Janashakthi, Think Green mark World Environment Day through e-waste disposal project

Wednesday, 11 June 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

To mark World Environment day which fell on 5 June, Janashakthi and Think Green made arrangements to collect e-waste through various drop off points in Colombo. The Think Green team were present at all these locations with banners in order to provide education on e-waste, collect e-waste and distribute leaflets.

Think Green also conducted an awareness program for all the senior associates of Janashakthi. Key learnings of the program included that every electronic device is made with an inter circuit board, which has to be disposed in a responsible manner when it becomes electronic waste. Janashakthi’s environmental priorities are to reduce the impact of its operations on climate change and conserve the environment by monitoring and reporting on the environmental impact of its operations and services. These efforts include their customers and business partners where relevant and to the highest extent possible. “This project is both timely and vital. There are many projects calling for the recycling of waste in general, but there is a lack of awareness about e-waste, and how it should best be disposed of. As such, Janashakthi has stepped up to support this valuable initiative. We are proud to contribute to the education and improvement of the community at large in this way, through this and other community outreach projects,” said Janashakthi Insurance General Manager – Sales & Marketing Shehara De Silva. “Championing sustainability allows businesses to align deeply with their mission and engage customers on a more meaningful level. Most businesses have recognised this need and we at Think Green offer guidance and tools to implement sustainable business practices,” said Think Green CEO Sivahar Muthuramalingam. Over 300,000 CPU systems are imported to Sri Lanka annually and the rate is growing rapidly. Most of the CPUs are used for only three years. There are two million mobile phones imported annually and all become e-waste with time and need a proper disposal mechanism. Over 70% of e-waste is toxic and is a cause for water pollution when released to the environment. It is our responsibility to dispose e-waste in an environmentally friendly manner. It should not be used for land filling which will have adverse health effects, Muthuramalingam said. There were special collection bins at the following Janashakthi branches during the week’s campaign. At the end of the campaign the collection was handed over to ‘Think Green’ for recycling purposes. 2-6 June: No 46, Muttiah Road, Colombo 02 4 June: No 78 A, Galle Road, Dehiwala North 5-6 June: No 441, Galle Road, Colombo 03 Across the years, Janashakthi Insurance has held many outreach initiatives as part of their commitment to serve the community, from special kidney screening programs to the sponsorship of young rural athletics and dengue prevention programs. Most recently, Janashakthi came forward to help raise funds for those diagnosed with cerebral palsy via the 10 day ‘Around the Pearl’ bike ride.