The monster of global warming is staring at us and our next generations will not forgive us if we do not act now. Yes, it is now or never! It is already too late. But, as the old saying goes: ‘It’s better late than never’. Environmentalists have been shouting hoarse for over a decade for us to act, but who is listening!
We tend to forget that there was a time in our lives when plastic did not exist. We did the same things without plastic! It is not difficult to stop using plastic, especially single-use ones. We should not wait for the next person to start shunning plastic to follow his example, but begin with ourselves and now! Here is one organization that is showing us the way…
Star and Disney India recently announced their commitment to cut down on single-use plastic across their offices. The company has always been extremely conscious of its carbon footprint and the impact it has on the environment.
“At Star and Disney India, we’ve always believed in being responsible corporate citizens and, with this small step, we want to inspire a more sustainable lifestyle. Today, plastic waste has reached epidemic proportions in the world’s oceans, with over 9 million tons of plastic waste being dumped each year of which 40% has been used only once and disposed of,” said Uday Shankar, President, The Walt Disney Company APAC, and Chairman, Star & Disney India. “It’s about time for us, as corporate houses, to make the change for a better tomorrow,” he added.
Alternatives to plastic
As a part of this decision, Star and Disney India have introduced alternatives to single-use plastic on their office premises. They have already replaced plastic teacups with paper cups, plastic stirrers with wooden stirrers, plastic tea and coffee sachets with paper sachets and added biodegradable plastic wrappers for umbrellas. Additionally, plastic bottles have been replaced with glass jars with immediate effect.
National Geographic’s pledge
- On October 2, 2019, National Geographic channel, part of the Star Network, launched the Planet or Plastic? pledge
- It is an initiative aimed at addressing the pressing problems of single-use plastic by raising awareness and encouraging people countrywide to take the pledge
- The initiative received overwhelming response, with 47,000 tweets and 881 million impressions on social media
- The pledge generated a commitment to reduce 25 million items of plastic in the first 24 hours
- In 2012, Star pioneered the digital broadcast ecosystem by moving its content from tape to cloud, dramatically reducing its carbon footprint
