Tag: Go Green

Sporting way to say no to plastic

by sharonply, posted in Sharon Initiatives

Who says cricket is all about entertainment? Since the launch of T20 cricket in 2008, the game has earned the mega-entertainment tag and has inspired several other Premier Leagues for sports, one of them being TNPL. Sharon Ply is TNPL2019 Strength Partner and the company has used this occasion to spread awareness about caring for the environment.

Sharon Ply has put in place one plastic-bottle-shredding each at both the TNPL venues in Dindigul and Tirunelveli. It is to be noted that Sharon Ply has installed these machines at other venues too, earlier this year. Boards have been placed near the Shredding machines to encourage the public to drop PET bottles into the machine. Those who do so are also rewarded with a tree sapling – two birds in one stone.

Sharon Ply uses every opportunity at publicity to also raise awareness about environmental issues. When the company got on board as one of the event sponsors for TNPL, the idea of having this machine at the district venues was mooted to Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. It’s at such places that initiatives like these can be implemented to good effect and TNPL agreed to follow through with the eco-friendly plan.

The crowd in Dindigul and Tirunelveli have warmed up to this idea, with many  from the audience flocking to the machine on match-days. The shredder machines offer novelty factor and this draws more people to it. After the TNPL, Sharon Ply plans to locate these machines at public places.

Sharon Ply has also ensured that all the promotional material they distribute at the venues are eco-friendly. The company hopes to distribute around 2000 tree saplings by the end of the TNPL season.

 

 

How much Plastic do Humans consume?

by sharonply, posted in Eco Friendly Info

How much Plastic do humans consume?

If you thought that was an odd question, you’d be surprised to learn that an average human consumes the equivalent of one credit card per week!

One third of all plastic the world produces ends up in our oceans polluting the seas and affecting the poor marine animals that end up eating these. Of particular concern are the micro-plastic particles that plague our oceans which is consumed by fish. This fish, when eaten by humans, end up in our system. The medical world is yet to fully understand the health consequences this has on our bodies.

Researchers estimate (source: https://www.zmescience.com/ecology/credit-card-plastic-04323/)  that people who eat Mussels might end up consuming 11,000 micro-plastic particles a year. And if you thought vegetarians are free from this risk, think again. Even sea-salt has micro-plastic and 1 kilogram of sea-salt could have 600 micro-plastic particles in it.

In all, scientists estimate that humans might be consuming 50,000 micro-plastic pieces  every year. It is upon us to act immediately to eliminate single-use plastic and micro plastic from our lives in order to save ourselves, if not the environment.

World Environment Day – Sharon Ply Cares

by sharonply, posted in Sharon Initiatives

Sharon Ply has undertaken yet another initiative to mark the World Environment Day on June 5, 2019 – for every share of a  video that Sharon Ply has posted on Facebook, the environmentally conscious firm has vowed to distribute/plant saplings and seed balls. Trees are the oxygen and water tanks of nature and planting more trees will mean that we increase chances of rain and prosperity, not to mention clean air and healthy surrounding.

This viral social media campaign is designed in a way to reward online champions of the environment – every share of the video is rewarded with a Tree. The simple act of forwarding or sharing is set to benefit Mother Earth. If only every whatsapp forward could earn us such wonderful returns! Sigh…

Click here to View and Share.

 

 

 

Plastic Pollution – How bad is it?

by sharonply, posted in Eco Friendly Info

Plastic pollution is caused due to the accumulation of the waste plastic material in the environment. Plastic is a non-biodegradable substance. It doesn’t get disposed off in the soil or water and its effect is worse when burnt. It is thus a challenge to dispose it off. It remains in the environment for hundreds of years and causes air, water and land pollution. It is hazardous for the humans, animals as well as the plants. Several animals, birds and marine creatures die due to plastic pollution each year.

Plastic plates, bags, spoons, glasses and other material are readily available in the market. These are economical and easy to use. We all prefer using these use-and-throw utensils during gatherings and parties as it removes the hassle of clearing and cleaning the utensils later. All we need to do is to gather these and throw them away. However, little do we realize that this waste does not go away completely. It continues to remain in the environment and harm us in the long run.

Here are few facts that explain the amount plastic pollution we have caused this environment:

Every year enough is thrown away to circle the world 4 times.

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There will be more plastic waste than fish in the ocean by 2050

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Think before you drink.

Only 10% of water bottles are recycled. The other 90% wind up in landfills or oceans. Carry your own bottle or make sure you recycle

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Up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic enter our oceans every year

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Ways to Beat Plastic Pollution

Plastic pollution, caused due to plastic waste, has reached alarming heights and is increasing rapidly with every passing day. It has become a cause of global concern as it is destroying our beautiful planet and having negative repercussions on all kinds of living beings.

Here are two simple ways to lower plastic pollution that we can practice in our daily life:

Avoid Usage/ Look for Alternatives

The first and the most important step towards beating plastic pollution is to avoid the usage of plastic products.

Now, since we have grown quite accustomed to using plastic products and these are light on our pocket, we cannot avoid their usage completely. However, we can certainly avoid using those plastic products that can easily be replaced with eco-friendly alternatives. For instance, instead of using plastic bags, we can easily opt for a jute, cloth or paper bag when we head for shopping.  Likewise, instead of using disposable plastic cutlery and utensils during parties we can use those made of steel, paper or any other material which is reusable or easy to dispose.

Reuse

If you cannot avoid using plastic bags or other products for some reason then it is suggested to at least reuse them as many times as you can before disposing them off. We are in a habit of throwing the plastic bags and containers we get with packed food almost immediately after use even though these can be used a couple of times before disposing off. We should reuse these instead. This can be our contribution towards reducing the plastic waste and bringing down plastic pollution.

