Going green and good!

I've always had great admiration for people who take a risk to start something on their own. Leaving behind the cushy safety of a well established job and company to do what we would really like to do is something we put off till "some day", which for many of us never comes. I'm diverting from my usual style and obsession with poking fun at Sid to do a series of "interviews", as and when the opportunity arises,with friends and acquaintances who have taken the plunge to get involved in some really interesting work.

The first of these is with Aparna Bhatnagar, who lived in the same hostel with me in Delhi during our college days.  With impressive academic and professional credentials, Aparna chose to leave her cushy corporate life and start the Green and Good Store, promoting responsible and environmentally friendly shopping with a range of great products. As I did a piece earlier on becoming more aware of the environment and making smarter choices, I thought this would be a great continuation with some inspiration and advice from Aparna.  

Question: How did the idea of the "Green and Good Store" occur to you?

During my work at companies such as Citibank and Dun and Bradstreet, I realized that there were many people like me who wanted to contribute to society and the environment but found it difficult to take time out from work and family pressures. Since most of us were generally short on time, volunteering regularly with NGOs was difficult. I felt that there was need to find a way of making an impact with actions that we took as part of everyday life. In the mean time from my volunteering experience with NGOs, I realised that there were many NGOs that made amazing, high quality products and the sale of these products was an important source of fundraising and awareness generation for them. However, they found it very difficult to reach people due to financial and geographical constraints. And people like me, who would have appreciated these products, had no way of finding them and their products. I felt that by incorporating these products, that had a good social impact, into our daily lives we could make a difference with small little actions all the time! We any way buy things we need and often things we don’t need, if we could just substitute some of these with alternatives that supported or generated employment for the disabled or marginalised, we could do so much good!

I began with trying to change the way I lived, the way I shopped. It was tough as there was little information on what these products were, their impact and where I could find them. A few products that were available were available only in a few select stores and often at exorbitant prices. There was no single place where I could get a good range of such products at reasonable prices. Therefore, in mid 2008 I decided to quit my job and start a store that made it possible for people to live sustainably and make an impact, socially and environmentally, as part of everyday life. We chose to start an online store because firstly it gives you great geographical reach and secondly this is one channel that NGOs, artisans and a lot of green entrepreneurs find difficult to leverage. Another promising thing about internet is the way you can communicate with people, the way you can narrate the story behind products and actually reach the people who care. Also, it’s green! We don’t waste energy on lighting or air conditioning and since we are hosted on a green server and we can really keep our carbon footprint very low.

Question: Just for the benefit of some of us novices, what makes a product green. Is it like the 5% atta in a wheat flour mix allowing food brands to title their products "whole wheat" or "natural" or is there some sort of universally accepted benchmark?

Great question Reem! There’s so much of passing off everything under green that people are getting really mislead and confused.

To understand what “Green” is, we need to look at the product’s life cycle. Right from what goes into it to how it’s made to its usage to its disposal. A product needs to be green all along its life for it to rightfully claim the “green “status. Also we need to consider the policies of the companies making them, do they pollute in other countries? For example Styrofoam is banned in many countries but the same company happily uses it in others or the company follows legal restrictions in developed countries but pollutes in the developing countries.

So importantly look at

1.     Source – what are the ingredients? How were they obtained/grown? Did that destroy or pollute the environment? How did it impact people and animal? Look at what has gone into it. You could also look at where the ingredients come from. For example the recent Nestle issue of palm oil being sourced from a company (Sinar Mas) that was destroying Indonesia’s forests.

Block printing

2.     Manufacturing Process – what happened during the manufacturing of this product? What was the impact on soil, air, water and people who made them or lived near the place they were made? Was there animal testing or cruelty? Even something perceived harmless such as “Pure Cotton” can severely pollute the soil as its farming is highly synthetic fertiliser and pesticide intensive. Farmers who grow regular cotton are 6 times at more risk on getting cancer. Ground water in these areas is heavily polluted. Soil fertility declines with excessive use of these chemicals while pests just get more resistant. Compare organic cotton in contrast. No synthetic chemicals are used and farmers use traditional and natural methods of pest control and crop growth. Ground water is safer and people are not exposed to harmful chemicals either!

