Canvironment Week 2011,the second in the series of the global event promoting sustainabile and environment friendly cans, is kicked off in India. Canvironment Week initiated by Hindustan Tin Works Ltd to support the cause of "Save Our Planet"
Taking a lead from the concept of a world recycling day and the world environment day, 2010 was a year which gave birth to Canvironment Week, 10th ' 17th November was a week which was celebrated as Canvironment Week for the global metal can industry in 8 countries from 5 different continents. Leveraging on the eco-friendly nature of cans and to mark its 200th birthday, Hindustan Tin Works Ltd, a leading Indian can maker, decided to do a campaign with cans being the key focus. 2011 campaign brings together, 11 countries from 5 continents to speak with one voice and promote sustainability of metal cans.
Drashti Dhami an actor and a well known celebrity is the brand ambassador of Canvironment Week this year. She is an Indian television actress and is very popular for her role as 'Geet' in one of the most successful and popular shows on STAR One- ' Geet ' Hui Sabse Parayi ' opposite Gurmeet Choudhary. She has a large fan following amongst women and the youth.
Atit Bhatia, Senior Vice President, Hindustan Tin Works and President of Canvironment Week says, "Today Canvironment Week is symbolic to the positive attempts and initiatives taken by Hindustan Tin Works and its partners worldwide. After the successful event in 2010, Canvironment Week is back in 2011 to again connect with the industry, community and the youth. Promoting the sustainability and environmentally-friendly performance of metal packaging is becoming increasingly important to the can making industry. Through our campaign we are aiming to achieve this goal while simultaneously helping some of India's rag pickers to live a better life, and raising awareness of the importance of recycling"
Drashti Dhami, an actress, says," I am truly excited as it is going to be a completely different and a new experience for me, It is an honor to be a part of this global campaign which has bestowed the role and responsibility upon to me to make consumers aware about the modern and trendy cans while also working for the rag pickers of India and our Mother Earth"
The activities of Canvironment Week 2011 in India will be Painting Competitions for children of rag pickers, Health Camps, 'Canclilious' food canter activity and an inter college musical 'Can Cussion'. Across India, Canvironment week is providing the basic amenities to rag-picker community, the lower strata of the society who act like scavengers. Rag pickers are the major cogs in the recycling wheel. In one way it is true to say that Rag pickers are the main reason behind recycling in India. They deal with all the garbage that we create. During last year campaign the rag picker community got benefitted from the by health checkups and rural health insurance schemes and education sponsorships, with the return of the health camps in 2011 and providing vocational training to help some of them move away from rag picking
Canvironment Week was very much appreciated at global level where Hindustan Tin Works have included a surprise award at the Metpack show held in Germany in May ' presented to the company as it held an opening ceremony for Canvironment 2011 ' The Environment Initiative of the Year 2010 at the Alcobev Indspirit conference by Ambrosia, European Metal Packaging (Empac) Challenge cash award for 10,000 Euros for the most innovative idea to promote sustainability of cans and the International Packaging Association's Innovation Award at the General Assembly of IPA at Rimini in San Marino in June 11
This year member who are supporting Canvironment Week 2011 areMinistry of Environment and Forests, Ministry of Food Processing Industries are supporting the whole campaign, companies and institutions like Hindustan Tin Works Ltd, United Breweries Ltd, Micro Inks, Tinplate Company of India Ltd, European Metal Packaging (EMPAC), International Packaging Association (IPA), Indian Institute of Packaging, World Packaging Organization, Tinplate Promotion Council, Metal Containers Manufacturers Association, NGO ' Chintan and Exnora are coming up together to urge consumers for using eco-friendly cans.
The launch is received a grand kick off by ringing the "Sustainability Bell" by can makers, industry leaders, and government bodies representing different countries presented at Metpack and Interpack Germany in May 2011.
710