Think Tree Media House Recycles Plastic Trash

After a month of careful planning & research, anticipation had taken hold of us on the big day. And it was for a valid reason since we at Think Tree Media House were going to run our first ever CSR activity under our Environment Conservation Initiative – The Green Mile.

Before you cry foul and cite Stephen King’s name in vain, know that ‘The Green Mile’ was the perfect christening to embody the idea of taking a stand & conserving our nature. Because truth be told, Bengaluru hasn’t been the garden city of India for a long time now; and we wanted to give something back to the city that had nurtured us for so long.

Few brainstorms later, our creative team homed in on the destined activity – to conduct a Plastic Drive in & around a selected area. For those unfamiliar with what a Plastic Drive is, it is an activity where volunteers survey a location & clear the plastic trash away from that place, in order to save the environment.

As citizens, we’d seen numerous plastic drives happen before. Many volunteers from various organisations had collected plastic waste and spent considerable time towards this idea. But the question that really needs to be asked here is: Does the collected waste get disposed off, responsibly?

Thanks to our CSR Insight Partner – The Union, we found out the sad truth. The collected waste that’s handed over to the BBMP’s Garbage Collection Service, ultimately ends up being dumped into a landfill or relocated to another vacant spot, thus threatening the ecosystem. To avoid such carelessness during our mission, we conducted additional research into finding companies that offer end-to-end Waste Management Services. Out of all the possibilities listed, Saahas Zero Waste came through as a solid lead. Upon further correspondence, they agreed to become our Waste Management Partners for this activity.

With the vision to start and finish early, we were instructed to assemble near the KR Market Masjid at 7.30 AM. Upon reaching the destination, finding each other turned out to be easy since we all sported our brand new freshly printed angel-white CSR T-shirts. And then, there was no incentive needed to start since the trash laid bare before us.

We broke off into two teams with our gloves on and biodegradable collection bags in check. As attentive as ever, we scoured the place for stray pieces of Plastic. Soon, we started getting our hands on trash such as packing material, plastic covers, empty condiment packets, plastic cups, empty sachets and crushed plastic bottles. Being determined as ever while carefully picking up trash, we wasted no time in moving around. Naturally, our actions started attracting attention with curiosity getting the best of many onlookers. Some of them wished us all the best while a few praised us for our undertaking. Some stood by feeling magnanimous and lectured us on how to do it right while others enquired whether this would be a regular thing. Limiting our conversations, we smiled and went along with what had to be done.

After an hour of carefully collecting plastic trash from many nooks-&-corners of the market, we felt it wasn’t enough. Having spoken to The Union before, we knew we made very little difference that day since new trash would find its way to all the areas we had cleaned. This wouldn’t change one bit unless our laws would enforce Sustainable Change as a mandate for our once wonderful city.

A small glimmer of hope was knowing that the waste we collected would successfully be disposed of, thanks to Saahas’ services. After hiring transport & sending the waste to the Material Recovery Facility in Jigani, the central message became clear. It doesn’t matter how much plastic trash we all collect in the long run, as long as we find a responsible way to dispose it away. Until sustainable long-lasting methods are implemented, Waste Management is the only way forward in reducing the volume of trash in the environment. Thus, we still have the chance to be the heroes of our own lives & avert further tragedy.

Think Tree Media House does it’s first CSR activity

As Think Tree Media House goes down this daunting road to make a difference, our goal isn’t just to make change sustainable & fun but also pass on this undertaking to those who are willing to stand up for the environment. If you’re someone who wants to be part of the change, be sure to DM us & follow our Instagram/ Facebook page in order to know the details of our next Plastic Drive! Until then & beyond, let’s all take a collective step towards creating a healthier future for us and the generations to come.