3.     Distribution – How does it reach you? How energy intensive is the distribution? A locally produced version is likely to be greener on this aspect. How is it stocked? How is it packaged? For example  bottled water – does it make sense to pack something that you consume in 10 minutes in something that will last for thousands of years but is thrown away after single use! Isn’t it much better to carry your own water in a flask that you will buy once and use for years for so many things!

4.     Use – What happens to the soil, water, air and people when they use this product? Are there any toxins or harmful chemicals that are released or come in contact with the user? For example detergents that claim stronger than ever before, what’s their environmental footprint? Is there a simpler natural way to wash our clothes?

5.     Disposal: How will this product be disposed? Can it be reused or recycled? Does it biodegrade? Does it release harmful chemicals that can pollute the environment and create problems for people or animals? Will it pollute ground water or create mountains of garbage that will just stay forever!

Question: You've got some impressive credentials - both academic and professional - it's not easy to choose to be in what can be perceived as a less lucrative (financially) initiative.  Is it that easy to put all that aside and plunge into something like this?

Thank you Reem! Well after DSE I worked in an NGO called Seva Mandir for a year. That was the turning point in life for me. Till then I was interested in social and environmental issues but never thought of taking it up as a profession. I always thought that social workers and environmentalists were people who wore khadi and roamed around with Jholas J!  When I went to Seva Mandir, I got to work in remote villages of Rajasthan and meet a lot of people who were doing incredible work for the society and environment with hardly the right financial compensation. It was inspiring to work with them. The people of the villages taught me several things too, their affection and the knack of finding joy in simple things despite a difficult life was very humbling. The most important thing that I learnt there was that you don’t need money to be happy and doing what you love will make you happy and content with whatever you earn. This proved very helpful when I wanted to leave my well paying job.

Artisans making cruelty free leather products(animals that die a
natural death)

From Seva Mandir I went to IIMA with the objective of learning to manage socially oriented organisations, so that one day I could start something of my own. After IIMA I got placed with ICICI in microfinance, but later switched to Citibank and Dun and Bradstreet into regular business roles. Although, I kept volunteering in my spare time to pursue my interest in development I had tasted blood, as they say, with my Seva Mandir experience and knew I had to get back to the sector.  And that made me question myself on what was I waiting for? Good salary and a secure comfy life does make it tough to give it all up but I felt that if I didn’t just jump into doing what I loved full time I would lose the fire and settle down into a regular lifestyle where I would have every material comfort but no meaning and purpose in life and I decided to quit by my 30^th birthday  no matter what.. and that’s what I did..Closed my ears to all the external voices and just jumped in!

Question: Do you feel that there is a strong enough market for your products? If you ask most people, the "green-ness" of a product/brand is not what really motivates them to buy it. If something they're already buying also happens to be "green", it's a plus but it's not something that draws them to a product initially.

You’re absolutely right. It’s a truth that for you and me to part with our hard earned cash the product has to meet our needs first. We have to like it and want it if we’re going to buy it. But this is also true that many times liking and wanting a product is created by advertising, marketing which influences our perception of it.  Unfortunately, and often deliberately we don’t have enough information about how un-green (if there’s a word like that!) a product is. We assume that if it’s in the market and selling well and approved to be sold it must be safe and okay. We also underestimate the difference our purchase decision can make to how businesses treat environment and people.

And also we do not have information on reasonably priced, equally great green and good alternatives and where to find them.

We feel that once people start knowing the stories behind the products, they start making better choices. It’s a slow process where this concept grows on you and you do start looking for alternatives to more things…I started that way.

Cushion covers made by tribal women in Udaipur

So what we want to do is talk about our products, talk about their impact and how they are better than conventional products. We don’t want people to compromise on style or quality …we want to offer people products that are superior on all aspects. We want to make it possible for people to lead a great lifestyle while being sustainable.

