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<ul><li>Ahead of <keyword id="18996" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Environment-Day">World Environment Day</keyword>, we speak to Manish Chowdhary, Co-founder, <keyword id="9450009" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="wow-skin-science">WOW Skin Science</keyword> who tells us how the brand constantly reflects on its ecological footprint, and ensures that its innovations help the planet.</li><li>He also talks to us about its growth strategy and how it aims to achieve its target of Rs 800 crore in revenues this year.</li></ul>In the last few years, there has been a gradual shift in consumer preferences towards brands that use natural ingredients in its products and make a case for sustainability. The pandemic has also given an impetus to direct-to-consumer brands in the last 14 months. Bengaluru-based personal care brand WOW Skin Science is one such brand that has not only been successfully wooing consumers, it also been able to impress private equity firms. Recently, the startup raised around $50 million from India-focused private equity firm ChrysCapital, in exchange for a significant minority stake. Founded in 2014 by Manish and Karan Chowdhary, the brand has witnessed impressive growth. This year, the brand aims to achieve revenues of around Rs 800 crore. Some of their best performing offerings include <keyword id="11369045" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="apple-cider-vinegar-shampoo">Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo</keyword>, Onion Black Seed Hair Oil, Brightening Vitamin C Foaming Facewash and Apple Cider Vinegar Foaming Facewash. A lot of the brand’s growth has come from word-of-mouth. However, the brand has also been investing on Digital to reach out to a targeted set of audiences while also using influencers to talk about their products. While the brand has been focussing on innovating on its offerings, it is also working towards making itself more eco-friendly. Ahead of World Environment Day on June 5, we speak to Manish Chowdhary, Co Founder, WOW Skin Science who not just walks us through the brand’s journey so far but also gives us a sneak peek into how it is working towards substantially reducing its carbon footprint. Excerpts: <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Walk us through the journey of WOW Skin Science. How has it been so far the brand?" text="Q. Walk us through the journey of WOW Skin Science. How has it been so far the brand?">Q. Walk us through the journey of WOW Skin Science. How has it been so far the brand?</cmsannotation> WOW Skin Science was born with the objective of offering natural, safe and affordable beauty products that delivered visible results and kept customers at the heart of everything we do. We dedicated a lot of time and resources into formulating nature-inspired, science-backed and safety-tested products, sourcing the best ingredients to create high-quality and effective products. We have worked with the idea that our products should not only bring a feel good factor but also truly benefit the users. We are overwhelmed by the love and positive response that our customers have shown our brand over the years. It’s been a fulfilling journey so far, but we have a long way to go. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. The last year has been difficult for businesses, big and small. How has the year been for you in terms of business? With an increase in demand for more natural products, did you see any increase in your demand this last year?" text="Q. The last year has been difficult for businesses, big and small. How has the year been for you in terms of business? With an increase in demand for more natural products, did you see any increase in your demand this last year?">Q. The last year has been difficult for businesses, big and small. How has the year been for you in terms of business? With an increase in demand for more natural products, did you see any increase in your demand this last year?</cmsannotation> Yes, last year proved to be quite challenging for businesses in every domain. Fortunately for us, we experienced unprecedented growth throughout. Multiple factors contributed to that – we saw a greater preference for natural plant-based products, there was a paradigm shift in consumer behaviour in the personal care category and people showed increased interest in self care, <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Tell us how WOW Skin Science has improved its ecological footprint. What kind of changes are you bringing about to make your business more environmentally friendly, and why was this important?" text="Q. Tell us how WOW Skin Science has improved its ecological footprint. What kind of changes are you bringing about to make your business more environmentally friendly, and why was this important?">Q. Tell us how WOW Skin Science has improved its ecological footprint. What kind of changes are you bringing about to make your business more environmentally friendly, and why was this important?</cmsannotation> Being environmentally friendly is at the core of our business values. We are very conscious of the responsibility we carry as a brand in all aspects from our packaging to the ingredients we source and use. We are constantly reflecting on our ecological footprint and innovating on best practices for better sustainability. In a bid to go eco-friendly, we started curating our packages with 30% post-consumer recycled packaging. We are also moving towards our goal of 100% PCR packaging made from ocean waste for reduced carbon footprint. We believe that it is our collective responsibility to safeguard the environment and do our utmost for it. