Inspiring Heroes

Rishita Sharma is an IT professional who has called the UAE home for the past three years. Her sustainability journey began when a plastic ban law was passed in her home city, marking a turning point in her life and the start of her exciting zero-waste adventure.

Rishita's grassroots efforts started when she and a friend brainstormed alternatives to single-use cups. Together, they launched campaigns to motivate people to embrace reusable cups and cutlery, purchasing over a hundred sets of cutlery to rent out to reduce waste. "In the past decade, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in single-use items. When I was younger, we didn’t have any of these things around," she reflects. 

Rishita encourages people to return to their roots and discover how their ancestors lived sustainably, using nature's gifts and rarely letting anything go to waste. Her influence grew among friends, family, and the community. She innovated further and founded her environmental organisation Green Utsav, which translates to "Green Celebration.” The company organises zero-waste gatherings that don’t include balloons, use recycled gift-wrapping, and provide reusable cutlery and plates. They also run “Bring Your Own Cup” social-media campaigns asking people to take selfies with their reusable cups to encourage this sustainable behaviour.

Rishita continued running “Green Utsav” in the UAE, giving workshops to the community about reducing waste and composting at home through their “Earthlings” initiative. When asked for practical tips for sustainability at home, Rishita emphasises the importance of refusing single-use items altogether before thinking about recycling. She proudly shares that she has not used a single-use item in eight years. Her motto is #RefuseSingleUse. “Take it one single step at a time,” she affirms. “The Earthlings group is always here to help anyone who wants to start their journey.” 

Excited to join Rishita’s initiatives? Plan to Action and follow Green Ustav on Instagram @greenutsav