Eco-living is easier than ever, and this festive season is a great time to start

With every year that passes, festivals are becoming more and more eco-friendly. People are now more aware than ever before about the noise and air pollution during Diwali and have started to curtail their use of crackers. During the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, many families are opting for clay idols instead of POP since Plaster of Paris is not bio-degradable and pollutes the rivers. This Holi as well, the majority of the shops are stocking organic and eco-friendly colors that wash off easily, and are not harmful to the skin. Living eco-friendly doesn’t need to be a temporary affair around festivals only. In fact, now more than ever, it has become easier to adopt a clean and green lifestyle in Goa, thanks to the numerous movements that have started.

Plastic straws end up in the ocean, harming animal and plant life

Living eco-friendly everyday

Making the move to an eco-friendly lifestyle does not have to be a drastic change. Small and conscious changes to our everyday routines could have positive and sustainable impacts on our environment. Here are a few things you can do to help contribute to a cleaner and greener Goa.

• Say no to plastic straws. Plastic straws are a ‘one-time use’ item that has a bigger impact on our environment than we think. Since these little slivers of plastic are difficult to recycle, then end up polluting our oceans and endangering sea life.
• Carry your own shopping bag. This one is a no brainer and something we’ve been doing for a long time. Many larger supermarkets charge for disposable bags (and rightly so) in the hope that more people will bring their own reusable bags.
• Reuse glass bottles for drinking water. Goan homes have been doing this for generations - and old alcohol bottles work best! Not only do they look nice, but they last long as well.
• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We all learn the 3 Rs in school, but practicing them is another challenge. If we take the time to segregate and recycle, we’re a step closer to a greener and cleaner Goa.
• Buying organic produce. There are so many organic and eco-friendly stores opening up in Goa now that sell everything from organic fruits and vegetables, to sustainable everyday use products. Below are a few shops that you can visit.

A still from last year's New Earth Gathering

Shopping responsibly and sustainably

In an effort to reduce the amount of non-recyclable plastics used in daily life, there are a number of shops and pop-ups that sell organic produce. They also sell everyday use items made of natural materials such as metal straws, bamboo toothbrushes, and clothes made of natural fabrics such as cotton and hemp. Some of these places are:

• Ecoposro. Ecoposro is Goa’s first zero-waste store situated in Parra. All their produce is sourced from local farms, and they do not any form of plastic packaging. They encourage patrons to bring their own containers for taking home rice and other grains as well.
• Saukhyam. The latest entrant to Goa’s organic lifestyle, Saukyam provides a spacious retreat where you can browse natural, healthy, and environmentally friendly products such as makeup and skin care products for your everyday needs. The store is located in Porvorim.
• Natti’s Naturals. This cafe cum boutique used to be in Anjuna but is now situated in Merces. Their entire menu features food and beverages made using fresh and organic produce, while the boutique features rare and hard to find herbs and ingredients among other items.
• New Earth Gathering. This pop-up happening on March 24 in Assagao is a Healthy, Holistic, Community Market. Here you can purchase a variety of products that can help you kick-start your new eco-life - non-toxic bath & body care, original art, handmade and up-cycled jewelry, kombucha, menstrual cups, bamboo toothbrushes, clothes made with recycled fabric, non-toxic cleaning products, and so much more.

We hope this Holi is the start of a vibrant, colorful, thoughtful and eco-friendly journey for you and your family. We’d love to hear how you make a difference to the environment, so join the conversation in the comments below.