Exclusive: Celebrate Green Diwali This Year! Let’s Burst Flowers, Not Pollution

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As Diwali, the festival of lights is round the corner, everyone from adults to children are pretty excited to light diyas and burst firecrackers. After all that's what Diwali celebrations are all about having a jolly good time with family and friends as you light up crackers. But many of you also know that there is a negative side of this, there's a lot of noise pollution and risks involved in burning these firecrackers specially for children.

Now here's an initiative from Seed Paper India to solve that problem and ensure you have a great time as you celebrate Diwali this year in a safe and sound, eco-friendly way.

So Boldsky got into an exclusive chat with Bengaluru based Mr. Roshan Ray, the founder of Seed Paper India who had once started an initiative of transforming Christmas decorations into plants in 2022. Also as an entrepreneur for Shark Tank India season 1 he has now come up with another green initiative, this time for Diwali. Let's know more about this in his words.

In Conversation With The Man Behind This Eco-Friendly Initiative

Boldsky asked him to provide more details about his Seed Paper Initiative for Diwali and to explain how it benefits people. The best part was that what he had to say also answered many other questions, like what led to this initiative and what are the drawbacks of celebrating Diwali through traditional methods.

A New Way to Celebrate Diwali

Mr. Roshan said that instead of using gunpowder and chemicals, his plantable seed bombs contain flowering seeds, herbs, and vegetable seeds. This allows people to celebrate Diwali with the joy of growth and colour, without adding to pollution. "Our main concept is if the people can get the feel and use of Diwali without actually bursting them, so our tagline is 'burst flowers, not pollution'", he explained.

Avoiding Delhi's Pollution Crisis

He further explained that places like Delhi experience severe pollution levels around Diwali, with political blame-shifting following close behind. His aim is to prevent other cities from reaching this crisis point by encouraging a cracker-free celebration until January 10, giving everyone a cleaner choice.

Not Against Firecrackers, Just Greener Ones

Mr. Roshan Ray also emphasised that he's not opposed to firecrackers; he's simply providing a way to celebrate more sustainably. He also adds an example. A few years back, the Supreme Court introduced the idea of 'green crackers,' but often these crackers lack transparent labelling. According to him, they may contain chemicals like barium, potassium and the like without details on exact percentages or ingredients.

The Journey to Create Plantable Crackers

He also talks about an incident when he once visited Sivakasi, hoping to collaborate on plantable seed crackers, but factories banned them there as they had already committed to producing green crackers. Unfortunately, these green crackers still lack transparency about their ingredients, a gap he hopes to fill with his truly eco-friendly solution.

A Personal Story That Fuels His Mission

He also recounts a personal incident when he was seven, that time he suffered painful chemical burns from a firecracker that exploded unexpectedly, leaving him with a lasting fear of traditional firecrackers. According to him, last Diwali alone, over 250 cases of burns were reported. Mr. Roshan believes many families experience similar traumas every year.

The Need for Designated Zones

Mr. Roshan also emphasised that without designated areas for firecrackers, pollution and injuries are a constant risk. His plantable seed bombs offer a safe, pollution-free alternative. Instead of exploding, they sprout into plants, bringing a greener Diwali for everyone.

Taking the Concept Worldwide

Mr. Roshan couldn't contain the excitement in his tone as he said that his idea has garnered interest globally, especially in the Middle East, with orders for 600 to 700 boxes. As it is a country where firecrackers are restricted, families are embracing these plantable seed crackers, allowing them to celebrate Diwali meaningfully without contributing to pollution.

Despite this, Boldsky couldn't help asking him how he believes that his green initiative could capture the festive spirit of Diwali without relying on traditional fireworks, given that it is a festival of lights?

A Unique Alternative To Be Gifted

He suggested that instead of firecrackers and diyas, people could celebrate Diwali-the festival of lights-using lanterns, soy candles, and LED lights, emphasising that the celebration doesn't have to be noisy. He also gave an answer to the next question stored for him about how he would address the challenges of this unique initiative compared to the traditional one.

Mr Roshan said that two years ago, he faced significant resistance when he introduced plantable 'Sri Ganeshas'. It wasn't easy but it took time to slowly change the mindset through media awareness.
While changing the deeply ingrained mindset surrounding the traditional association of Diwali with light and sound will take time, he believes that creating awareness is key and he believes that journalists had the power to do that. He also believed that those who are open to new ideas can embrace these greener alternatives.

Mr Roshan also points out, "Plantable Crackers can be gifted. The normal ones can't be gifted, it's prohibited. People are taking this and gifting this to young children of 4 years and 5 years to plant it. It's almost like a chocolate where people are sending it to different parts of India".

Boldsky was then curious to know what materials and processes went into creating these seed bombs, crackers, to ensure they are both environmentally friendly and effective?

Redesigning Festive Cheer

To which Mr. Roshan answered that the plantable seed crackers are crafted using handmade and recycled paper, with the seeds rolled inside and covered in recycled paper with stickering that resembles traditional crackers.

Talking about design, he also mentioned that last year, they had introduced "Lakshmi bombs," showcasing an image of the goddess Lakshmi, which attracted attention on Twitter.

Unfortunately, negative publicity arose, prompting a redesign that transformed them into "tomato bombs." He believes that awareness of alternative options will lead to change, particularly among environmentally conscious consumers.

Plantable Choices for Eco-Conscious Consumers

Mr Roshan also points out that their primary buyers are NGOs and companies in the 23-35 age group, including IT and gift companies based in cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi. He envisions a greener Diwali with such customers, encouraging people to plant flowers instead of using conventional crackers, emphasising that these plantable options are safe to transport and contain zero chemicals.

Boldsky then asked him what were the future prospects of Seed Paper India?

A Year of Growth With Plantable Seed Calendars

After this Diwali initiative, next in line for Seed Paper India is the plantable calendars that feature a unique design, with each month containing different seeds. For example, January includes basil seeds, February has tomato seeds, and March showcases marigold seeds, all embedded within the calendar pages.

Each calendar comes with a designated pot; simply take the month's page, place it in the pot, water it, and watch it grow into a beautiful plant. Over the course of the year, users will cultivate 12 different seeds, one for each month.

Finally when Boldsky asked Mr Roshan Ray if he would like to add anything more and what is his special message to the people who are celebrating Diwali this year? He had this to say, "Have a Safe Diwali Have a green Diwali. Keep Children safe. Burst flowers burst plants don't burst pollution anyways we are always inhaling a lot of pollution.

We don't want other cities to be like Delhi as after a couple of years all the cities will be banning bursting crackers. We have seen a live example of what's happening. So let's do a small change, small change starts with us. Let's do something unique, let do something different this Diwali. Let's grow a plant this Diwali".

This year, let's celebrate Diwali the eco-friendly way with Seed Paper India! Instead of harmful fireworks that pollute the air and create noise, you can keep the festive spirit alive by switching to plantable seed bombs.

Once sown in damp soil, these bombs will sprout into beautiful saplings, offering a meaningful alternative to traditional firecrackers that leave behind waste and block sewage systems. Whether you want a unique way to celebrate or a thoughtful gift for loved ones, these plantable seed bombs are sure to make a positive impact for the environment and for your celebrations!