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. You currently have refill packs for your face washes but you have many more offerings. Are you planning to introduce more such refill packs for your other products too?" text="Q. You currently have refill packs for your face washes but you have many more offerings. Are you planning to introduce more such refill packs for your other products too?">Q. You currently have refill packs for your face washes but you have many more offerings. Are you planning to introduce more such refill packs for your other products too?</cmsannotation> Yes, as of now our refill packs are only available for face wash range. We are evaluating and planning to introduce this for other products as well in the future. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Millennials and GenZs today are much more conscious of the brands they choose. Their choice usually depends on how much of an effort a brand is making towards helping people, helping the environment. Who is your target audience?" text="Q. Millennials and GenZs today are much more conscious of the brands they choose. Their choice usually depends on how much of an effort a brand is making towards helping people, helping the environment. Who is your target audience?">Q. Millennials and GenZs today are much more conscious of the brands they choose. Their choice usually depends on how much of an effort a brand is making towards helping people, helping the environment. Who is your target audience?</cmsannotation> Yes, that is true. Millennials and GenZs definitely form a huge chunk of our customers. Their notion of being conscious has helped us pave the way in building a brand that speaks the language of the millennial generation. But we feel personal care is not restricted to this demographic alone. We have a diverse range of products which are safe for everyone to use. All age groups could benefit from the natural goodness that our products have and the affordable luxury we offer. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. How have you been reaching out to your consumers? Has word-of-mouth worked well for you so far?" text="Q. How have you been reaching out to your consumers? Has word-of-mouth worked well for you so far?">Q. How have you been reaching out to your consumers? Has word-of-mouth worked well for you so far?</cmsannotation> So far, we have employed a digital-first strategy to reach out to the maximum number of consumers and have succeeded to a great extent. Beyond word-of-mouth, being bestsellers on Amazon, social media outreach and influencer marketing initiatives has worked well for us. We did several ATL and BTL activities to engage a larger set of audiences. Last year, we also on-boarded Disha Patani and Bhumi Pednekar as our brand ambassadors and in the current year we engaged with a lot of OTT influencers such as Pratik Gandhi, Jasmin and Aly Goni to amplify our brand and push it in the right direction. Having said that, we had collaborated with a dermatologist with a firm belief of leading a very strong message of education and awareness of skin and hair care for the discerning consumers. With the right balance of these elements, we have reached the right consumer in this ever evolving world of digital media. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Going ahead, what will your broader marketing strategy be?" text="Q. Going ahead, what will your broader marketing strategy be?">Q. Going ahead, what will your broader marketing strategy be?</cmsannotation> We aim to be present at numerous customer touchpoints and propel the user through the buying cycle. We are adopting a more aggressive approach on ATL &amp; BTL campaigns, performance marketing and establishing more strategic partnerships to grow the brand. We are also focusing on stronger content to play on our brand’s strengths. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q. Where do you want to see WOW Skin Science in the next few years?" text="Q. Where do you want to see WOW Skin Science in the next few years?">Q. Where do you want to see WOW Skin Science in the next few years?</cmsannotation> We want WOW Skin Science to be present in every household in the country. We hope to be the go-to personal care brand for every Indian. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) You are competing with brands that have been a part of the ecosystem much longer. What do you think are the factors that will help you win in this otherwise competitive segment?" text="Q) You are competing with brands that have been a part of the ecosystem much longer. What do you think are the factors that will help you win in this otherwise competitive segment?">Q) You are competing with brands that have been a part of the ecosystem much longer. What do you think are the factors that will help you win in this otherwise competitive segment?</cmsannotation> We have never tried to replicate what other companies are doing. We pride ourselves on standing out from the crowd and remain focused on our ethos of being nature-inspired, customer-centric and agile. Our innovative formulations are inspired by traditional ayurvedic secrets to deliver the finest of health and beauty essentials. In terms of packaging, we have innovated with built-in brushes and applicators keeping our customers’ convenience in mind. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Q) What kind of growth has the brand seen and what kind of revenues are you aiming at this year?" text="Q) What kind of growth has the brand seen and what kind of revenues are you aiming at this year?">Q) What kind of growth has the brand seen and what kind of revenues are you aiming at this year?</cmsannotation> We’ve seen tremendous growth over the past year and we hope to accelerate further. Our Onion Hair Kit, Apple Cider Vinegar Shampoo and Face Wash, Vitamin C Skincare range have become bestsellers in the market and we are aiming to achieve a revenue of Rs 800 crore this financial year.

