Small choices make big change: Dia Mirza’s green call to Chennai

CHENNAI: Actor and green advocate Dia Mirza joined social activist Apsara Reddy in Chennai on Wednesday to launch the Apsara Foundation’s 10,000-tree drive, a Good Deeds Club community project combining environmental action with transgender livelihood support.

The initiative brought together members and supporters for an evening centred on green responsibility and social inclusion.

Samyuktha Adityan, founder of Nuri Clinic, was among those present and later felicitated Dia Mirza during the 'In Conversation with Dia Mirza' session at ITC Welcomhotel.

The day began with the tree plantation drive, where Dia Mirza flagged off the 10,000-tree project. The programme also saw the distribution of 100 Dignity carts to transgender women as part of the foundation’s efforts to support livelihoods.

Speaking during her interaction with Apsara Reddy, Dia reflected on her own sustainability journey, stressing that meaningful change begins with small, consistent choices. She spoke about carrying a reusable bag and a metal water bottle that she has used for more than 11 years — a habit that, she said, has helped her refuse more than 12,000 plastic bottles.

Her other everyday practices include keeping the air conditioner at 24 degrees, refusing to waste food, and reusing, repurposing, composting or distributing food while it is still edible. She also spoke about sustainable fashion, saying one of the biggest lessons she has learnt is to “refuse the desire to purchase” and to ask how long she will use something, who made it, and what impact it has on the environment and human health.

Dia also reflected on nature’s ability to recover. Recalling trees in Mumbai that grew new branches after being damaged by storms and infrastructure work, she said the experience reminded her that “nature persists.”

When asked to share practical actions people could adopt, Dia challenged the audience to embrace everyday sustainable choices. These included refusing single-use plastics, eating local and seasonal produce, avoiding unnecessary plastic packaging, segregating and composting household waste, switching to LED bulbs, conserving electricity, nurturing trees, and supporting organisations working for nature conservation.

Underlining the vision behind the effort, Apsara said, “It’s not just the number of trees we plant,” pointing to the 10,000-tree plantation initiative and the 100 Dignity carts for transgender women. She also urged members of the Good Deeds Club to cultivate compassion, describing it as something that brings growth, meaning and purpose.