Gift consciously this Valentine’s Day

This Valentine’s Day, buy eco-friendly, sustainable products that help reduce waste, cut down our carbon footprint and enhance our well-being. If you want to gift utilitarian yet stylish bags, you can go for cruelty-free vegan leather items from brands such as The Gusto and Malai (named after the cream of coconut), made with eco-friendly materials such as fibre and organic cotton. “Cruelty-free leather is an ethical choice. Our products are handmade by rural artisans,” says Mansi Gambhir, founder, The Gusto.

For jewellery, you can choose vintage inspired pieces from brands such as Aulerth and Limelight Diamonds. Aulerth makes its jewellery from brass, collected after industrial use, while Limelight Diamonds uses technology to create a heritage that is conscious of the world’s ecological needs. The diamonds are made in laboratories. This saves 109 gallons of water per carat and 2.63 tonnes of mineral waste per carat. Pooja Sheth, founder of Limelight Diamonds, says, “As resources get stretched, the call of the hour is to use technology to create a new kind of heritage that is also conscious of the world and its ecological needs. Our diamonds are made in laboratories. This saves 109 gallons of water per carat and 2.63 tonnes of mineral waste per carat.”

You can also go for eco-friendly clothing from brands such as Coord Squad, Damensch and Aastey. “We source fabric from factory dumps. We do not produce in bulk and our packing is biodegradable,” says Sakshi Goyal, co-founder, Coord Squad who started this initiative with Navya Gupta (co-founder) last year. If you wish to gift watches, opt from Jaipur Watch Company, a sustainable produce with zero waste policies. Khadi by Titan is another option. They make matches by using authentic, hand spun khadi on the dial and strap.

Chemical-free and cruelty- free skincare products can also be a good option. Choose from brands such as The Ayurveda Experience (TAE) and Shesha Ayurveda that rely on age-old Ayurvedic principles of healing the skin without causing harm to the environment. The products by Shesha are made using wild herbs sourced from organic farmers who don’t use pesticides. TAE also uses wild-crafted herbs and a traditional method of cooking the ingredients that enhances their properties. No chemicals, binders or additives are used, the products are not tested on animals and come in eco-friendly packaging.