Being environmentally-friendly is at the core of our business values: Manish Chowdhary, WOW Skin Science

New Delhi, June 5 (IANSlife) The fashion industry is one of the biggest pollutants on the planet today. Celebrate this World Environment Day by taking a small step to reduce, reuse and recycle waste. Make use of the waste generated from the kitchen by turning it into natural dyes. This not only promotes recycling of waste, it paves the way for circular fashion at home. IANSlife spoke to the Fashion and Textile faculty at Vogue Institute of Art and Design to learn easy ways to make use of natural waste ingredients to transform your wardrobe with a new collection. Shades of Peach Turn those old tops into shades of peach with the use of avocado pits. Heat to boiling temperature for about 10 minutes, allow the colour to develop for 10 minutes, and dip your top in the natural dye for half hour. Depending on the fabric, the top changes to a different shade of peach. Avocado turns your linen fabric to light peach pink, silk to light peach and wool to light blush. Yellow and Olive Green Make use of marigolds used for auspicious occasions to turn your apparel into a light shade of yellow. The procedure is the same as avocado pits. Marigold turns cotton and linen into light yellow and can further change to olive green when a hot iron is placed on it. Pink Similar to the natural dye process with marigold flowers, hibiscus can be used to get a cool shade of pink on linen. Shades of Orange If you thought that turmeric would turn your clothes yellow, you must know it could turn your linen clothes to a shade of bright tangerine. Shred the turmeric and boil it in water for 10 minutes, place the fabric in the water and let it boil for another 10 minutes and set aside for 30 minutes. You can also turn the fabric to bright yellow with the use of white vinegar. The same method can be applied for yellow onion skins to turn your linen apparel into a warm orange shade. Purplish Gray Apply the turmeric based natural dye process to recycle red onion skins and turn your apparel into a purplish gray shade. Bright Rust Madder Root can transform your linen fabric into a gorgeous bright rust shade. Apply the same process of turmeric based natural dyes and enjoy the new look of your fabric. Coffee Brown As a layman, we only understand the importance of coffee as a taste maker with milk or may be water; it acts as a great dye agent for fabrics. Transform your white crop top into quirky attire with sprays of coffee syrup. Take the coffee shaded fabric and rub it with shredded potato to get a nice suede texture. Lavender and Green Black beans can give you a unique range of colour to your fabric. When used as colourant, it turns the fabric into a blue green shade and lavender shade. The hack is to prepare the liquid colour by mixing lavender flowers and black beans. On the other hand, prepare granules of black beans. Tie it into different places of the fabric to give it a pebble effect. Later, dip the same tied fabric into the lavender and black bean mixed colourant You could also use the waste generated from red cabbage to turn your apparel into purple, spinach left overs for green and beetroot scrapes to change the apparel shade into bright red. (Puja Gupta can be contacted at puja.g@ians.in) --IANS pg/tb/sdr/

