Green dating is on the rise as more and more people are swiping right on potential matches who share their nature-loving ethos. In fact, recent data from Bumble shows that ‘environmentalism’ ranks as one of the most popular value interest badges among Indian Bumble profiles. So your green thumbs may just make you a better catch (or match)!
Green dates are popular with couples who prefer active meet-ups, be it a walking date, marathons, volunteering or gardening. It’s not just about spending an hour or two amidst nature, but more about sharing your habits or engaging your partner in environmental-friendly practices which you prefer.
Samarpita Samaddar, India communications director, Bumble shared, “Now, more than ever, people are looking to connect with those that share their values and priorities. It is encouraging to see people thinking about how the environment is important in all aspects of their lives including dating.”
There are ways to weed out date options that will leave a bigger carbon footprint on the environment or cause pollution. Planning a long drive, for instance, is a no-no considering car pollution is one of the major causes of global warming. Planning a Netflix marathon or a video game date? It may not be ideal considering next-gen gaming is an environmental nightmare (most games require a lot of data usage, contributing to internet pollution, which accounts for around 3.7% of all global greenhouse gas emissions).
Turns out there are a number of things to do in Kolkata if you’re looking to have a good time without being environmentally reckless:
Find the farm-to-table meal closest to you
Curated farm-to-table experiences require fewer resources and can help in reducing emissions since they use local ingredients that don’t have to travel. Plus, most veggies and micro-greens on your plate are grown organically and have a low impact on ecology.
Try this: Suburban farms like Bagan Farms often host bespoke farm-to-table meals. Sienna’s weekly specials usually feature homegrown ingredients such as lotus stems, Bonolokkhi ghee, local greens etc.
Explore ethically sourced coffee
Instead of a regular coffee date, try cafes that have a focus on sustainability and ethical production. Kolkata label Craft Coffee, for instance, prioritises traceability and only uses fair-trade coffee. Their Ballygunge Experience Centre is a great spot for rooftop dates!
Go on a cycling trip
You can sign up for cycling tours across the city or make your own routes. You can also schedule some early morning couple’s cycling once a week!
Sign up for an environmental charity
NGOs like Aranyaj and Responsible Charity often use volunteers to work on sustainability or environmental projects. Do some research and you can both sign up to volunteer if you have some spare time!
Go produce shopping
Check out hyper-local urban farms and labels that are mastering the farm-to-fork approach, with indoor lab set-ups or hydroponic produce. You can get to know each other’s superfood preferences or dietary hacks!
Plan a zero-waste picnic
Packing a zero-waste picnic basket is easy! Just bring some bio-degradable cutlery (preferably wheat straw since they need less water to clean), reusable table linens, eco-friendly food wraps and baggies for picking your waste.
Go on a nursery date!
Kolkata is full of horticultural farms where you can learn gardening hacks, from topiary making and landscaping to tree transplantation. You can even sign up for a mini couple’s course at The Agri-Horticultural Society of India, in Alipore.
Sign up for a clean-up drive
Consider signing up for clean-up drives across the city. For instance, social and environmental platform Y-East often organises clean-up drives in Kolkata where you can also meet fellow nature lovers.
