I attended a wedding a while back. The thing that struck me wasn’t the size of the Wazwan. Or the number of guests. It was what was missing. Not a single guest received his drink in a plastic cup. Instead, they were all given drinks in glass bottles. Yes, you read that right. The chutney, curd, and pulao were served in reusable traditional copper utensils. In fact, even the dastarkhan was biodegradable.It felt unusual. And then I realised how unusual the ordinary has become. When I mentioned it to the host, he smiled and said something that stayed with me. “I am trying my bit not to be party to environmental degradation.”

This could be a pretty important message. While many large-scale environmental campaigns are necessary, it’s possible that smaller-scale actions like this could be much more effective. After all, Kashmiri weddings are no longer just celebrations. They have also become some of our biggest consumption events. 

Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of people gather at one place. Food is prepared in huge quantities. Water is consumed in bottles. Plates, glasses, spoons, tissues and packaging are often discarded after a few hours. As a result, being convenient has become our........

© Greater Kashmir