Drive to raise awareness about single-use plastic pollution and responsible disposal

Mumbai, May 30, 2018: The Mahindra Group, in collaboration with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation has, as part of its sustainability efforts, undertaken a drive to build awareness about the impact of plastic and to collect plastic waste. More than 15,000 tonnes of plastic waste is generated in India every day, of which 6,000 tonnes remain uncollected and littered. Mumbai generates 7,500 metric tons of waste every day, of which nearly 9% is plastic waste according to a 2014 study. Given the impact of plastic pollution on marine life, the World Environment Day this year is themed around “Beat Plastic Pollution” and India is the host country. Environment forms a critical element of Mahindra Group’s focus from a business and social good perspective. Run across all locations in Maharashtra, this drive was initiated on May 22, and it is set to culminate on World Environment Day (June 5). So far XX kgs of plastic have been collected by Mahindra Group, which will be shared with BMC (single use). . BMC will, as part of the association, collect the plastic and responsibly reprocess it into useful products. Mahindra has also partnered with NGO Goonj towards recycling other forms of plastic. Mahindra Group aims to encourage its employees to give up single use plastic and will reach out to (can we avoid this, as we don’t have a figure) Mahindra employees across the State

To instill a fundamental behavioral change towards plastic pollution and the environment, Mahindra also educated the local communities about plastic pollution. For this, the Group, under its Rise for Good initiative, also brought on board artistes from Vishwa Cine Productions Pvt. Ltd. to perform a street play at the BDD Chawls. The street play was aligned with the Group's #ButThisIsNotEnough[Eng] #ButThisIsNotEnough [Hindi] campaign, conceptualized to urge individuals and organizations to bring about a positive change.

Anirban Ghosh, Chief Sustainability Officer, Mahindra Group said, "Pollution from plastic bags is known to lead to ocean toxicity resulting in eco-system and habitat disruption. Thus, the significance of the government driven single use plastic ban. Our association with Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation is an effort to bring together Mahindra employees across the State to contribute towards the cause. While a lot of good work is already being done to protect the environment, we also believe that there is a need for larger movements. This calls for joint efforts from individuals, families, local communities and corporate houses to drive significant positive change. Our campaign #ButThisIsNotEnough is a call to everyone to join us and work towards creating a healthier and better environment."

Kiran S.Dighavkar, Assistant Commissioner, BMC said, "We appreciate the efforts being taken by the Mahindra Group in supporting the plastic ban and help in creating awareness towards making Mumbai a clean city. This is a great source of encouragement. Such associations result in better implementation and outcome. Plastic pollution is a rising concern and BMC needs the support from corporates and the public at large to address it. Human beings, wildlife, land and waterways are under serious threat due to plastic pollution which has various adverse impacts on their existence.". "

About Mahindra (www.mahindra.com)

The Mahindra Group is a USD 20.7 billion federation of companies that enables people to rise through innovative mobility solutions, driving rural prosperity, enhancing urban living, nurturing new businesses and fostering communities. It has a leadership position in utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership in India and is the world’s largest tractor company, by volume. It also enjoys a strong presence in agribusiness, components, commercial vehicles, consulting services, energy, industrial equipment, logistics, real estate, steel, aerospace, defence and two wheelers. Headquartered in India, Mahindra employs over 200,000 people across 100 countries.

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Media contact information:

Shubhada Dharwadkar / Ankita Upadhyay
Group Communications
Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.
Tel: +91-22- 24901441
[email protected] / [email protected]