Govt Arts College Turns Country’s First Plastic Free Zone Cell

Government Arts College, Coimbatore is the first ever college in India to open up Plastic free zone cell by an NCC Officer Capt.K.Vasanthi and have professors and students as members to create awareness on plastic pollution.
Prior to Tamil Nadu Government order on the ban of plastic production and its usage, the initiative was started on 23.1.2018, with the title “Carry a cloth bag” which was inaugurated by Dr.VijayaKarthikeyan, the then Corporation Commissioner Coimbatore. He also inaugurated the Human Chain on the same day where a total of 400 students including NCC, NSS participated and created awareness on “Avoid Carry bags”.
After this, Capt.(Dr) K.Vasanthi of Economics Dept, along with students pasted stickers which says ‘shop only with cloth bag’ in and around the college.
300 cloth bags were supplied free of cost to all staff members of the college. Cloth dusters were distributed to all the departments.
A beautiful wall painting with pictures were painted in the campus wall. Every month meeting with volunteers were held to make the college plastic free.
PFZ and Save Nature Cell was officially opened up by Dr.S.Nalini, Principal, Government Arts College, on 15.3.2018 where 26 staff members and 250 volunteers joined in the cell initially. (at present 33 staff).
Through the cell competitions like speech, essay writing, debate and exhibitions were conducted. All volunteers received certificates and winners were awarded with cash prize.
The cell is aimed at creating awareness among students about the ills of using plastics besides, transforming the college road as plastic free zone, avoiding flex or water bottles and paper cups and to be role mode college in plastic awareness. The college canteen, which was supplying carry bags for parcel is now stopped using carry bags.
Plastic tumblers which was used to drink water during examination is now replaced with stainless steel tumblers (sponsored by Dr.V. Muralitharan, Controller of Examination). During department functions no plastic water bottles / flex banners are used. Through this cell 100 tree saplings and 75 palmyra seeds were planted.