Question:Going green is becoming fashionable among a select few - it's sort of how fashion first shows up on the ramps of Milan or Paris, then filters from the luxury designers into mass department stores and then finally into even more accessible street markets.  Do you feel green brands will go through the same sort of process or will they retain their niche-ness? 

The amazing thing is that unlike high fashion some of the greenest people are ones who have the least! In many ways its going upwards! From the absolutely have-nots to the haves, from the developing countries to the developed, from then to now!

This is because of what we have perceived as definition of being developed. It’s a lot like Avatar- the movie. Imagine if the Humans were to start adopting some of the tribe’s values! Greening is almost like relearning a lot of what we knew once! Respecting nature, maintaining a balance where you take from nature as much as you are able to replace or it is able to sustain without disturbing the delicate balance and caring for other members of your community so that everyone is happy!

I do think responsible products will increase in spread and reach, and we will have many more sustainable products that will be introduced in the future. Businesses will have to reconsider the way the function. The sustainability movement will have to be really broad based if the challenges like climate change have to be addressed. Moreover Govts will get stricter on how things are made. You can already see signs of that.

Question: Tell me a little more about your products? How green and good are they? How do you source them and how does your business model benefit the artisans/makers of these products

The key concept behind the store is that of “responsible consumerism”. At the green and good store, we want to make it possible for people to switch to alternatives that are truly sustainable. We want to make it possible for people to make a difference as part of everyday life by a choice as simple as what they buy.

Handmade natural beeswax candles

We believe that it is important to look at not just green but the complete picture of sustainability. Green is just one aspect of sustainability. The other aspects are social impact, economic inclusion and protection of traditional knowledge. There are interlinkages between all 4 aspects and true sustainability happens when we look at all four aspects while making a purchase.

We are very careful in our product and partner selection. We source many of our products from NGOs that work on issues related to social empowerment and with the underprivileged. The important thing to note is that these products are of excellent quality and much safer for the environment and consumers!  Others are sourced directly from artisans, green entrepreneurs

For example, we have products from Sadhna, an Udaipur based NGO that provides training and livelihood to tribal women artisans. The women are trained in various skills from embroidery, stitching, quality control, design and marketing and make really beautiful apparel, stoles, bags and home furnishings! Today there has been a noticeable change in the lives of these women artisans, who once were not even exposed to their own villages today are confident enough to make their own decisions in the family as well as at various other policy levels in their villages and are the bread winners in the family. Economic empowerment to them has meant a lot in terms of generating marked differences in their levels of survival and their wakefulness towards education, healthcare, economic status and family life

Another great product on our store is natural beeswax candles made by our partner Crawford Market that provides employment to underprivileged women from Dharavi. The Beeswax helps farmers in Maharashtra supplement their farm incomes. Besides having the several benefits of natural beeswax, these candles are environment friendly and have got great reviews from our customers who have used them!

During Holi we had introduced Natural Holi colours on our store from the Society for Child Development that works with intellectually challenged young adults in Delhi. These colours were made from flowers collected from temples and hotels around Delhi that would have otherwise polluted the Yamuna. These colours provided an opportunity for intellectually challenged adults to be financially independent, saved the Yamuna from pollution and were absolutely safe for people! Our customers loved the natural fragrance and feel of these chemical free colours!

We are also coming up with some interesting Rakhi offers on our store where Rakhee thaalis made by Vocational training centre of Umang will be put on sale. Umang is a Jaipur based NGO that works towards rehabilitation of individuals with disabilities.

We also have excellent quality apparel for men; women and kids from GOTS certified Organic Cotton Brand ‘Zeme Organics’.  

In case of traditional knowledge, we work with local artisan communities to help them retain their art and knowledge because it is closely linked to the preservation of ecosystem. For example, the Kavads on our store are now made by only 7-8 families living in a tiny town of Bassi. These artisans use Neem wood for making their handicraft. However, they have strict rules about when and how much of the wood can be taken. For example, trees are not cut during the flowering season and can be cut only during a particular time frame in a way that allows for its regrowth. In a way they protect mindless destruction of forests or ecosystem. They also have been allotted 200 acres of land where they practice sustainable forestry. When traditional crafts are preserved, the knowledge attached to them is preserved which contains rules and guidelines for preserving natural resources on which the art or craft itself depends. When the craft dies, this link is broken and people lose interest in sustaining ecosystems that had sustained them for ages.

