The launch event of the ’BSG 25 Tonne Plastic Collection Drive’ in Delhi-NCR was held on 3rd October 2023 at the Chinmaya Mission Auditorium, New Delhi.
The event was attended by nearly 1257 Guests and BSG members both offline and online, including media. The audience included people from all walks of life including eminent educators, government officials, corporate officials, doctors and lawyers etc.
Source: DD News
The event was graced by prominent individuals working in the field of sustainability, such as Mr. Sanjay Kumar (Director General, DMEO & Head, Circular Economy Mission – NITI Aayog); Ms. Shalini Goyal Bhalla (Managing Director – International Council for Circular Economy); Mr. Ramveer Tanwar (Pond Man of India & Founder – Say Earth NGO); and Dr. Ruby Makhija (Ophthalmologist, Founder – Why Waste Wednesdays Foundation & Member, City Level Task Force for Plastic Waste Management – MCD). Recycling partners in this plastic collection drive, Blue Nudge and Bisleri also joined in this event, represented by Mr. Harsh Mehrotra (Co-Founder and CEO, Blue Nudge) & Mr. K Ganesh (Chief Sustainability Officer, CSR and Corporate Affairs, Bisleri).
The event commenced with a flag off ceremony where the guests formally launched the deposit of plastic in the recycling collection vans.
Following the flag off ceremony, there was an impactful Nukkad Natak by the Student Division members of BSG, on how the earth is choking because of the toxic nature of plastic. This was followed by a screening of a video on the ‘BSG 25-Tonne Plastic Collection Drive’ (Please see: https://youtu.be/XHrQVLlvrv8), which showcased about how members of Bharat Soka Gakkai are taking spirited action in collecting plastic and also encouraging their family members & neighbours to do the same.
BSG Chairperson Mr. Vishesh Gupta shared the Inaugural Address. He encouraged everyone to address the issue of plastic pollution collectively with enthusiasm and commitment. He said “Let us work together to create a lasting impact—one piece of plastic at a time, and make this as a way of life, in line with the motto of our ‘BSG for SDG’ initiative – ‘Towards 2030: Achieving the SDGs through Sustainable Human Behaviour.”
Mr. Sanjay Kumar was the Chief Guest for the event. In his address, he spoke about the need to understand about plastics and their impact. He said “We should try to understand what has made plastic so important. And so I mean, how it has become part of our life. Once we understand it, then our fight to come out of this plastic menace will will become slightly easier.”
Ms. Shalini Goyal Bhalla was the Keynote Speaker for the event. In her address, she gave six mantras to combat plastic menace. She said “Change starts from within with our daily choices and the actions that we take by making conscious decisions and reducing our reliance on
plastics, we can contribute to a healthier planet.”
Mr. Ramveer Tanwar spoke about his work in cleaning various ponds across India along with a detailed presentation. He also appreciated BSG members for their passion and energy in their actions. He said “Be it plastic waste or any other kind of waste, the problem is the same, that they all end up in some or the other water bodies.”
Ms. Ruby Makhija appreciated BSG for taking this initiative to combat plastic menace on a priority. She said “It’s not the plastic which is the menace, it is us who have converted this miracle material into a menace”.
Also on display was the Seeds of Hope & Action: Making the SDGs a Reality exhibition which was inaugurated by all the Panellists. Members of BSG explained the exhibition panels with great enthusiasm and vigour. Guests & members alike also pledged to create a positive change by writing their determinations on the SDG pledge wall.
Ms. Jaya Rao, Head-External Relations, Media & Sustainability, BSG, delivered the Vote of Thanks. She said “We can all be the catalysts for change, and together, we can make a positive difference in the people and planet.”
The launch event was widely covered by media. A glimpse can be seen here:
