Scooped in their apartment in Kolkata, young couple Rabi, and Sharmila Roy, both IT sector workers, adjusted to a mostly ‘work from home’ lifestyle during the lockdown. Little traffic ensured that the pollution levels reduced massively in all cities, and Ravi and Sharmila joined in animated discussions on how nature is healing itself, and how we, humans, abuse her so unthinkingly.
Determined that they will mend their ways and be responsible and responsive to nature, they decided to incorporate eco-friendly home products in their home. Recyclable, biodegradable products must take the centre-stage in their home, while plastics must be minimised.
Every Day can be the Earth Day
Concern for nature can be liberated from a single day in a year and can be acted upon every day by using eco-friendly home products. Even small gestures can produce a significant environmental impact, whether you’re choosing recycled goods, using natural cleaning products, or finding ways to ditch single-use products for ones that are reusable, biodegradable, or made from sustainable materials. Using environmentally friendly products and materials is a good way to reduce our carbon footprint and help us protect the planet and its water.
Concern for Nature is Growing in Our Cities
Today’s consumers are quite well informed about the availability of eco-friendly home products. Green products are now widely available in India. The young, conscious, and well-educated consumers like Ravi and Sharmila are often choosing them in lieu of non-green alternatives.
With concerns surrounding high levels of pollution, the rapid rate of deforestation, and climate change people, especially millennials, are now becoming more conscious about their purchasing patterns. Right from soaps and detergents to bags and clothes, consumers are now keeping an eye out for not only great quality and reasonable prices, but also for eco-friendly brands.
Apart from the upmarket Bengaluru, Mumbai or Delhi shoppers, even tier-2 and tier-3 cities are also adopting green products gradually.
The heartening fact is that shoppers are not only stopping at replacing plastic or buying home décor products but a plethora of products that are considered green. The Eco-friendliness of the brands is becoming a key determinant for purchase decisions.
Eco-friendly Home Products are in Huge Demand
Eco-friendly home products are not used by the select few any more but are growing in popularity among the middle class too. There are a number of stores in shopping malls and e-commerce platforms that stock eco-friendly items. The products are varied, ranging from environment-friendly soap and detergent, fibre/plant-based bags, toothbrush, cutlery, box, bags for different usage, and home décor items. A number of products made from recycled ocean plastic are also available.
Now that many Indian cities face the problem of water during the summer months, water-saving devices are in high demand. Organic food products, environment –friendly personal care products are also in vogue.
In short, eco-friendly home products include products made from natural/upcycled/recycled materials, organic groceries, energy/resource-saving products, and multiple usage items. Adoption is fast growing in all categories.
Eco-friendly Home Products are Creating a Huge Economy
Eco-friendly home products are not only good for the ecology but are good for us also, and most new-age customers are realising it. For example, using energy-saving LED lights or water-saving devices are also economically advantageous over the longer term. Organic food or natural personal care products are good for our health too.
Today’s customers are well informed, and the internet, as a ready receptacle of information, helps in educating them. Most of us quite well aware of energy-saving electronic goods because of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency publicity programme. Customers often prefer higher-rated electronic goods like fridge or AC than lower rate ones which consume more electricity.
Most consumer product companies are also responding to this new trend and coming up with environment-friendly products based on sustainable living standards which are well accepted by the customers.
In fact, the superior environment friendliness doesn’t start inside your home but starts even before you buy your home. An increasing number of real estate projects complying with the IGBC norms for green buildings.
Homebuyers prefer IGBC certified green buildings, and if you are rightly concerned about our sustainable future, you might too.
