Is corporate gifting finally coming of age? Seems like it is as more and more companies look for sustainable gifting solutions that will put them in the green gifting league. And catering to them are several players who swear by what they are selling and place them high on the eco-friendly scale.

But this is where caution comes in. While professing sustainability, in many of the cases green washing is prevalent with supply chains not truly making the grade. So, with the festive season around the corner, let’s look at some players who are going out of their way to be zero plastic retailers.

One such is Loopify World Private Limited which offers companies hundred per cent plastic-free gifts for their clients for occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and of course festivals. Saurabh Gupta and Hemal Gathani, designers by profession, started their business during the pandemic in 2020 and have taken a lot of trouble to ensure that their supply chains (except for transport, which they plan to tackle soon) are driven by sustainable practices.

Plastic-free

Gupta says their corporate gifting hampers this Diwali are across several price points but with an assurance that all of them are plastic-free. For instance, one of their corporate gift hampers comes with diyas made of metal, scented tea lights made from natural soy wax, charcoal-free incense sticks, a photo frame and a nutty chocolate offering. The hamper claims to promote 61 per cent less carbon emissions and 75 per cent less plastic pollution.

Loopify has also earmarked 5 per cent of its proceeds for special hampers dedicated to specific climate action organisations. For instance, the ‘Gangetic River Dolphin Hamper’ in association with Kuda Bazaar is to save the dolphin’s habitat that is endangered due to intensive plastic pollution along the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna rivers. In the same way the ‘Project Tiger Hamper’, in association with Sanctuary India, aims to help save the Royal Bengal Tiger and fight plastic pollution in the tropical and mangrove forests.

Diwali is inspiring other sustainable gifting as well. Start-up Bombay Greens is offering seed crackers and ‘beej pathakas’. According to its website every cracker and mithai contains different seeds. For example, the ‘Sutli Bomb’ contains Roselle (Hibiscus), the ‘Chakri’ contains onion seeds. And all of them can be planted after use.

The Body Shop too has been putting out its natural ethical gift offerings through its community fair trade partner in Thirumangalam, Madurai district. Here at Teddy Exports, rural women are producing cotton string bags and gifting pouches. This year, corporate India sure is spoilt for green choices.

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