World Environment Day: DIY natural dyes for a wardrobe makeover

<ul><li>As the entire country continues to be locked in their homes, mother earth is healing herself -- right from greener pastures to clearer skies and reduced pollution. </li><li>To mark <keyword id="18996" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Environment-Day">World Environment Day</keyword>, a few brands took cognizance of this and urged every citizen to imbibe these learnings, reflect upon their actions and as we brace ourselves for the lockdown being lifted, emerge as more conscious beings with focus on a sustainable future. </li></ul>Civilisation today is staring at what can only be called the biggest human challenge. This pandemic has left us thinking, wondering and questioning about all that we have done in the past. The environment is one such area where enough human effort may not be sufficient to reverse the damage caused so far, but a little conscious effort every day, collectively may promise our future generations a safer planet to inhabit, a lot safer than the one we call our home today. Like every year, a few brands have come forward to remind its consumers and fellow companies that sustainability should be prioritised at every household and workplace. Here are a few campaigns that caught our attention: <keyword id="64202" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="United-Nations-Environment-Programme">United Nations Environment Programme</keyword> UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) under its global theme – ‘Super Year For Nature &amp; Biodiversity’ released a campaign with MoEFCC (<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCl94zd6YfuUrv9DJz_5RcA">Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change</a>) conceptualized by Ogilvy. The campaign brought to light the dwindling population of endangered species in India namely, Snow Leopard, Gangetic River Dolphin &amp; Great Indian Bustard. <div type="image" title="Ogilvy_Time-for-nature_Leopard" msid="76217012" hostid="261"></div> Kansai Nerolac Paints Kansai Nerolac Paints digital film extends the thought of Nerolac’s recently launched brand campaign #AajCarefulTohKalColourful and is the third film in the continuing series. Through the digital film, Nerolac aims to raise awareness on the importance of environment conservation for a brighter and colourful tomorrow. Its ‘Aaj Careful Toh Kal Colourful’ with an intent to underline the importance of taking necessary precautions in the current Covid-19 situation to ensure a colourful future. The new thought-provoking film encourages citizens to take positive actions for the betterment of the environment and showcases how people can do their bit by taking small steps such as switching off fans/lights when not in use, conserving water, planting trees, contributing to cleaner air in minimal ways and more. <div type="Youtube" id="aNElLheBep4" title="Stand together for the Environment- Aaj Careful Toh Kal Colourful" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aNElLheBep4/mqdefault.jpg"></div> ITC ITC pledged once again to help shape a better, secure, sustainable and inclusive future for the generations to come with a powerful campaign. <div type="Youtube" id="rrSlLqBLPa0" title="ITC - World Environment Day 2020" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rrSlLqBLPa0/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Welspun Welspun Group launched a song titled ‘Ek Soch Hai Jaagi’ in collaboration with Kailash Kher to commemorate the World Environment Day. It aims to encourage people to introspect on their role in shaping the environment and steer them to build a better tomorrow. It also celebrates the metamorphosis of nature as it recuperates and replenishes during the lockdown. <div type="Youtube" id="74sbc3RYzzE" title="Ek Soch Hai Jaagi Official Song | Kailash Kher | Welspun Group" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/74sbc3RYzzE/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Tata Tiscon Tata Tiscon tried to spread the message of building a strong planet through Tata Tiscon Go Green, the brand’s sustainability initiative. ‘Plant for the Planet’, is a digital film conceptualised by Wunderman Thompson South Asia that was released on World Environment day to encourage people to care for and nurture the environment. <div type="Youtube" id="JOppVCz_vws" title="'Plant for the Planet’ for Tata Tiscon Go Green on World Environment Day" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JOppVCz_vws/mqdefault.jpg"></div>

World Environment Day: Brands urge consumers to come out of the lockdown as conscious beings and continue following sustainable practices

<ul><li>On <keyword id="18996" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Environment-Day">World Environment Day</keyword>, it is important for brands to reflect on how sustainable their products are. </li><li>Ophira Bhatia, Director – Corporate &amp; Government Affairs, India, Mondelēz International writes how the brand has lived its purpose this year by doing its bit for the environment.</li></ul>2020 has been an unusual year to say the least! We are all living through the threat of Covid-19 impacting our lives and loved ones. Over the last few weeks we have experienced cyclones in Maharashtra, Gujarat and West Bengal or the locust invasion. All of this reinforces the power of nature and the need for us to urgently live in balance with our environment. At Mondelēz International, growing our positive impact on people and the planet is the core of who we are as a company. Our Purpose to empower people to snack right is deeply embedded in making snacking both sustainable and mindful by creating a future where people and planet thrive. More importantly consumers today expect their loved brands and companies to go beyond creating products. They want to know they can feel good about our snacks because they are made the right way, sustainably with high-quality ingredients and with respect to people and planet. Our approach to sustainability covers the efficiency of the farms where our raw ingredients grow, through the impact of the supply chain that produces and delivers our products, to the recyclability of the packaging that our consumers dispose of and to highlighting how our consumers can snacking mindfully. Using our Purpose as its framework, our 2019 Snacking Made Right report details our achievements and objectives as we seek to deliver the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way for consumers and customers all over the world. The report outlines Mondelēz International’s ongoing commitment to leverage its global scale to deliver positive change. Our success in snacking made right lies in our ability to drive impact at scale and, as such, we focus our efforts in the two areas where we can make the biggest positive impact on the wellbeing of people and planet: sustainable snacking and mindful snacking. Our India business has made significant strides as we live our purpose and stay tuned into local needs of our consumers and the environment. So how are we making a real difference to sustainability? It starts with our business approach which takes into consideration our ecological, social and economic environment. As we make our snacks the right way, I am so proud of the partnership we have with over 100,000 cocoa farmers in India to grow our key raw material for chocolates. This partnership goes back 55 years, when Cadbury brought the first cocoa sapling to be planted in Kerala. Cocoa is not a native crop to India and when we started this journey in the southern states of the county, little must we have imagined that today we provide 3 million seedlings annually to support farmers grow cocoa as an intercrop. Our team continues to support farmers in growing cocoa – with extension services, R&amp;D through academic and research partnerships. This whole partnership has been built on sustainability – leading to increase in farm productivity, income stability (since farmers grow cocoa as an intercrop, they get a dual income from their primary crop and cocoa) and generating employment which has positively impacted communities. From raw materials to packaging. Plastic packaging and Multi Layered Plastics (MLP) contribute to food safety by effectively addressing key issues like adulteration, contamination and infestation. Globally, 93.3% of our total packaging (both plastic and non-plastic) is designed to be recyclable – our goal is to make all packaging recyclable by 2025. In India, all our MLP is 100% recycled through our Extended Producer Responsibility commitments. This implies we work with NGO partners to collect, segregate and dispose of plastics equivalent to the quantity of plastic that we use in manufacture of our products, which unfortunately ends up as waste when consumers have consumed the product. Mondelez is perhaps one of the few companies in India which is certified by EY as being water and carbon positive and zero waste to landfill. We have been consistently working to increase the usage of alternate sources of energy. By end of 2019, Mondelez India manufacturing facilities ran on 44.4% renewable energy. For example, we have invested in a biodiesel project at our manufacturing plant at Induri, Maharashtra, where we have successfully reduced CO2 emissions at the plant by 1,450 tons (15%) per year. One of our largest plants in India, at Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, has a captive solar plant. And just over the last two years, we have planted very 25,000 trees in our communities – many of them fruit trees. Sustainability also implies our support of society and community. For the last 6 years, our Shubh Aarambh community project across 8 states has been engaging with communities to improve feeding practices, health and hygiene, nutrition and childhood development services to strengthen the future resilience of our communities. The aim of the project is to promote healthy lifestyles and ensure regular play/sports helping the children and young people to stay active and fit. The project has also partnered with communities to provide clean water supply, developing kitchen gardens and playgrounds and green spaces across various locations. This work becomes more important post the Covid pandemic as health and hygiene take centerstage. With a strong foundation of beloved iconic brands, stakeholder partnerships and purposeful signature programs like Cocoa Life, I feel truly proud of the work we do. Very often purpose and values are words on a wall for organisations – but at Mondelez our business strategy is built around our purpose bringing benefits not only to our people, planet, communities but also driving business success.

