Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Dec 21: A wedding held recently in the city has emerged as a model for environmentally responsible celebrations, with all events organised as a complete zero-waste initiative, ensuring that no waste was sent to landfills.

The wedding of Roshan Rai, founder and CEO of environmental organisation Carbon Mandal, and Rohitha, a biopharmaceutics scientist, was planned with a strong focus on sustainability. All functions associated with the wedding, including the mehendi, sangeet, wedding ceremony and pooja rituals, strictly followed waste segregation and reuse practices.

The invitation itself clearly stated that the wedding would be conducted as a zero-waste event. Systematic arrangements were put in place to collect and segregate waste at the venue. The responsibility of waste management was handled by Mangaluru-based Mangala Resource Management.

According to the organisers, dry waste collected during the celebrations was sent to the organisation’s material recovery facility for reuse, while wet waste was processed through vermicomposting. Director of Mangala Resource Management Sachin Shetty Nalluru said the compost generated from the wet waste would be ready within five to six days.

A total of 1,333 kg of waste was collected during the celebrations. This included 375 kg from the mehendi function, 91 kg from the sangeet programme, 415 kg from the wedding ceremony, 445 kg from pooja rituals and 7 kg from guest accommodation rooms.

Roshan Rai and Rohitha said the wedding was organised with the clear intention that no waste should end up in landfills. They added that plastic use was avoided wherever possible and reusable materials were prioritised, describing the initiative as a small but meaningful step towards environmental protection and sustainable living.