More than a billion people will be celebrating Diwali today. They'll be dusting corners, readying their best outfits, and buying diyas. They'll be buying presents and new pots, eating burfi and sweets with a mission, watching fireworks, and renewing their year.

Part of that renewal is reflection - and we wanted to reflect on the idea of how we can have a more sustainable Diwali amidst all the shopping and celebrating we'll be doing. 

If you're not familiar with Diwali or Deepawali - it's the festival of lights, and an especially big moment for Hindus. You can read this for a backgrounder. When celebrating the triumph of good over evil, it’s hard not to think about how Diwali’s message of fighting for collective good applies to ourselves and our planet perhaps even more urgently today.

We’re all seeing the climate crisis play out in front of our eyes. Right now, millions of Australians are experiencing or on the long road to recovery from widespread flood events, and we're around the corner from another bushfire season. Around the world, Somalia is facing the worst famine and drought-stricken lands (and that’s barely scratching the surface). Pakistan’s battling flood devastation; India’s had record-breaking heatwaves; and entire villages have washed away in Bangladesh. 

Climate change has created significant social inequalities. So when we do celebrate Diwali's triumph of good over evil, it's important that our actions should also try to better the world, or at least not worsen the climate emergency we’re treaded towards. 

Here's a few ways you can make your Diwali more sustainable

🎁 Start with gifting. Get or give your gifts from a sustainable organisation or social enterprise. There are a lot of options if you just ask the question. You can check out Oxfam's gift shop, EcoFriendly Gifts, Humanism Global, Ethical Merch Co, For Dignity, and plastic free skin products at Wanderlightly.  Use newspaper or recycled paper for wrapping to save paper waste. 

✨ Then decorations. The usual rangoli powders and colours are made of synthetic material and often contain harmful chemicals like mercury and lead that are toxic to kids and pets, and pollute the waterways. The Internet is filled with tutorials explaining sustainable ways of making rangoli colours. The most famous ingredient is rice. Simply grind the rice, and after a few minutes, you’ll get pure white powder, then add colour.

🪔 For light, if you want to make beeswax candles yourself you can get the full tutorial here; and this tutorial can teach you to create pretty diyas with ingredients available at home. For the bold, you can get eco-friendly diyas made of real-deal Indian cow dung here. 

🥻 For clothes, hit the op-shop or swap outfits - try with GlamCorner or Swap-a-Porter, or make sure you buy sustainable fashion items. Here's a list of ethical brands by Global Citizen, and a list of 15 sustainable fashion brands from India.   

🛺 Lastly, it's great to carpool, share rides, and even go volunteer your time to help those less fortunate or the environment. You can help out more by buying food that's locally and sustainably grown, or making your own mithai. Even putting recycling in the right bin at a Diwali festival is a step in the right direction. 

The future requires us to honour our cultural traditions and also be innovative. The options for having a sustainable Diwali are endless, and we know we can count on you as creative South Asian Australia to find new ways to reflect on the beauty of Diwali and celebrate the occasion in a climate-conscious way - keeping the Earth and our community in mind. 

Happy Sustainable Diwali from the SAARI Team! ✨