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Despite the real truth of global warming, and the dire need to make changes in our buying habits and lifestyles, going ‘green’ is one of the biggest money spinners the world has ever seen. And it makes sense that our most costly occasion, the wedding, will follow that fad.
No expense is spared for the perfect ‘big day’, and this is especially the case with the emerging trend of eco weddings – even if the bride is wearing handmade sandals of organic leather.
Many make the mistake of assuming that environmentally-friendly or sustainable celebrations will be cheaper. (A glance at the prices at any organic market will swiftly relieve anyone of that misconception.) Economics have dictated our harmful choices until now: humans use so many synthetic, chemically treated and genetically modified products precisely because they cost less. Therefore in the case of eco-weddings, less conspicuous consumption almost always means a more conspicuous bill.
But a genuine effort to make a difference should not be met with cynicism. Those who insist on eco-celebrations do so in order to reflect their care and concern for the planet they inhabit. Another aim is to impact on the lives of their guests, and demonstrates how social events can be executed in a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly way without sacrificing pleasure.
Considerations that wouldn’t even enter into the mind of the ordinary carbon-spewing couple are now vital to eco-wedding plans. For example, for locations that require guests to travel a fair distance by car or aeroplane, a substantial carbon footprint would be the damaging result.
One U.S. couple a started a resource guide for ecologically-aware weddings after their own was so successful. They explain how they gave each of their wedding guests a tree to plant as an effort to offset their travel. It’s a win-win: the bride and groom could have everyone they loved, from far and wide, attend their nuptials and let go of the guilt because a hundred trees would be planted as a result. Local initiative co2balance Southern Africa aims to help minimise carbon emissions and offset CO₂ residue. This works by investing clients’ funds in energy efficiency projects that absorb or prevent the release of CO₂ equivalent to their carbon footprint, which can be calculated on the site.
Emissions are not the only by-product aiming to be reduced. Ec- weddings aim to create as little waste as possible. Options include that of biodegradable food packaging supplier Green Home, which offers a comprehensive range of products from plates, cups and cutlery to serviettes and toilet paper. All of the products are made from renewable plant-based materials such as sugar cane waste fibre, wood cellulose, corn starch and recycled unbleached paper. Resources are 100% biodegradable and can be used as compost.
Local wine that is made organically will go a long way to appease the bridal couple’s eco-ethics, as well as guests’ palates. Some claim its flavour is far superior to wine made according to modern methods; there are fewer sulphites (which cause headaches); and there is a soothed conscience to sweeten the deal. At Avondale in Paarl the winemakers are getting back to nature, while still using 21st century science, technology and research. They use cover crops instead of fertiliser to restore the balance of the soil, and artificial sprays are never used to control pests: the resident ducks and wasps do the job perfectly well. They are members of the Biodiversity & Wine Initiative, a partnership between the South African wine industry and the conservation sector. The goal is to minimise the further loss of threatened natural habitat, and to contribute to sustainable wine production.
There are myriad other ways to be more carbon considerate while planning a wedding: reduce the numbers; source local and organic produce and products; encourage green transportation; give gifts of conscience and communicate the message.
But as far as wedding crazes go, this one has to be the most beneficial to all concerned, hippies or no, and therefore worth investigating despite the price tag. And the possibility must be mulled over that ‘green’ might be the only way we do anything in the future.
Get used to it.
