“We do not “come into” this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree. As the ocean “waves,” the universe “peoples.” Every individual is an expression of the whole realm of nature, a unique action of the total universe….” – Alan W. Watts
I wanted to write this note for the Earth Day newsletter because, for me, every day is Earth Day. I am so in love with our earth, this precious planet that we so often take for granted. That’s why the quote above by Alan Watts really resonated with me. If we see ourselves as one with the planet, we will then make more conscious daily choices for the planet.
I hesitate using the word sustainable because its definition is open to debate; some things that we may think are sustainable, like using paper or cotton, in fact, contribute to the cutting of trees or massive amounts of water waste and the use of chemical pesticides (unless the cotton being farmed is organic). But even so, they are better than using plastic and polyester which just don’t biodegrade and end up in landfills for an eternity.
We sometimes have to make choices, like choosing between using organic cotton or regular cotton (organic cotton is around 30-40% more expensive than regular cotton) and we are willing to take some of the hit in our margins for it but is our consumer also willing to meet us halfway and pay that little bit extra for organic cotton? These are the choices we have to make to help our beautiful planet, and that is when we can say that every day truly is Earth day.
“Nicobar is far from a sustainable brand but we are a brand that is conscious about our choices.”
We are taking little steps on a regular basis to ensure we are more connected with the planet. For example we use almost entirely natural materials in our vast product range, we have eliminated plastic bottles from our studios and our stores, and are slowly replacing regular cotton with organic cotton. In the last four months alone we have reduced the use of plastic in our packaging by 85% and are working on reducing it further. We’re often asked how we managed to make such a dent in our plastic use, and so we’re sharing this information with you in our Journal in the hope that it will inspire other young brands to follow.
Simran Lal
Co-founder and Creative Director
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It’s important for brands to be accountable, which is why we wanted to tell you the steps we’ve taken towards more-conscious product development, in the hope that this fuels you to make impactful changes in your lives and businesses, as well.
Our product tags are now crafted from seed and elephant poo paper, our jewellery pouches from raw fabric that’s intended to be repurposed . Find your match at Everwards (everwards.co.in) or Haathi Chaap (https://elephantpoopaper.com/)
We’ve swapped 85% of our plastic packaging with pulp trays, crushed brown paper, and shredded waste paper from RB Plastic (http://www.rbplastic.in/) and Deepak Print pack (https://www.indiamart.com/company/4150010/aboutus.html)
Plus (and we think about this every time we travel) the amount of waste generated on holidays makes our heads hurt. Here’s a guide to zero waste travel from one of our favourite eco-heroes, Sahar Mansoor.
