Marriages are forever and so is plastic waste. It is no secret that the non-biodegradable, manmade material persists in the environment for thousands of years, leading to pollution and climate change. It also poses severe harm to people’s and the planet’s heath. Unfortunately yet expectedly, the wedding ecosystem, too, is a contributor to this degradation. Did you know the plastic confetti used to shower on the happy couple during the ceremony can take up to 500 years to decompose?
Sure, there is an evident revolution in the landscape revolving around elements that are ethical, eco-conscious and environment-friendly. Yet sadly when you zoom in, you’ll see that these lexicons usually translate to tokenism in the form of a sustainable lehenga here and upcycling some flowers there. But why should your big day be the carte blanche for creating a big carbon footprint?
The numbers game
To shed some light on the gravity of the situation, Satish Ramchandani, co-founder, Updapt ESG Tech, shares some hard-hitting statistics, “The global wedding services market was valued at approximately $200 billion in 2024 and is expected to grow over $700 billion in the next 10 years. Though a booming space, the wedding industry faces several challenges, primarily related to waste generation and carbon emissions. The wedding industry generates tonnes of plastic pollution, with the average wedding estimated to produce around 400 pounds of garbage and the equivalent of 63 tonnes of carbon dioxide.”
But all is not lost, he comforts. “A growing number of couples are choosing eco-friendly options, driving a trend towards environment-friendly celebrations. The market is evolving with technological advancements and there are enough choices available to make the wedding plastic-free and generate less pollution. In fact, several of these are practical, plastic-free alternatives, be it utensils, tableware, food, bar station, favours or flowers,” adds Satish.
How you can go the plastic-free route
Whether you’re longtime proponents of a sustainable lifestyle or a couple who’d like to rethink their detrimental choices and plan ethically, I list out simple ways you can contribute to a greener planet in 2025 with your wedding celebrations.
Enlist experts making sustainable strides
Your ground zero should be commissioning the right team that shares the same vision and values as you. From planners to caterers, on board wedding pros who not only have a quality-over-quantity approach but put eco-friendly practices first. When finalising vendors (which you can find on the KhushWedding.com Vendor Marketplace), ask them about their sustainability practices before signing the contract.
Pick the right venue
Once your crew is locked, secure a space that emphasises sustainability. It’s the easiest way to extend your green thumb. I recommend a venue with ample natural light and energy-efficient LED lights. Built-in décor / stage means a major reduction on polluting elements like balloons, plastic decor backdrops, plastic flowers, and disposable tableware. Alternatively, try to rent décor and furniture items.
Opt for sustainable decor and floral work
No, I am not referring to plastic flowers often used in décor, which are often reused for multiple celebrations. Fresh flowers, in fact, create a lot of plastic waste in some way or the other. When discussing with your florist, ensure they use biodegradable plastic bags and cases for their shipping and handling. Above all, ask them to design floral arrangements that is foam-free and uses eco-friendly alternatives. Floral foam is a block of microplastic that is hazardous for many reasons. Go for local vendors and local flowers.
Consider E-vites
Your wedding invitation an essential in order to share the details of your big day to your loved ones. While there’s some joy to open a conventional paper invite, a digital version will help minimise the paper that’s wasted in the process. Where a physical invite is static, you can go with a video format for your E-vite. This means you can go as personalized, thoughtful and quirky as you like. In addition to being better for the environment, paperless will may also save you a bit of money. Paperless Post, Greenvelope, Minted and many other platforms let you design E-vites. There are also a plethora of talent artists like Shailly Gajjar and Pink Whistle Man By Ranjani who are doing some incredible work.
Go for a sustainable wedding wardrobe
If you thought your bridal lehenga wouldn’t possibly be a source of plastic pollution, you wouldn’t be more wrong. The global apparel industry generates an estimated 21 million tonnes of macroplastic waste annually, with 89% of this waste coming from synthetic fibres. Make your contribution by curating your trousseau with pieces from designers who are championing sustainability. Couturiers like Anita Dongre, Anavila, Falguni Shane Peacock, Sabyasachi and Ritu Kumar among many others are leading the slow fashion movement in the space. Simply, picked handloom over mill textile will also make a huge difference.
Serve scrumptious and sustainable meals
Look for local caterers. Source local and seasonal ingredients to reduce the miles of carbon footprint that’s caused due to shipping. Consider a vegan or vegetarian menu, not only is it lightly on the gut, but also lighter on the planet. Meats cause a lot of pollution. The same goes for your crockery and cutlery. Don’t let your plastic cups, water bottles and plates end up in a landfill. Your bar doesn’t need to be an offender either. Go for local and organic wines and spirits, which come in biodynamic bottlings to support environmentally-conscious event. Of course, large affairs like weddings have leftovers. If regulations permit, donate extra food in eco-friendly containers or consider composting.
Ditch single-use anything
Single-use anything should be ditched, from portable water bottles to plastic straws. Consider renting stemware and serveware that is plastic-free, reusable or made from organic materials bamboo, glass, steel or leaves. If it is unavoidable, use compostable (not just biodegradable) options. Follow this thumb rule for linens too. Instead of paper napkins, rent linen napkins, tablecloths, and runners. Some venues and cateres even provide linens as part of the event space charge.
Gift eco-friendly favours
Welcome bags show hospitality and thoughtfulness. But they often come packed with one-time-use plastic water bottles and individually wrapped bags of snacks. Their green alternatives are glass or steel bottles that your guests can take back home and edible treats in glass jars or eco-friendly cloth tote bags. Follow suit for your wedding favours too. Local edible treats, small potted plants, clean and conscious beauty hampers, garden kits and other such sustainable souvenirs will be appreciated way more than a cookie-cutter option like plastic photo frame.
Royals and celebrities who went the eco-friendly way for their big day
Still on the fence? Let Princess Eugenie’s nuptials with Jack Brooksbank in 2018 be your guide. The late Queen’s daughter went completely plastic-free for her walk down the aisle. There was a blanket ban of plastic straws and bottles by the Buckingham Palace on all royal estates by the royal, who also serves as an ambassador for Project 0, a charitable initiative committed to protecting the ocean from pollution via single-use plastic.
Closer to home, actress, activist and advocate for sustainability, Dia Mirza ensured her wedding businessman Vaibhav Rekhi in February 2021 was completely eco-friendly and plastic-free. They couple chose hyper-local flowers for the décor, flower petal cones were crafted using banana leaves, and candles were replaced by diyas and glass lanterns.
Digital invitations set the tone for Rakul Singh and Jackky Bhagnani’s wedding in Goa. That’s not all, they also opted for a carbon audit, and a tree plantation initiative in collaboration with a sustainable organisation.
