Diwali 2025: As the lights fade, plastic, paper, and waste pile up—creating an ecological challenge that calls for collective action

Every Diwali, mounds of cardboard stack up in one’s homes, the local dustbins, and in landfills. REPRESENTATIONAL PIC/ISTOCK

Once the diyas dim and the sweets are gone, Mumbai wakes up to a messier aftermath. Glitter-coated gift boxes, plastic packaging, and even discarded food pile up in bins, landfills, and on the roadsides. The city, aglow for a week, chokes for months after. According to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board, the state generated nearly 1.2 lakh tonnes of plastic waste in 2023-24, up from 98,500 tonnes in 2018-19 - a telling sign that even as our festivals may evolve, our habits haven't. During the week of Diwali, Mumbai generated nearly 3000 tonnes of extra garbage, raising daily waste disposal from 6900 to about 7300 metric tonnes. The BMC swiftly cleared over 2000 tonnes at landfills and is removing the remaining 1000 tonnes from transfer stations with double-shift sanitation teams.

Firecracker waste on Marine Drive promenade. PICS/ASHISH RAJE

The average person's first reaction is to say "The government should do something", and they are right. The Maharashtra government already has a tool to tackle this - the Maharashtra Prevention of Non-Degradable Garbage Control Act (2006), which however lies unused. Environmentalist Stalin Dayanand says, "It's beautifully written, with clear fines for misuse. But no one enforces it."

The system profits from this cycle of waste, says Dayanand. "Mismanagement of waste is big business. Contractors are paid by the weight of waste handled. If segregation improves, the volume decreases and so do profits." Dayanand calls it "a crisis wrapped in glitter", saying that non-biodegradable materials like thermocol, foil, and plastic gift wrap are used not out of necessity, but for aesthetics. "Packaging just ends up in landfills, releasing toxins into the soil and groundwater."

He believes lasting change must start with consumers. "When consumption stops, selling stops, and so does manufacturing. Every environmental sproblem begins and ends with demand." His solution is pragmatic, suggesting that every ward should have a special post-festival waste collection drive, with dedicated recycling channels. Yet, he notes, "We're talking about changing policies and attitudes. You have to be really optimistic to have faith in the system."

Adding another crucial layer to this conversation is Project Mumbai, a citizen-led initiative turning festive waste into community assets. Founder and CEO Shishir Joshi says Mumbai sees a 30-40 per cent rise in dry waste after Diwali, mainly from laminated packaging, plastic décor, and thermocol. Food waste also spikes by nearly 25 per cent.

The food waste is tackled by organisations like the volunteer-driven Robin Hood Army (RHA), active in over 400 cities across 13 countries, that redistributes surplus food to those in need. Nidhi Sanghai, Mumbai city representative, says Diwali brings both abundance and challenge. "During the festive season, there's an inflow of excess food, especially in farsan and sweets," she says. "We collect from donors and distribute to to those who need it the most."

Robinhood Army's food donation drive

But managing this surge isn't easy. "We're all volunteers - students and professionals," Sanghai explains. Food safety is critical, and volunteers are required to taste and check freshness before distribution. "We've occasionally been given stale food, especially after big celebrations. But awareness has grown and people are donating more consciously now."

Joshi says that, "The collection infrastructure works for waste management efficiently. The problem lies in segregation at source. Festive waste isn't just plastic - it's metallic foils and laminates - and it gets mixed with decorations, leftover sweets, and packaging. It all ends up in one bag. When this happens, even recyclable material is lost to contamination."

Nidhi Sanghai

To tackle this, Project Mumbai runs its flagship Plastic Recyclothon, one of the city's largest citizen-led recycling campaigns, as well as Kaapad, which recycles discarded fabric, and e-waste and book donation drives. This Diwali, two special post-festival drives across the Western and Central Lines will allow citizens, schools, and corporates to drop off plastic and e-waste, later repurposed into benches, planters, and dustbins for public spaces. Joshi says, "When citizens see their waste come back as a bench in their garden, the impact becomes real."

