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How green is my shopping?
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A striking neon green if you are splurging at Mother Earth
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Photo: Murali Kumar K.
Green sheen A host of eco-friendly products that rest easy on the conscience
As soon as you enter Mother Earth, there are two bins to the left — one to dispose your e-waste i.e. batteries, CDs and floppies and one to dispose tetra paks. On the right, there are composting mud pots of Daily Dump. And a huge sign above reads “Natural, fair, sustainable and sensible.” Neelam Chibber says, “Here is a store that has come at the right time, of recession. Customers can shop without feeling guilty.”
All the partners showcased under this store practice fair trade. “It is not just about being environmentally sustainable, but socially as well.” She points out a grave fact of India having 40 million rural artisans. And it is in this guise that Industree and Future Group have come together to present to customers India-made goods in the sectors of food, home and apparel.
The ground floor at Mother Earth stocks organic food and products of every kind — dals, wheat, flour, ragi, baby food, jams and preserves, tea and coffee, oils, juices, ildi mixes, spices and beauty products that are both healthy and eco-friendly. “We are constantly reinventing our customer-centric ways and trying to find out what the customer needs and wants.”
The second floor stocks apparel for men. From hand-blocked kurtas and printed shirts to t-shirts with eco-friendly messages. In handloom and linen, the clothes come in earth tones. There is maternity wear for women too.
Industree’s natural fibre furniture also finds space in the store where you’d just want to sink into the cushions and lean back. The third floor has more furniture — wooden too, and clothes for women in block-print, kalamkari and ajrak, handmade juttis and slippers, jewellery, home accessories, cutlery, linen, children’s decorations and more. So from tiny little cushions, photo frames and blue pottery from Rajasthan, vases, wooden toys, lampshades in leather and glass, perfumed candles and incense sticks, you could pick up just about anything that is tasteful and reasonably-priced. The bed linen and cushion covers are worth buying. There are also napkins and table mats, woolen carpets, baskets and bags.
Women’s clothing come in a range that is simple and non-fussy and include patialas, kurtas, tops, shirts and churidars. And there are stray coffee table book titles that will catch your eye — on Hampi, artisans of Kutch and books on poverty, WTO and Ambedkar, which will definitely make interesting gifts. And you’ll breathe a sigh of relief that after all this eco-shopping, the bags are also eco-friendly.
Mother Earth stocks a host of partners from Sewa, Sasha, Central Cottage Industries Emporium, Ants, People Tree, Sahaj to Daram and is opposite Dell, Domlur 2nd Stage, Koramangala Indiranagar Intermediate Ring Road, open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Call 65397957/8. Visit www.motherearth.co.in
AYESHA MATTHAN
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