Living our purpose

<ul><li>For <keyword id="18996" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Environment-Day">World Environment Day</keyword>, UP government and UN Environment have launched an action plan to control <keyword id="55910" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Air-Pollution">air pollution</keyword> in <keyword id="6356295" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="agra">Agra</keyword>.</li><li>Agra is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and this has had a direct impact on the city’s historic <keyword id="6355354" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="taj-mahal">Taj Mahal</keyword>. </li><li>One of the <keyword id="1257564" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Seven-Wonders-of-the-World">seven wonders of the world</keyword>, the Taj Mahal has been subject to discolouration because of air pollution.</li></ul>Right before World Environment Day, the city of Agra woke up to take action against rising pollution. Now, the government of Uttar Pradesh along with <a href="https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/city-taj-mahal-agra-launches-action-plan-combat-air-pollution">UN Environment</a>, is set to implement a comprehensive action plan to control air pollution, which will also protect the Taj Mahal. The city is home to Taj Mahal, one of the seven wonders of the world. This majestic monument came under dire stress as Agra became the eighth most polluted city in the world. The beautiful white marble facade of Taj Mahal is <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-pollution-india-tajmahal/pollution-turns-indias-white-marble-taj-mahal-yellow-and-green-idUSKCN1IN01S">reportedly</a> turning yellow and green, facing discolouration, due to air pollution. Not just that, the huge <a href="https://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-india-taj-mahal-20180522-story.html">mounds</a> of garbage lying on the banks of Yamuna where the historic monument is located, has led to an infestation of insects around the Taj Mahal. These factors have turned tourists wary of visiting the monument. Otherwise, it is known to draw interesting onlookers in hoards, from around the world. The extensive smog which covers the tomb that dates back to the 17th century, during winters is not helping either. An action plan Now, the state government along with the UN Environment rolled out the action plan which will now control –vehicle emissions, crop residue, garbage and municipal solid waste burning along with industrial emissions. Moreover, the government of Uttar Pradesh now plans to deploy 650 electric buses. A large number of international organizations are lending a hand too. “To help deal with Agra’s mounting plastic waste, Massive Fund proposed a project of $30 million under the Alliance to End Plastic, to eliminate more than 90 percent of plastic waste from Agra. Waste management firm Geocycle further proposed to pilot a technology to clean up the Yamuna river in Agra. Kanoria Industries plans to invest ₹150 billion for sustainability related activities in the city,” stated the report by UN Environment. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/world-resource-institute-report-revealed-india-has-lost-its-forest-cover-four-times-the-size-of-goa/articleshow/69056803.cms">India lost more than a million hectares of forest cover in 17 years — that’s more than four times the size of Goa </a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/fed-up-of-pollution-more-than-35-of-residents-in-indias-capital-say-they-want-to-move-out-permanently-survey/articleshow/66630699.cms">Fed up of pollution, more than 35% of residents in India’s capital say they want to move out permanently: Survey</a>