Question: What are your future plans for the Green and Good store?

Lots of plans! We will be introducing many new products and new features on the store. Keep watching www.greenandgoodstore.com

Question: How about sharing some tips on responsible shopping or putting "green and good" context for some of the readers :)

Hand crafted blue pottery vase

·         The first principle of being a responsible consumer is something that all our moms told us…buy only what you really need. Hoarding goods doesn’t make you happy is only fills up your home with stuff you don’t need.  And whenever you buy it make sure that it is sustainable and does good to the planet and people who are involved. There are tons of tips but here are a few.

·         Take your own bag when you go shopping.

·         Choose products that have fewer chemicals – prefer organically grown products

·         Buy products with less packaging – refuse packaging if you can.

·         Shop online! It saves energy.. we don’t have to keep ACs and lights on all day.. and we are hosted on a green server..

·         Buy hand made products – they are less energy intensive, encourage a skill and give u a truly unique product

·         Buy from organisations you trust have paid a proper wage to their employees.

·         Buy from NGOs when you can, the money goes to the artisan and profits sustain provision of social services.

·         Prefer handmade paper it saves trees and does not pollute as much.

·         Carry your own water – avoid bottled water

·         Try products that are not cruel to animals  - like cruelty free leather or Ahimsa silk

·         Absolutely NO to products tested on animal

·         Look for certifications

·         Arm yourself with information - Read up on green issues, certifications, responsible consumerism organic farming, fair trade.. being green and good is about being aware and shopping intelligently.

Sid and Shaheen prove their "dodginess"!

Shanu and I fooling around the mango trees in my nana and nani's backgarden 

As Sid and I crawled down the national highway on our way to Gurgaon, Sarthak's booming voice on the radio faded away into an old familiar song, "Playing with the Boys".  I shrieked in delight and turned it up, swaying violently with the music and singing along.  Sid sportingly swayed along and bobbed his head while keeping an eye on the rear view mirror.  "Shaheen loved this song. Top Gun was her favourite movie, she's seen it like 23 times"! Sid stopped his bobbing and looked at me, "Damn sidey that sister of your's is.  Really"! I laughed and defended her, "Hey, it was a popular movie ok. We used to have it recorded and she would watch it all the time"! He snorted, "Whatever, really sidey"!  I grinned and continued to belt it out, Kenny Loggins would have been proud!  Shaheen's taste in music from our childhood is a constant joke between Sid and me. Whenever I recognize an old song from her past, I always yell "Shaheen loves this song" and he rolls his eyes and says "God, she's really dodgy"!

Christmas eve night in Tikrit. Shanu had pulled my hair I think!

My "dodgy" sister and I were never close as children. A 5 year age gap between the two where she was forced to be the constant protector of a younger sister who loved to tag along and who learned emotional blackmail at a very young age was wearisome. I was an extremely nervous child, terrified at school, had a severe allergy to eggs and whinged and whined a helluva lot! Putting up with that (and having to be extra vigilant after letting me lick her egg on toast, resulting in me getting my stomach pumped!) was something she had to do (not always angelically), but she hated it a lot of the time.  We grew closer much later, once she was married and the difference between 26 and 21,didn't seem as bad as between 5 and 10 or even 12 and 17!

But what we did bond over was all the music that we listened to while growing up.  This involved equal participation from both of us, loud singing and frenetic dancing blurring the age gap.  Road trips were frequent at the time and my dad used to have a constant supply of music in the car which we sang along to lustily! We belted out "Brother Louie Louie loueeeeyyyy" (the only words we really knew in the song, the rest of the song interspersed with gibberish and an extra loud yell for the words we did know) and then some rubbishy lyrics we made up "Oh she's doin what she's dooeeey. Oh leave it Louie, she's undercover" or perhaps it was "Oh I'm her lovahhhhh"!  Motion sickness and my dad's penchant for zipping crazily down the hair pin bends from Wellington to Bangalore were forgotten while we sang along to our favourite Madonna album, "Papaaaa, don't preach...I'm in trouble deeeeep...and I've made up my minddddd I'm keepin' my babyyy", our voices screeching out the last word and then quickly gasping for breath before the next "Ooh, gonna keep my bay-bayyy, ooooo,ohhh"!

