Shapoorji Pallonji workforce conducts beach clean-up

●       20 tonnes of garbage collected at Mahim beach

●       Over 300 Mumbai based Shapoorji Pallonji employees participated

Mumbai, 14^th September 2019: The workforce of the globally diversified Shapoorji Pallonji Group, collectively conducted a beach clean-up drive on Saturday morning, at the Mahim beach. Over 300 participants which included families of the employees, collected 20 tonnes of garbage in a stretch of about 800 meters, in 3 hours. The clean-up was organised in partnership with #MahimBeachCleanUp, a citizen initiative by Mahim residents Indranil SenGupta and Rabia Tewari, who gave participants tips on plastic alternatives, waste reduction and eco-friendly living.

Led by Tanya Mistry, Director – CSR, Shapoorji Pallonji Group, the cleanliness drive was focused on creating awareness on the health of our oceans. “For most people, ignorance is bliss and we don’t realise the cascading effects of unwise choices like single-use plastics. I hope that by seeing the amount of pollution in person and physically cleaning the beach, we become cognizant of the detrimental consequences of not only plastic but also non-biodegradable waste on our environment and marine life.” says Tanya, adding that “We welcomed children and families of our colleagues. Children are the leaders of tomorrow, and it is imperative that they have a firm grasp on the planet’s problems so they can take adequate action in the future to help build a more sustainable world.” Participants attended an educational session on the increase in marine litter, due to the direct result of insoluble waste by the citizens of Mumbai.

"The long-term solution towards beating plastic pollution is to change our mindset as a society, by educating ourselves about the ill effects of plastic. Corporates have the potential to boost citizen movements by encouraging their employees to engage in community work. We appreciate the Shapoorji Pallonji teams for their enthusiasm, and are positive that their families and friends will be sensitised on waste management and its effect on our environment. We hope that more corporates will take up environmental and social causes, and join our citizen movement through conversations on diverse platforms,” said Indranil SenGupta and Rabia Tewari, informing that since the launch in September 2017, their effort has cleared more than 8,50,000 kilos of marine litter from the shore, and has been felicitated by the UN Environment, for the dedication to heal our ocean.

“At Shapoorji Pallonji, we encourage our employees to volunteer for CSR activities, with an aim to make them responsible citizens and instil a sense of accountability for their actions. The beach clean-up aligns with our organisation’s CSR Mission ‘Empower Communities and Nurture Ecologies’ and has enabled empowering our workforce to take a collective actionin influencing change,” says Zarine Commissariat, Head – CSR, Shapoorji Pallonji Group.