It is time for us to stand united to fight this evil called plastic pollution. If each one of us follows the ways to beat plastic pollution shared here then we can certainly bring down the pollution level to a large extent

 

 

 

R.I.P Mr. Single Use Plastic

by sharonply, posted in Tamil Nadu Plastic Ban

It is with great happiness we announce the death of SUPB (Single Use Plastic Bag) on January 1st, 2019 in Tamil Nadu. He was an inseparable part of our daily lives. Though immortal in nature, we bid him farewell because we were all irresponsible in his disposal and he found his way into the environment, polluting and poisoning it. He is survived by our children’s children, marine animals and the rivers and oceans of the earth.

May his soul biodegrade in peace.

 Kindly post your farewell messages below in the comments section.

Plastic-Free Shopping Bag distribution at Kovai Pazhamudhir Nilayam, Chennai

by sharonply, posted in Sharon Initiatives
Sharon Plywoods is committed to the cause of eliminating single-use plastic and, in this regard, have been undertaking various initiatives for spreading awareness. With the recent ban on single-use plastic in TN, people have been looking for alternatives for the ubiquitous material and distribution of the multi-purpose cloth bag form Sharon Plywoods has been a god send for many.
Pazhamudhir Nilayam, the vegetable/grocery chain, joined hands with Sharon Plywoods in distributing these cloth bags to their patrons at various locations across Chennai.
Those who received the bag have been very appreciative of the quality if the bag and its usefulness.

Take the #iSayNoToPlastic pledge and receive the cloth bag at your doorstep (avail this before Jan 15, 2019).
 

 

Sharon Plywoods discourages Single-Use Plastic

Decomposition rates of Single-Use Plastic

by sharonply, posted in Eco Friendly Info
Other than the obvious threat posed by plastic to marine life and city dwellers, plastic waste also occupies a lot of space in landfills since they take several years to decompose, if at all. They also leech harmful chemicals into the environment while breaking down and cause severe damage to water and soil during the decomposition process. Here is a look at how long everyday single-use plastic items take to decompose to get a sense of how much harm we are causing by using them.
Plastic has been the most useful material invented by mankind that has made several thing possible in everyday life. Plastic is a petroleum based product that does not biodegrade like other organic materials and occupy lot of space in our landfills.
Although scientists are now claiming certain processes that could biodegrade these materials, replicating those outside of controlled environments in large scale is still not possible, not to mention the unknown side-effects of such new processes. So, until we have a safe way to dispose of plastic, our only choice remains in reducing use, reusing existing materials and recycling waste and all of these involve a conscious decision on our parts to be responsible citizens.
Time taken for Plastic to decompose
Time take for single-use plastic to decompose

Tamil Nadu pledges #iSayNoToPlastic

by sharonply, posted in Eco Friendly Info, Tamil Nadu Plastic Ban

Plastic carry bags, plastic plates, plastic cups, plastic flags, small plastic sachets used in packaging water, among others, will be banned in Tamil Nadu from Jan 1st, 2019.
Based on the study and findings of an expert panel that the disposal of such plastic material affected the flow of waste water and drainage and deeply affected the ground water table, the TN state government has announced this ban. The ban includes manufacture, transport, supply and sale of these products.
Watch this video to know what is getting banned and how you can find alternatives for these items that are ubiquitous in our everyday usage.

 

 

Sharon Plywoods has been vociferously supporting elimination of Single-Use Plastic and has undertaken several awareness initiatives in this regard. We are very happy to note that the government of Tamil Nadu also joining with us in this social issue.

 

 

Star Students in Chennai take the pledge against Plastic Pollution

by sharonply, posted in Sharon Initiatives

Star students Award 2018, held on 9th Dec 2018 at the Chinmaya Heritage Centre, Chennai was proudly sponsored by Sharon Plywoods in an effort to reach out to students and create awareness about #PlasticPollution.

*Plastic-Free School bag kits were given to all student award winners and the teachers and School Principals were all given the multi-purpose Shopping Bags. The award itself was given in recognition of multiple talents exhibited by school children.

All the students and the education fraternity present at the event took the pledge #iSayNoToPlastic along with Sharon Plywoods.

The awards ceremony was organized by Dream Concepts to recognize talent in young students and to inculcate in them the right spirit of competition and winning. The event was presided over by Rotarian P.D. Sriram (President, Rotary Club of Madras Downtown) and the guest of  honour was Dr. V. Ponraj (Scientific Advisor to former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam). 

The theme of the event was “Say No to One-Time Plastic” and the students were given information regarding the dangers of Plastic Pollution and encouraged to do their bit to save our environment.

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#iSayNoToPlastic at Committed Consumers Event

by sharonply, posted in Sharon Initiatives

Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) is an all-India Consumer Movement started in September 1974, having branches in 36 States with 538 consumer awakening centres in 187 Districts. They have several victories to their credit in the field of Consumer Rights. ABGP celebrated a “Committed Consumers Meet” on December 2nd, 2018, at Meenakshi College for Women, Chennai. The Hon. Governor of Tamil Nadu, His Excellency Shri. Banwarilal Purohit, presided over the meet and felicitated important members.

Sharon Plywoods was very happy to be part of this Consumers’ meet and utilised this association to raise awareness about the menace of Single-Use Plastic. Over 400 attending delegates were each given a *Plastic-Free multi-purpose shopping bag and were encouraged to stay away from single-use plastic.

Some pictures from the event: