• Will advise you not to buy plastic toys for your kid. Waste but safe things make great play stuff for children, like discarded small bottles, old clothes, tin cans etc. Children don’t need plastic fruits and vegetable to play. They need your time! You can also check a toy library near your home. That will at least limit the use of harmful plastics.

• Do you know that many companies nowadays recycle old electronic goods like mobiles, laptops etc.? If you have an electronic item beyond repair, kindly sell it online to such companies. The alarming fact is that circuit boards contain high amount of harmful Lead and it can pass up to higher level of our ecosystem if not destroyed properly.

• Organic waste such as stale food, vegetables, and fruits can be turned into manure inside the house. You can transform the waste into small pieces and spread it across the flower bed in your home. This manure making process does not cause foul smell and can be conveniently done in a small space. The manure will be enough for your little plants in the plastic bottles!

• You can dissolve tiny bits and pieces of used soap bar in small amount of water to make an excellent floor wash. We can avoid using harmful chemical based floor cleansers. Chemicals find their way into the river through drain and pollute the aquatic ecosystem. Chemical based pesticides can be replaced by herb based natural ones. Neem (Azadirachta indica) based pesticides are getting widely used now.

• We have heard before that cosmetics are tested on poor animals but do we know that several cosmetics are made by using harmful chemicals and compounds. Silica is used in Glitters that can cause health issues if it is absorbed by our body. Similarly, face scrubs contain plastic pellets that again find its way into the river and in the end polluting the ecosystem. Avoiding them is best for sustainability of environment.

• We often host party at home. Try using naturally made disposables like Palm dinnerware instead of plastic ones. They are doubly beneficial - eco-friendliness and elegant looks as well!

• Cardboard boxes or milk cartons can be decorated and used as storage bins instead of plastic boxes and shelves.

• Lastly, solar cells have been promoted widely by the government as it is can store solar energy. Individual homes can make good use of solar cells instead of electricity generated from non-renewable sources. 

On this festive season, we pray to Almighty for our well-being and for our loved ones. The festival signifies prayers, fasting and charity. This is the time of feasting on home made delicacies starting from the Iftar party. A lot of time is spent in order to prepare the dishes.

My neighbour, Jawed, invited us for Iftar in which I got an opportunity to munch on dishes I never had eaten before. Served over naturally made disposable dinnerware, the food looked awesome, elegant. It has become indispensable for small parties at home to use disposables as it saves lots of time by eliminating the lengthy cleaning process after the feast. Added to that, Jawed explained that these naturally made disposables made him think responsibly for the environment. Well, yes! How many people think that way-responsibly for the environment? Many people, I will say but we need many many more end this plastic apocalypse.

Plastic made disposables that are so cliché and boring and besides, no matter how beautiful, is the certified cause of many types of cancers. We don't want carcinogens served on our plates on any occasion. More so, it adds to the pollution burden of the earth. I am sure that Allah himself would have condemned the use of plastics! The use of plastic disposables is completely incompatible with the pious and festive spirit of Eid. Besides, you would not want to contribute to earth's pollution on the festival of abstinence and charity. 

Jawed explained further that it’s a very trendy way out of this plastic mess. It’s eco-friendly areca palm leaf 
disposable dinnerware. On Eid, I had another invitation from him and the presentation of food was fabulous again. Food decoration is the key to successful exhibition of your culinary skills. The traditional fare of Eid, whether it be dates or biryani, can be aptly complemented with the modern feel of areca palm disposables.
Trust me they are expensive enough that no one can blame you of being a miser. They are an excellent choice to showcase your taste as well as dishes in a nature-friendly way. No wonder if the dinnerware itself steals the entire show. 

I indulged deeper into this dinnerware. Jawed had no option but to reveal the shop where from where he had purchased and that lead me to the manufacturers name and website. Only then I came to know that these elegant disposables are made from palm sheaths that are not plucked but collected after they naturally fall from the trees. After a lengthy process the products are heat treated to remove all dirt and microbial organisms. I the last process, they are given smooth edges and shiny surfaces in a GMP certified plant. 

Besides contributing to the environment, by buying areca disposables, all of us can contribute to the cause of small industry that cannot compete with the giant and monstrous plastic industry. As a buyer, we stand to support the cause of female workers, by appreciating their handmade products. What can be a better option for celebrating the cause of charity!

The world needs more of green today, interestingly the colour of Islam. On this celebration of goodness and charity, let us make our contribution to a universal cause of environment and ensure many happier Eid for our children and their children in the times to come. Make the good even better by incorporating environment friendly yet stylish dinner ware to the feast and thanks to Jawed!!