The temple air is thick with incense and devotion. Chants echo off ancient walls as flowers cascade from folded hands. Yet among the sacred offerings, plastic wrappers, bottles and bags create their own unwelcome shrine.
In India, devotion is woven into the rhythm of life. But so is plastic. Every year, our temples, mosques, gurdwaras, and churches witness millions of visitors. Along with millions of tonnes of waste. Much of it is plastic that finds its way into rivers, landfills, or open drains.
The Plastic Footprint of Faith in India
Religious gatherings are some of the largest plastic waste generators in the country:
- Kumbh Melas and similar religious congregations generate thousands of tonnes of waste, of which more than 40% is plastic.
- Festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Durga Puja, and Diwali see exponential spikes in plastic packaging, from sweet boxes to decoration wraps to PET bottles left behind at pandals.
- In cities like Varanasi, which host upwards of 50,000 visitors a day during peak months, the sheer amount of discarded plastic packaging at temples overwhelms municipal systems.
And because much of this waste is left near rivers, lakes, or drains, it doesn’t only pollute, it desecrates ecosystems that communities consider sacred.
Sacred Spaces Leading the Way
Thankfully, 2025 has seen a shift. Major religious institutions are beginning to reimagine devotion in a way that respects nature.
Prayagraj: Temples Saying No to Plastic Milk & Polybags
In July 2025, Shri Mankameshwar Mahadev and Rinmukteshwar Mahadev temples in Prayagraj banned polythene bags and packaged plastic milk containers. Devotees were asked to bring milk in copper, brass, silver, or earthen pots.
This is powerful. Plastic was never part of devotion. It was just a modern shortcut.
Varanasi: Kashi Vishwanath Goes Plastic-Free
In August 2025, the iconic Kashi Vishwanath Dham declared itself a 100% plastic-free zone. Even plastic baskets and utensils for offerings were banned. Devotees now use bamboo, jute, and metal alternatives.
This matters not just because of scale (millions visit annually) but because Varanasi sets the tone for temple culture across India.
Pune: Ganeshotsav Goes Circular
During Ganeshotsav 2025, waste pickers from SWaCH cooperative collected:
- 114 tonnes of nirmalya (floral offerings) for composting.
- 39 tonnes of dry waste including plastics, diverted from landfills.
Under the campaign “Nirmalya to Nisarg” (Offerings to Nature), flowers became compost instead of rotting in rivers, and plastics were sorted for recycling.
Statewide Temple Bans In Andhra Pradesh & Karnataka
- Over 120 major temples in Andhra Pradesh have now pledged to go plastic-free.
- Karnataka’s Muzrai department has mandated all temples under its administration to eliminate single-use plastics.
Faith spaces are transforming into eco-spaces, reinforcing what many Indian philosophies already teach that “Prakriti (nature) is sacred.”
The Traditions We Unconsciously Partake In
Let’s trace the journey of one plastic prasad pouch:
- You buy laddus or peda in a plastic packet outside a temple.
- You consume the sweet, and the packet and it ends up on the street.
- Rains wash it into a drain, and eventually, it flows into the Ganga.
- That pouch doesn’t disappear. It breaks into microplastics that enter fish, birds, and eventually human bodies.
Now contrast that with an alternative: laddus wrapped in banana leaf or packed in compostable containers. After your offering, the wrapper returns to soil, leaving no trace but nourishment.
You decide. Eternal plastic or eternal blessings?
The Bigger Picture — Why This Isn’t Just About Temples
Plastic in Rivers Is a Public Health Crisis
A 2025 study on the Ganga found alarming levels of microplastic contamination, threatening not just marine life but also the 400 million people who depend on the river.
India’s Plastic Waste Mountain
India generates 3.8 million tonnes of plastic annually (2024–25 figures), of which nearly 40% is single-use.
Festivals account for massive seasonal spikes, especially in metropolitan regions. Without intervention, this waste is burned (releasing toxic fumes) or dumped in landfills and rivers.
Faith and Sustainability in Global Terms
This isn’t just an Indian issue. Around the world:
- Indonesia’s Bali promotes eco-offerings during ceremonies to prevent plastic entering oceans.
- The Vatican announced sustainability-focused guidelines in 2023 urging parishes to cut down single-use plastics.
- Thailand’s Buddhist temples replaced plastic alms packaging with banana leaves.
Faith leaders worldwide are acknowledging that polluting rituals dishonor divinity.
What Can Devotees Do? (Actionable Steps)
Here are practical, shareable, actionable tips:
- Bring Reusable Containers
- Use steel, brass, or copper pots for milk and water offerings.
- Carry prasad in cloth or bamboo baskets.
- Switch to Eco-Friendly Offerings
- Choose flowers and fruits over packaged sweets.
- Wrap offerings in banana or sal leaves.
- Say No to Plastics at Stalls
- Encourage local vendors to adopt compostable packaging.
- Support shops that offer sustainable alternatives.
- Participate in Recycling Drives
- In Pune, waste pickers compost nirmalya. Support similar local efforts.
- In Pune, waste pickers compost nirmalya. Support similar local efforts.
- Be a Voice in Your Temple Community
- Share examples like Varanasi and Prayagraj.
- Advocate for “plastic-free seva” announcements during festivals.
Facts That Make You Stop & Think
- During Ganeshotsav 2025, Pune alone managed 114 tonnes of flower offerings, enough to fill 10 school buses.
- In 2024, India consumed 14 million tonnes of plastic. Without interventions, this could double by 2035.
- Studies show microplastics have been detected in human blood and lungs, linking them to long-term health risks.
- If devotion is meant to purify, how can rituals be part of the pollution problem?
We wouldn’t serve our gods food laced with poison. Yet every plastic packet, wrapper, and bag offered during worship is exactly that: poison to air, water, soil, and life.
As temples lead the way – banning plastics, composting offerings, and reviving traditions – it’s up to us to join the movement. Because faith without responsibility isn’t devotion, it’s denial. UKHI
Let’s ensure our prayers are pure, not accompanied by plastic poison.
Sources
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/allahabad/prayagraj-temples-ban-poly-bags-packaged-milk/articleshow/122326235.cms
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/varanasi/with-blanket-ban-kvd-is-now-complete-plastic-free-zone/articleshow/123243591.cms
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/swach-waste-pickers-collect-114-tonnes-of-nirmalya-during-ganeshotsav/articleshow/123752273.cms
https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/andhra-pradesh/2025/Aug/09/over-120-major-temples-in-andhra-pradesh-to-go-plastic-free
https://iwaponline.com/ws/article/25/2/249/107037/Microplastic-pollution-in-the-Ganga-River-A-state
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2150783
Vishal Vivek
Vishal Vivek, CEO & Co-Founder of UKHI, is a sustainability entrepreneur and the former founder of Hemp Foundation, where he empowered 1,000+ farmers through 100+ SHG workshops. An MIT Bootcamp and Stanford Spark-Seed alumnus, his work—honored with the HDFC Parivartan Award—combines sustainable agriculture, innovation, and business strategy to drive both economic empowerment and environmental change.