Going green in gifting treats
DURBAN journalist Arthi Gopi’s passion for the environment is about making small changes for the greater good of the world.
Rooted in the green values that her dad, Lall Sanpath, instilled in her as a little girl, Gopi now sees the possibilities of a healthier world through everything she does.
Gopi writes a monthly column for POST’s sister paper, The Independent on Saturday, raising awareness about matters that affect the environment.
She believes that it is all about making small lifestyle changes for a cleaner and healthier environment.
Moving on to the next chapter of her green journey, she has incorporated this awareness into her eco-friendly Diwali boxes.
“I’m so happy that the need to be aware of our impact on the environment is growing in momentum. When it comes to living gently on the planet, we can try.”
Gopi said this year, as the awareness around single-use plastic grows, she did not want to gift Diwali treats in plastic or polystyrene containers, covered in plastic wrap or plastic ribbon “just to make it look pretty”.
“It all simply gets tossed in the bin, ending up in a landfill site. I set about sourcing eco-friendly boxes, which are biodegradable as they are made of paper and bagasse, a dry pulp material left over from the sugar cane production process.
“Both have lids so there’s no need for plastic wrap. I decided to use 3D paper flowers, paper raffia and doilies to decorate the box, eliminating the need for lots of glitter, sparkly beads or anything plastic,” she said.
Gopi said she had previously gifted treats in polystyrene containers.
“It makes me feel guilty that
I was not aware of the impact of my actions, but we learn as we grow. I am so excited that these boxes have created so much awareness on how we gift things, and to think before we buy more plastic.”
She said eco-awareness was instilled in her by her late father.
“He would teach us about trees and gardens. His ideas of converting an old oil tin into a banjo, or making a swing out of an old car seat, would today be lauded as ‘rustic repurposing’.
“I write a column in The Independent on Saturday on how to ‘go green’ in our lifestyles. I was a youth editor on a unique publication with the UN Environment Programme,on how youth in Africa were actively creating a ‘greener’ continent,” Gopi said.
“Today everything is new, flashy, blingy, bigger, better, brighter and easily disposable. It takes a few seconds to think about our actions and their implications,” Gopi said.