Go Green for Earth Day

Nature provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed. Shop Talk profiles stores and co-operatives in the city that are eco-friendly and encourage you to...

Go Green for Earth Day

Nature provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed. Shop Talk profiles stores and co-operatives in the city that are eco-friendly and encourage you to...

April 22 is Earth Day, a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth. Not so long ago the environment crisis was the concern of only scientists and tree huggers, but not anymore. With soaring mercury levels, oil and water crises and cities bursting at the seams, all of us are being affected and we need to do something about it. Being environment friendly is not just about hugging trees or signing petitions, it is about making sensible choices for yourself, your family and the planet. Nature provides for all, as long as we give back as much as we take.u00a0

Good Earth
This eco-friendly store has a lot to offer than just some organic incense. Good Earth retails a comprehensive range of products designed for the everyday needs of contemporary life.u00a0 For a complete lifestyle experience, they offer woven and hand printed textiles, accessories, hand decorated bone china, tableware, barware, purity based home spa, aromatherapy and accent furniture. There's a whole range of ayurvedic and herbal products like soaps, shower gels, skin products and aroma therapy oils. The store also showcases a collection of furniture like antique chairs with woven backrests. The element of striking colour in most of the accessories and artifacts lends an earthy appeal to the range.

We liked: The copper Ganges jug (Ayurveda recommends that water be stored in a copper jug for optimum health benefits.) The Baluga chair, made of bamboo, practically invites you to sink into it with a cup of coffee and a good book.
Where: Good Earth, Collection Mall, UB City. Ph: 4173 8870
Wallet factor: Rs 150 for candles, Rs 500 onwards for home furnishings

Mother Earth
Positioned as India's first completely green store, Mother Earth offers a wide range of carefully selected merchandise that helps build environment and social sustainability under home, apparel and food. The store is running a campaign to popularise 'green' living options by offering concrete ideas for sensible shopping and sustainable living with their 'Go Green' campaign. You sign a 'green pledge' with them and get a mud pot with seeds to plant in the neighbourhood and learn about saving the environment in simple do-able ways. Mother Earth has collaborated with NGOs that work for the environment in waste management, composting, awareness, afforestation, and so on.u00a0

We liked: The store has three separate floors catering to different categories. Earth Home offers natural and hand made products likeu00a0 lacquer wooden toys and games, applique- and fine kantha -embroidered bed covers and cushion covers. Earth Food is about organic dals, rice, wheat and flour and original mixes like the Kancheepuram idli mix, organic ragi, organic tea and coffee and organic baby foods. Earth Fashion has traditional kalamkari prints from Andhra, khadi, block prints and ikkatsu00a0 on clothes for office wear, bohemian Moroccan pants in traditional prints, and block prints on knits. These are garments made from natural fibres 100 per cent cotton, linen, handloom, hand block printed, or hand embellished.
Where: Mother Earth, Intermediate Ring Roadu00a0
Ph: 6539 5758
Wallet factor: Rs 100 onwards for organic foods, Rs 150 onwards for home decor and Rs 250 onwards for clothes

Serenity
At Serenity, you can choose apparel, accessories, organic food and plants byu00a0 NGOs like ANTS, Dastakar Ranthambore, Khameer, Sahaj, All India Artisans Crafts Association (AIACA). Lifestyle products, jewellery, candles, footwear made of natural products, sarees and outfits by designers like Vaidehi, Harita Kapoor, Arati Monappa, Seasons, Shyamala Ejji, Mukesh and Asha Arora, which are made from natural dyes, are also available at the store.

We liked: The garden store adds to the shopping experience, with its burst of colour and plants.
Where: Serenity, 8/1, 5th Main, Jayamahal Extn .Off Nandidurga Road
Ph: 4127 9127
Wallet factor: Rs 150 onwards

Desi
Desi has 2 branches, one at Basavangudi and other at Hanumanthanagar in south Bangalore. Kurta pyjama sets, bedsheets, curtains, saris, dupattas, handkerchiefs, bags and recycled paper are available here. Desi is a service organisation that specialises in the handloom sector in Karnataka. Most of itsu00a0 products are made at Charaka, a women's cooperative at Bheemanakone village in Sagar taluk of Shimoga district, that has over 280 village women involved in weaving, printing, dyeing and garment making. They also have terracotta jewellery and artefacts at the store.

We liked: Striking murals and wall-hangings on display. They also take customised orders.
Where: No. 27, Desi Shop, Patalama Temple Street, Basavangudi, South End Circle, Basavanagudi, Near Cosmos Bank.
Ph: 2657 6669, 26725514; No. 93, Desi Shop, Seeta Circle, Bank Colony, Hanumanthanagar.
Ph: 2672 1876.
Wallet factor: Rs 6 for handkerchiefs; Rs 160 for kurtis