The fading beauty of Taj Mahal will get a soothing touch on World Environment Day

<ul><li>The world has produced over 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic waste since 1950.</li><li>Every Indian on an average consumes 11 kgs of plastic per year. </li><li>India also planning to join the “Clean Marine Ecosystem”.</li></ul>Plastic is a growing concern not only for India but the whole world. Disposal and recycling of single-use plastic items such as polythene bags and containers are a major concern. Since the 1950s, an estimated 6.3 billion tonnes of plastic has been <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2018/03/03/the-known-unknowns-of-plastic-pollution">produced</a>, of which an estimated 9% has been recycled and another 12% of plastic waste has been incinerated. India was the global host of the <keyword id="18996" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Environment-Day">World Environment Day</keyword> this year. The country, which is in the 75th year of its independence, pledged to eliminate the use of all single-use-plastic items like straws, plastic bags and water bottles, by the year 2022. 
 
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Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan, on the occasion of the World Environment Day, said - "We make a solemn pledge that we will eliminate all single-use plastics from our country." This statement has also shed some light on the PM’s idea of new India by the year 2022. 
 
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]]></cdata></div> At Vigyan Bhawan where India’s Prime Minister <keyword id="6597234" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-singh-modi">Narendra Singh Modi</keyword> emphasised on India’s relentless commitment towards protecting the environment, Vardhan said - "This India of our dreams (New India) will be single-use plastic free." This commitment is intended to send strong messages to the world which is threatened with increasing <keyword id="1820144" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="plastic-pollution">plastic pollution</keyword> due to the huge amounts of environmental degradation it causes. 
 
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]]></cdata></div> <keyword id="6354642" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Modi">Modi</keyword> in his speech mentioned that India is preparing to join the “Clean Sea Campaign” and make its contribution towards saving the world's oceans. "Plastic threatens to become a menace to humanity. A lot of it never makes it to the recycling stations”, he said. The annual average per capita <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/environment/the-good-earth/by-2022-india-vows-to-stop-single-use-plastics/articleshow/64471467.cms">consumption of plastic in India</a> is at 11 kg as against the global average of 28 kg. The large amount of plastic waste the world produces inevitably enters the environment, with <a href="https://globalnomadic.com/turning-rubbish-into-money-environmental-innovation-leads-the-way/">studies</a> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0016648014004225?via%3Dihub">suggesting</a> that the bodies of 90% of seabirds contain plastic debris.

India pledges to eliminate single-use plastics by 2020

Mark Blinch (Reuters)To celebrate World Environment Day, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took the chance to <a href="http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2017/06/05/canadian-prime-minister-highlights-environment-day/">kayak down the Niagara River</a> - and, after the photos emerged, again earn the adulation of the internet.After finishing a short trip down the river that borders Canada and the US, Trudeau also made an appearance on "Live with Kelly and Ryan."The environmental photo op comes days after US President Donald Trump announced he would <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-paris-agreement-climate-change-2017-6">pull the US out of the Paris climate agreement</a>. While Trudeau called his relationship with Trump "constructive," he also said he was disappointed with the president's choice."World Environment Day reminds us that we have a global responsibility to safeguard our environment - and that each of us has a role to play to preserve and protect it," Trudeau said in an <a href="http://pm.gc.ca/eng/news/2017/06/05/statement-prime-minister-world-environment-day">official statement</a>. "More than ever, Canada is committed to provide international leadership to fight climate change and support clean economic growth."

