way that supports your unique lifestyle is important.”

Also Read: Meet the women championing organic and sustainable farming in India

Also Read: Architect and designer Samira Rathod is creating handmade furniture using local, recycled materials

Also Read: Seven activists online who are leading the change in fashion


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