Writer Cuts Shopping 50% to Fight India's Waste Crisis

Niharika Dabral stood in front of her overflowing wardrobe and felt something click. She had dozens of outfits but nothing to wear, and that familiar frustration finally turned into a plan.

The Delhi-based writer set a goal for 2026 that's both personal and planetary. She's cutting all non-essential purchases by 50%, starting with clothes, to reduce the mental clutter in her life and the physical waste choking her city.

India generates 1.7 lakh tonnes of municipal solid waste every single day. Only 53% gets processed or recycled, while the rest piles into landfills like Delhi's Ghazipur, which towers as tall as the Qutub Minar and releases methane into the air millions breathe.

Dabral remembers mistaking that landfill for a real mountain as a child. Now she understands that every impulse purchase adds to that toxic heap, along with countless fast fashion items that were made cheaply to look trendy, not to last.

Her strategy focuses on removing temptation before willpower gets tested. She deleted shopping apps, unsubscribed from sale emails, and started following creators who advocate slow living and outfit repetition instead of constant consumption.

When something does catch her eye, she leaves it in her cart for 48 hours. Most items lose their appeal during that waiting period, revealing the purchase as emotional rather than practical.

She's also tracking what actually gets worn each month. If something sits untouched, she asks why, and that answer guides what not to buy again.

Why This Inspires

Dabral's approach proves that sustainability doesn't require perfection or sacrifice. She's not giving up style or joy, just the exhausting cycle of buying things she doesn't need to fill feelings that shopping can't fix.

Her monthly tracking creates accountability without shame. Counting items instead of just money spent reveals patterns that receipts hide, like stress-triggered purchases or sales that manufacture urgency.

The benefits extend beyond landfills. Fewer possessions mean less mental load, fewer decisions about what to wear, and more clarity about what actually matters.

She's inviting others to join her, not through judgment but through honest reflection. The world asks enough of us already, she notes, and our homes don't need to add pressure with clutter we never wanted in the first place.

One person can't fix a broken waste system, but everyday choices shape how much pressure those systems face. They also shape something more immediate: the weight we carry, the space we inhabit, and the peace we feel when we stop trying to shop our way to happiness.