Tiresome work

Stalin Dayanand

Ash Ambawat, a luxury content creator, receives massive amounts of PR gifts during Diwali. While she expresses her gratefulness, "the constant flow of boxes does clutter up the house. Unboxing and disposing of packaging can be tiring." To get rid of the carboards piling up at her house, Ambawat flattens all the cardboard boxes, separating paper, plastic, and bubble wrap before sending them for recycling. "It's gratifying work, but definitely a messy side of being a creator that people don't always see." "I'd love it if brands sent more curated packages in minimal or reusable packaging. That would make the whole process feel lighter and more thoughtful."

The gift drift

Project Mumbai collects plastic waste and turns them into beautiful recycled items and clothings

Deep Gala, proprietor of The Box Co. in Girgaum, has witnessed a drastic transformation in the packaging industry after the COVID pandemic. "While the first year following the pandemic saw a significant slowdown, the market quickly rebounded - especially during India's biggest festive seasons." Gift packaging remains a niche within the larger packaging sector, with growth that may be slower compared to the broader packaging or e-commerce packaging markets.

The India Brand Equity Foundation states that India's consumer expenditure almost doubled from around Rs 83 lakh crore in 2013 to Rs 174 lakh crore in 2024, growing at about 7.2 per cent annually. The report also reveals that the number of online shoppers increased from 14 crore in 2020 to 26 crore in 2024, evidence of the boom in the industry. The pandemic also disrupted supply chains, increased material costs, and caused labour shortages, making year-to-year performance comparisons more volatile. The percentage has been rising by 10-12 per cent each year, at a minimum.

More people are asking for eco-friendly packaging solutions, and sustainability has become a significant priority across industries. At packaging firm The Box Co, the boards and papers used are already eco-friendly and fully recyclable. With growing bans on single-use plastics and increased awareness about environmental responsibility, paper and paperboard packaging are gaining significant market share over plastics, but the reality of recycling is more complex. Not all packaging waste actually gets recycled, particularly when it involves plastic laminations, metallic coatings, or mixed materials that make separation difficult.

Shishir Joshi

Santosh Singh, GM, Radisson Goregaon, says, "At Meetha [the hotel's sweet shop], about 90 per cent of our packaging is made from kappa paperboard. Most of it is recyclable and eco-friendly." Despite challenges, the industry's shift toward sustainable and recyclable materials marks a positive step. This year, The St Regis Mumbai added thoughtfulness to its festive hampers - each box lid doubles as an attractive, painted artwork, complete with string so it can be hung on the wall long after the treats are gone.

Deep Gala in The Box Co. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

Wear, wash & waste

Diwali is when everyone cleans the house, but what happens to the pile of old clothes we discard in the process? Between October 1 and 19 alone, the Bombay Recycling Concern (BRC) collected 17 tonnes of discarded clothing, says Vinod Nindrojiya, co-founder of the organisation. "Till a few years ago, we collected just three to four tonnes during the entire season," he recalls. "This year, we hit 17 tonnes in just 19 days."

Vinod Nindrojiya

It's a staggering figure and one that reflects a deeper problem. Nindrojiya opines that the Diwali tradition of buying and wearing new clothes is dated, and "needs a shift". But the problem is not just excess clothing; it's also the waste. For every 10 garments (around 1kg) collected, only six can be reused. "Around 20 per cent of what's collected ends up in the chindi (rags) industry, where it's upcycled into rugs, fillers, or industrial cloth."

BRC collection drive

E-commerce, Nindrojiya says, has made impulsive consumption worse. The Edelweiss Mutual Fund Report of January 2025 bears this out, saying that India's consumer market is on track to expand 46 per cent by 2030, making it the second-largest globally. Nindrojiya believes the solution lies in rethinking how we shop. "Thrifting has become cool thanks to Gen Z, but we need a second-hand market accessible to everyone. Imagine being able to buy a good pair of Levi's jeans for Rs 20. Why wouldn't you?"

7.2%
Rate at which India's consumer expenditure grew annually between 2013 and 2024

26 cr
Number of online shoppers logged in 2024
Source: India Brand Equity Foundation