Justin Trudeau celebrated World Environment Day by kayaking down the Niagara River - and the photos are fantastic

Apologising for unintentionally hurting sentiments, restaurant aggregator <keyword id="830092" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="zomato" source="Orion">Zomato</keyword> on Thursday withdrew an ad after it came under fire for depicting the actor who played the Dalit character <keyword id="1339390" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="kachra" source="Orion">Kachra</keyword> in the film "<keyword id="20409" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="lagaan" source="Orion">Lagaan</keyword>" as items made of recycled waste. The ad, which draws a link between the character Kachra with 'kachra', the Hindi word for garbage, was aired on World Environment Day on June 5. As ire grew and the ad came under attack on social media for being casteist, the company issued an apology from its official Twitter handle and said the intent was to "spread awareness about the potential of plastic waste and benefits of recycling in a humorous way". "Unintentionally, we may have hurt the sentiments of certain communities and individuals. We have taken down the video," it said. The ad, aiming to show the food delivery company's recycling efforts, was termed "disgusting", "blatantly casteist", and "extremely insensitive" by netizens on Twitter. "Masaan" director <keyword id="1005369" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="neeraj-ghaywan" source="Orion">Neeraj Ghaywan</keyword>, filmmaker Madhurita Anand and Dalit historian Karunyakara Lella were among those who spoke out. In the nearly two-minute ad, actor Aditya Lakhia, who played the character in the 2001 hit film, is depicted as a lamp, paper, paperweight, watering can, and different types of jackets -- the accompanying text detailing how much recycled 'kachra' was used to make each item. The company in its now-deleted ad on YouTube also claimed it has "recycled 20 million kg of plastic kachra so far". "Zomato voluntarily recycles more than 100% of the plastic used to package orders, and keeps it out of landfills. This 20 million kg of plastic waste, recycled in FY 23 under our 100% plastic-neutral deliveries initiative, can be turned into many items of immense value. We believe in the power of recycling, and kachra - the best spinner in the entire British Raj - does as well," the description of the ad read. Discussing the controversial ad campaign, communications strategy consultant Karthik Srinivasan said Zomato did not think adequately about making the character perform "seemingly dehumanising and menial tasks". "There's a context to Kachra's character in 'Lagaan', and within the larger spectrum of commercial entertainment in India, on how castes are portrayed, and how Dalits, in particular, are portrayed or stereotyped. "Coming from that angle, to see the character perform seemingly dehumanising and menial tasks -- even if he is performing them figuratively, as 'waste' and not his Lagaan character per se -- made the ad seem very awkward," Srinivasan told PTI. He added that Zomato attempted to mine a "kind of sly humour" from the name for waste upcycling/recycling. The video was slammed online for its seemingly casteist overtones. "#Kachra from #Lagaan was one of the most dehumanised voiceless depictions of Dalits ever in cinema. @zomato has used the same character and made a repulsive #casteist commercial. A human stool? Are you serious? Extremely insensitive," Ghaywan wrote on Twitter. Filmmaker Madhurita Anand wrote in reply to Ghaywan's tweet: "That is just so offensive. One has to wonder who these people are who created the advert, approved it and put it online without once thinking about it." Dalit historian and writer Karunyakara Lella also hit out at Zomato for its "Dalit phobic" advertisement. "Why #Zomato is insensitive to Dalit sentiments? Why it takes liberty to hurt Dalit life by humiliating Dalit Identity? #BoycottZomato for #DalitPhobic #casteracist advertisement," Lella wrote. Another Twitter user, Sana Satpathy, said Zomato is "beyond disgusting" and its marketing head should be fired immediately. She used the hashtag #BoycottZomato and called for a public apology. The food delivery company has found itself on the wrong side of marketing in the past as well. In 2017, an outdoor ad campaign in major cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru showed Hindi expletives "MC, BC" as abbreviations for mac n' cheese and butter chicken. The company later withdrew the ad after backlash on social media. In 2022, Zomato pulled down an advertisement featuring actor Hrithik Roshan who was shown to be craving for a "thali" (food platter) in Ujjain so he ordered it from "Mahakal". Priests of the famous Mahakaleshwar temple in Madhya Pradesh objected, claiming that it offended Hindu sentiments and demanded its withdrawal. Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra had issued directives to the police to look into the controversy. The company later apologised clarifying that the "Mahakal" reference was for a restaurant and not the temple. The character Kachra in "Lagaan" is a polio-affected Dalit. When Aamir Khan's character Bhuvan insists on adding him to the cricket team - the central theme of the film -- after spotting his spinning skills, upper caste members openly reject the idea as he is an "untouchable". However, he ends up playing a crucial role in the cricket match. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/bajaj-finserv-after-twitterati-scream-foul-about-pesky-calls-rbi-says-will-look-into-it/articleshow/100849176.cms">After Twitterati screams foul about pesky calls, RBI says 'will look into it'</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/hiring-in-india-slowed-down-by-7-in-may-foundit-report/articleshow/100848986.cms">Hiring in India slowed down by 7% in May: Foundit report</a>

