If you want to train your kids to be eco-friendly, here's a good place to start

Growing up, my family had two sets of rules that would prove to be our GPS in the adult world. The obvious set included “Never arrive at someone’s home empty-handed” or “Don’t talk to strangers”, designed to help us navigate social mores. The other rulebook was to help us live in sync with nature (and avoid astronomical bills). It’s the reason why it physically pains me to leave a room without turning off the lights, or have to buy water because I forgot to carry my own reusable bottle. In my middle-class desi home, sustainability was practiced with the same zeal as organised religion. We composted, reused, recycled and upcycled, without even realising these terms existed.

At some point, though, the cheap allure of disposable products may have temporarily distracted us. I’ll give it up to Big Plastic, because there was a moment when the narrative changed to ‘sustainable is inconvenient’ or, perhaps even worse, unfashionable. It became cool to buy, use and throw without worrying about cost or its impact on the environment, as if all those ‘Best Out Of Waste’ competitions in school had taught us nothing. Suddenly, it seemed like an eco-conscious lifestyle was unaffordable, right up there with indulgences like foreign vacations and ‘me-time’.

Which is why we were glad to discover GreenFootPrint when we were putting together our first-ever Tweak Children’s Subscription Box (you can buy one for your child here). Founded by a couple who, on their “own zero waste journey, realised how difficult it was to find everyday essentials free of plastic in today’s world of disposable conveniences”, the brand is attempting to break the myth that ‘sustainable’ or ‘eco-friendly’ are for the elite with affordable products that might even convert the non-believers. Their range is all-natural, cruelty-free, biodegradable and locally made, making it an obvious choice for those of us who want to get back to our roots.

We thought the Greenfootprint plantable notebooks with seed covers and recycled newspaper pencils would be an ideal start for kids in the age group of 5-8. After all, the joy of growing something with your own hands is unparalleled, something our founder Twinkle Khanna would attest to.

If you’re looking to expand your attempts at low-impact clean living, we’d nudge you in the direction of Greenfootprint bamboo toothbrushes (roughly 3.5 billion toothbrushes are sold per year, according to some estimates, the majority of which are non-biodegradable).

You could drop hints to visiting family and guests by serving your salads and dips in the Greenfootprint coconut shell bowls. After all, seeing is believing, and seeing you living your best sustainable life is bound to impact the minds of those around you.