That's Flash Gordon and Dale in the center!

We had video cassettes of old "Top of the Pops" and other music videos and we danced in front of the television, screaming "I'm stilll standinggg" along with Elton John, "Let's Get Physical, physicallll" with Olivia Newton-John or trying to keep up with Dexys Midnight Runners "Come on Eileen, oh I swear now Eileen....something something".  We didn't restrict ourselves to just watching and singing along, but also role playing, choosing one of the singers to imitate.  There was a hierarchy when it came to choosing who we got to be in the video, Shanu choosing her age and wisdom to cheat me out of being what I felt was the prettier girl.  We unfortunately played to stereotypes at the time, fair and blonde being obviously more beautiful than well still fair, but a brunette.  So "Dancing Queen" had Shaheen tossing her hair and bottom about a la Agnetha, while I kept up grumpily as "second fiddle" Frida!  When the music video of a duo of twin sisters, Baccara, came up I was always relegated to playing the one who wore black (they each wore black and white in all their videos!) keeping up with the "white" sister yelling "Yes sir, I can boogie, boogie woogie all night long"! She didn't always play the most glamorous role though.  Her unruly hair was generally chopped short by my mom (or the Air Force barber that cut my dad's hair!) so we still joke about her being "Reem's brother" while we were growing up! Being obviously taller and generally bossier made her perfect for the role of 'Flash Gordon', the hero of an animated sci-fi show we used to watch, while I played his companion Dale, both of us fleeing from evil "Ming the Merciless"!

I learnt all the songs from Top Gun from Shanu, her love for Tom Cruise and yelling "I feel the neeed...the need for speed" strengthened from her 23 or was it 27 viewings of the movie! Sashaying around the bedroom while singing "Lucky lips are always kissing" and all the other Cliff Richard songs we had recorded as a part of a full length concert on video tape; watching Neil Diamond belt out "Sweet Caroline"; or patiently sitting aside while Shanu recorded herself singing Air Supply's "Unchained Melody" - those were the times when we bonded, albeit with her bogus colour prejudiced rules!  Saving up bottle caps for a competition where we won (or rather she won) a Fido Dido t-shirt and a Pepsi Hits audio cassette resulted in her walking around constantly in the over-sized t-shirt singing "Black Velvettttt". I think we wore out that tape on our road trips!  I watched in awe when she returned from boarding school in Delhi (replete with a dangerously edgy new hair do and repulsive bermuda shorts that she claimed were "all the rage") and catwalked for me to Salt n' Peppa's "Let's talk about sex" which was also "all the rage". I later imitated her while alone, catwalking and flipping my hair about!

With our mom picnicking somewhere in Iraq

Growing up and bonding with her wouldn't have been the same without all that "dodgy" music! From our love for musicals where our parents would only allow us to watch the songs in a lot of the more adult themed movies like "Cabaret".  We would scream out "Money makes the vurllllddd go round, the vurllld go round" twirling our waists sharply in time.  As she grew older, she was allowed to watch a lot more of these movies, leaving me outside.  But she continued the tradition of letting me in just for the songs like in "Dirty Dancing", "Come quickly, Patrick Swayze is teaching her to dance now"!

As the traffic cleared and Sarthak's voice came back on the radio, Sid looked at me and said. "Ok, I have to tell you something. Actually Shaheen liked a lot of the music I did as a kid. I'm just embarrassed to admit it. Whenever you point out a song she likes, I'm like "Oh my god, I liked that too". I'm as dodgy as your sister"!  I smiled at him as I got out of the car, "Dodgy's good, I like dodgy! It's all I've ever known really"! And with that I got out humming Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams", another dodgy favourite!