Zomato takes down ad depicting 'Lagaan' character Kachra as recycled waste items

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Hannah Hood got passed up for a promotion she wanted while working from home — twice.</li><li>While her career took a hit, she loved the flexibility in her personal life and even got her MBA virtually.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Hannah Hood, 26, a corporate marketing manager from Indianapolis, Indiana. It's been edited for length and clarity.When I took my first job at 22, I remember impressing my friends with the fact that I didn't have to go into the office on Friday and had the option to work one day from home. The remote Friday was a major perk that made the job — a marketing role at my local university in rural Indiana — more enticing.<h2>I usually laid in bed and did menial, tedious tasks while watching TV</h2>On my work-from-home days, I'd typically knock out things like scheduling social media posts, organizing, and getting caught up on my email.Sometimes I'd use it as my writing day and write press releases or blogs too. It was rare that we had meetings on Fridays, but if we did, I'd take calls from the spare bedroom of my apartment.In my first 11 months on the job, I got to build relationships with coworkers, gain an understanding of the company and the type of work I was doing, and establish myself in the role. So when COVID-19 hit and we went remote, it didn't feel that different to me — the team dynamics just shifted to Zoom, and I continued working. <h2>I got passed up for the promotion I wanted while working from home, though — and then it happened again</h2>I no longer had the same visibility with my superiors at the coordinator/manager level that I'd once had when they had to walk by my cubicle every morning. I wasn't in meetings, getting valuable face-time with decision-makers. So when those promotions popped up, I simply wasn't on their radar until I advocated for myself. And at that point, decisions were already made. The first promotion that I got passed up for took place when we were 100% remote, in the thick of COVID. The second one occurred when we were in transition to return to the office.At that time, I'd moved to Indianapolis and the rest of the team was in a different location, so I was coming into the office only as was absolutely required, while several other team members came in much more frequently.<h2>At the same time, it was amazing for my personal life</h2>Remote work allowed for a ton of personal flexibility, so I spent more time being active, cooking, volunteering, and spending quality time with my friends and my husband. It also gave me freedom to design a work environment at home that suited me. I have a home-base in our spare bedroom with double monitor, keyboard, and decorated desk, but I thrive when I'm able to shake up my work environment day-to-day, week-to-week — I'll work from my bed, couch, the kitchen, my mom's kitchen, over Zoom with my other remote-working friends, or in local coffee shops. The situation allowed me to obsessively train our new dog and get my MBA 100% virtually, which was super convenient. I had more energy to put towards my education; my workdays didn't drain me in the same way that they had when I was in office. <h2>But it's been a trade-off because of how it impacted my career</h2>I ended up leaving my job at the university in March 2022. I'd just had my daughter, the three-hour round-trip commute once a week just wasn't working, and I knew that I was tapped out in terms of my job growth.I took a job at a PR agency in Indianapolis, where I worked in a hybrid setup with two days in the office and three days remote. I enjoyed my time there, but when a recruiter reached out with an opportunity for a full-remote job, I couldn't help but see it through. Now I'm about three months into a 100% remote job as a corporate marketing manager at <a href="https://www.servicepower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ServicePower</a>, where most of my coworkers are over 500 miles away. Some are across the globe. <h2>I love the culture, which is built around the fact that the majority of the team is remote</h2>A few times a year, the team gets together for strategy meetings and social events at our base in DC, but the rest of the year, everyone works collaboratively over Teams. I've even been invited to a few virtual coffee chats with some of my coworkers where we take time to talk about our lives and connect on a more personal level. It makes a huge difference to work somewhere that knows how to manage remote workers versus a work-remote situation that occurred as a result of COVID. I'm not worried about getting passed up for opportunities because we're all in this remote environment together.As a young mom and homeowner, I'm thankful I'll never have the stress of figuring out how to take care of my family and maintain my house with the pressure to sit in an office for eight hours a day, not to mention the commute. I get to spend more time with my daughter. My husband and I don't have to stress about being able to make childcare pick-up and drop-off times. When things pop up like a leaky roof or sink, we also don't have to stress about finding a time to be home for repairs; I'm already there."Adulting" comes with a huge mental load. Working remotely makes balancing it all feel more feasible.

You Searched For "environment day" and got 9 results

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Justin Trudeau celebrated World Environment Day by kayaking down the Niagara River - and the photos are fantastic

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Zomato takes down ad depicting 'Lagaan' character Kachra as recycled waste items

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Remote work hasn't been the best for my career — I was passed up twice for promotions. But it's been amazing for my personal life.

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