22 Dec 2021
UNEP launches campaign in India urging people to choose #PlasticSeBehtar
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched its India campaign on Monday with a call to choose #PlasticSeBehtar.   To create awareness about the impact of plastic pollution and importance of making choices that are better than plastic [plastic se behtar] in India, UNEP’s CounterMEASURE project in collaboration with LetMeBreathe has launched a campaign focusing on […]

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) launched its India campaign on Monday with a call to choose #PlasticSeBehtar.  

To create awareness about the impact of plastic pollution and importance of making choices that are better than plastic [plastic se behtar] in India, UNEP’s CounterMEASURE project in collaboration with LetMeBreathe has launched a campaign focusing on this urgent issue, and very importantly, the solutions: What’s #PlasticSeBehtar?

Capturing people’s voices from the banks of the river Ganga, we hear first-hand from the local community champions about this issue in the video story. 

Vinod, a social worker in Varanasi reiterates the same sentiment, “People say we need to clean Ganga ji, but I am saying we don’t need to clean Ganga ji, we need to spread the message that we should not pollute Ganga ji in the first place!”. Watch the story:

To highlight the impact of plastic pollution and the urgent need to make better choices, a  video story capturing people’s voices from the banks of the Ganga river was also released on Monday, featuring local community champions and residents from across the Gangetic belt.

Industry leaders from the F&B sector and startup founders too joined the conversation in a roundtable event to discuss the alternatives that are #PlasticSeBehtar

The campaign has already reached more than four million people with more and more joining the conversation to share alternatives that are #BetterThanPlastic

“Nobody throws garbage on their mother, the same way it is our responsibility to keep our river Ganga clean” says a school student studying in Rishikesh.

Every year, about 1.15 and 2.41 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the ocean from rivers and Asian rivers are responsible for 86% of the total global input. These are rivers that run through areas with millions of people. 

“It is important that environmental costs and prices are internalized so that change becomes a norm instead of a niche” explains Divya Datt, Programme Management officer at UNEP India. 

Positive actions taken as an individual, as a community, as a business owner – have an impact. As part of this campaign, the United Nations Environment Programme’s CounterMEASURE project and LetMeBreathe will continue to highlight such individuals, communities and businesses that are taking similar positive actions.

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