Bisleri launches plastic recycling initiative

To mark the recently concluded World Environment Day, Bisleri help an event for the launch of ‘Bottles for Change’, which is an initiative focussed efficient disposal and recycling of plastic. The move is aimed at educating and changing behaviour of citizens on efficient disposal and recycling of plastic. Here is a report on it.

Apart from Bisleri’s mission to ensure access to safe drinking water for every Indian, the company makes a conscious effort to keep our environment safe and healthy. It is our endeavour to give back to the environment and the community at large.

This World environment day, Bisleri hosted a press conference to launch “Bottles For Change”, a Plastic Recycling initiative that focuses on efficient disposal and recycling of plastic. The idea is to create a positive impact on the environment, ensure that it is sustainable and emphasize on the fact that plastic is a versatile material, has an after life and can be recycled to make many products, such as, furniture (benches, chair), apparels, home decors, accessories and bags etc.

For this initiative, Bisleri has partnered with 3 NGOs (Parisar Bhagini Vikas Sangh, Sampurna Earth & Garbage Concern Welfare Society) who are associated with the members of “Bottles for Change” across Mumbai to work towards changing behaviour of the communities in valuing plastic as an effective resource. Users of plastic have to simply crush, clean and keep the plastic separate. The members of “Bottles for Change” will pick it up at scheduled days and will take it to their segregation centre. Together with the NGO’s, Bisleri is conducting plastic collection and educational drives for communities, corporates, schools, colleges, and other institutions.

When you put plastic in your household waste, it ends up going to the dumping grounds. Bottles for Change focuses to create a system where the members of “Bottles for Change” pick up plastic from source, segregate it and sell it to the recyclers. The plastic collected and sold is clean andfetches almost 2x more valueleading to the upliftment of the lives of members of “Bottles for Change” and their children.

Ramesh Chauhan, Chairman and MD, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd., launched the initiative by presenting ‘Bottles for Change Kit’ that includes Plastic collection bags, Bottles for change branded Jackets, Caps, posters and other communication material, to the three partnered NGO’s in the initiative.

On the occasion, Anjana Ghosh, Director, Bisleri International, said, “Banning of plastic has been in news for quite some time now. However, plastic is an integral part of our lives and is not trash. The issue is not plastic but with our behaviour. Plastic has to be disposed and recycled responsibly.”

Bisleri is one of the most trusted choices for mineral water for the past 50 years. The company has always felt responsible towards the society and Mother Earth, and hence various activities are initiated on regular basis to help preserve the environment.

Highlights of BOTTLES FOR CHANGE initiative:

The program aims to address the plastic issue in a very strategic manner to spread awareness about plastic being a miraculous material that can be recycled multiple times; thereby bringing a behaviour change amongst individuals,ensuring they clean, segregate and dispose plastic effectively which is then recycled and have a sustainable impact on environment
The program helps members of “Bottles for Change” to collect large amounts of clean plastic each time, fetching them with good income that also helps in leading them to a respectable life and support to educate their children
24 wards of Mumbai and parts of Navi Mumbai and Thane will be covered by the members of “Bottles for Change”, ensuring effective execution
Special collection Vehicles, Collection Bins, Tollfree No., Website and a hygiene kit for members of “Bottles for Change” shall be provided by Bisleri Management

Impact of Bottles for Change Programme: