Reduce consumption, avoid ‘revenge shopping’

NEW DELHI: Most urban folks, with some exceptions, are back to near-normal after the second wave of coronavirus disease (Covid-19). Apart from revenge tourism, are we also revenge shopping?

Most people love to shop for clothes. I’m baffled. I mean what exactly have we worn in the last 15 months that we need to top up? We might want to remember the central Covid lesson: don’t mess with the environment. And our collective consumption is the biggest way we do that.

Let’s ignore the polyester and synthetics in our cupboards. We already know they are hard to handle.

Let’s just talk about cotton because when we buy cotton, we tell ourselves it’s biodegradable. But think of it in terms of water, for cotton is one of the most water intense crops out there. Some estimates are it takes about 20,000 litres to produce one kilo of cotton. And on an average, in a big city, each person is projected to consume at least 150 litres per day. Many of those going shopping consume much more.

Also remember, India is a deeply water-stressed country: 600 million of our fellow countrymen live in conditions of water scarcity. And 0.2 million die each year for lack of clean water. To me, this makes the cost of cotton much higher. You do the math and see if your cotton tee or kurta is really that green.

Guilt is not the way ahead. Now that you do know the challenges, there’s only one way ahead: buy less. Enjoy your clothes more.