From ghost nets to milk packets...Companies join the anti-plastic movement

Oceans are the biggest and deepest trash bins on Earth. In India, a major chunk of plastic deposits in the ocean comes from abandoned fishing nets. Once disposed of in the water, these become ghost nets, almost invisible in the dark underwater. Sea creatures get trapped in these nets and die. Ghost nets also pose critical dangers to divers.

Now, several enterprises and NGOs are trying to make a conscious intervention in this area.

For instance, HCL Harit, the green initiative of HCL Foundation, the CSR arm of tech firm HCL Tech, recently collaborated with the Navy and The Habitats Trust towards strengthening efforts for combating plastic waste in oceans. Nidhi Pundhir, vice-president, Global CSR, HCL Tech, said, “We have already retrieved some 20,300 kg of ghost nets through various projects. We are going to commence similar projects across coasts in Karnataka and Odisha.’‘