December 2 and 3rd will see the sixteenth edition of Our Better Planet’s ConciousSouk in Bangalore. It is a sustainable D2C marketplace, getting green brands to Indian cities from all over. Whether it be a Korean makeup brand or a local cotton sheets enterprise, if you are a sustainable brand, Souk has the space for you.
But what if you are a consumer on the fence of whether or not you should visit ConciousSouk. Is it truly green? Are there good quality products?
Bestie, I am here with some answers. For I visited ConciousSouk in Pune on 26th November. Now, in interest of honesty, I have to share that I worked with Our Better Planet in the past. With that out of the way, let’s look at ConciousSouk 2024 and what other sustainable marketplaces can learn from its mistakes and success.
Why You Should Visit ConciousSouk- What I would love to see more of
The idea of a sustainable marketplace with D2C brands is intriguing for sure. The problem is that it can be ridiculously easy to get greenwashed when shopping on site. And if you are like me, it is difficult to ask the tough questions on spot.
Which is exactly why I loved Souk.
Most brands were happy to answer questions I had, share business cards so that I could shop from their website, and overall create a very positive atmosphere.
Pallavi Srivastav, from Our Better Planet itself, had a stall which I feel made it seem more welcome and community like. I loved Our Better Planet’s stall with their dip plates. The handprinted designs on the large plates supported a lot of artists, I think. As did my favourite thing in the whole event- The Texture Art Workshop by @texture_line_art. It was a wonderful place to chat about line art, and learn more about this unique craft. Even if I couldn’t meet the artist. seeing her sister rave about the art and patience was heartwarming.
My second favourite non-monetary thing at the event was the Free Waster section. It was by The Free Company, a marketing company which provides free water in order to promote events and services. Our Better Plant had hired them to promote ConciousSouk and they did a wonderful job with the designs. I personally love when events have free water, because that’s so much more eco-friendly than having people buy plastic bottle full of water.
So, I went over and spoke to the TFC representatives. They gave me carnations seeds and showed me how to reuse their water bottles. The bottles, seemed to be made of plastic, with the top made of aluminum. Now the plastic part was reusable which reduces plastic pollution. Plus. plastic takes less resources to make when compared to glass. It also does not break as easily but it does release microplastics, the effects of which we don’t know. But that seemed to be the theme of ConciousSouk, to be as sustainable as possible in a world that’s imperfect.
And their decor? It was beautiful, nature inspired, colourful, and minimalistic…just ooh!
Did all the brands crack the code of realistic sustainability at Souk?
I don’t think so. But many did.
Some, namely The Humane Co., carried items made of wool, but they also had hemp and recycled cotton items in the same stall. And the items were made by women in Himachal during the floods using traditional crafting and crochet techniques. Just one suggestion, I wish I had the time to ask how their wool is sustainable. As a vegetarian-vegan, I would probably not buy it. Plus, I am allergic to wool, but as an environmentalist who knows how polluting animal agriculture can be, that answer? It matters a lot to me.
A brand called Raasiya Home had cotton bedsheets. Now, bestie, cotton can have a huge impact due to water usage and pesticides but these babies? They were dyed using natural dyes. And, Indians? We know how to make conventional cotton sustainable and recycled cotton can be brittle, according to some. Organic cotton has a huge impact too and plastic can’t be all that comfortable to sleep on. I am not sure we can find upcycled cotton enough to make a cotton bedsheet for those who prefer designs other than patchwork.
Yet another brand had khadi clothes and while cotton isn’t sustainable, the internet says khadi is due to handloom techniques. There were also jewellery and cosmetic brands.
The jewellery brands didn’t have a huge collection by the time I reached, but they had some great pieces. One of them, Silver Tales, carried pieces inspired by historical events! The pieces were also made of infinitely recyclable sterling silver. But it does have other pros and I forgot to ask if they had fair trade certification. I am just choosing to trust Pallavi of Our Better Planet verified that as advertised.
One of my favourites was a brand that made clothing from waste. While the products were made internationally, the fabric was soft and eco-friendly. Another brand, I appreciated a lot made clothes from cotton, which we have agreed isn’t the greenest material on the planet. It stains. It loses shape easier than synthetic fabrics. But it also does not release microplastic and is biodegradable in the right circumstances. The reason I like this brand? They are zero-waste. They use the scraps from the clothing manufacturing to make scrunchies and similar items.
How cool is that?
Another brand, skin story, I loved, had Korean makeup products. While, I hate the travel emissions, the products could be good enough to well, make up for them. The products were really cool too. Multi-use skincare combines with makeup! A sunscreen stick that is also a check, lip, and eye tint? Sign me up! While a little expensive for the amount of product they were giving, I could see the worth in the product.
Did all of the brands hit my green-o-meter? No. But, I believe, had something sustainable going for them.
Questions I have for ConciousSouk- Areas for Improvement Maybe?
ConciousSouk by Our Better Planet did not feature a wide number of brands. Sad. But understandable given how difficult it is to be sustainable for a business in a system that does not reward ethical work culture. Yet, there were enough brands that I couldn’t speak to all of them, which I appreciate.
But some brands, I feel, could do better. For example, a jewellery brand carried items made from lapis. When asked where they sourced the stones from, they said websites. Now I choose to trust in imperfect sustainability and Our Better Planet’s judgement, but….my soul doesn’t like that answer.
While I am glad that I could meet some brands with items formulated all over the world, some brands couldn’t answer when asked about their products. No brand shared the impact of their products and what could be done to keep the product to last a long-time without prompting. Most of the items were high-end, which makes sense since sustainable affordable products can be difficult to produce. Yet, I feel, that alienates a lot of people.
My suggestion for anyone visiting ConciousSouk would be to ask brands the tough questions. Ask for their impact and what they are doing to mitigate it. How many times do their products have to be used to make them sustainable and whether they have a circular system to ensure the product gets used. What certifications do they have?
Or you can do what I did and get their websites to check out their impact pages.
Psst…stay tuned for the blogs on that.
For ConciousSouk, I would suggest encourage brands to speak up and share their impact and stories. To tell consumers how to get the best use out of a product and make it sustainable. And yes, offering discounts can make products viable. Yet, maybe try and include brands which have affordable products for everyone. Because sustainability is for everyone. I would also love to see some pre-loved items and factory discards in the selection. Those can be more affordable and are way greener than virgin fashion, even slow fashion.
A Parting Note
Souk is not a 100% sustainable. But here at Anjali’s Musings, we appreciate efforts to go green. Our entire mojo is understanding that imperfect sustainability is more realistic than focusing on perfection. A 100 imperfect and aware low-wasters with the intention to learn and do better will be help cultivate a livable Earth for humanity. Not a few perfect yet possibly burnout and isolated zero-wasters.
Will I be visiting Souk next year?
Possibly, I would love to see and cover what has changed. Sharing my opinions on whether it has become more sustainable will be a joy. And any chance I get to support brands that are supporting local economies and crafts is a chance I will try to take. Plus, Soul allowed me to come across local artists and green brands, which I adore.
Will you be visiting Souk in Bangalore or Kochi this year? Let me know in the comments!
Oh, and if you want me to interview individual brands and share my opinions on their content and impact, don’t forget to subscribe.
P.S.- What have you bought recently that added value to your life?
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