“Everybody remembers Valentine’s Day, but forgets about Earth Day,” points out Vichitra Rajasingh, the CEO of Puppy’s Bakery.
Indeed, we teach our children that the fate of Earth is in human hands but often overlook the role everyday people play in the small stories of progress.
So this year for Earth Day, which falls on April 22, Vichitra is doing her bit — by involving people to take a pledge and be Earth’s guardians. Outside her two main stores in Theni Main Road and Anna Nagar, a collage of paper leaves has been put up. Anybody can walk up and sign the pledge to “reuse and recycle materials and reduce waste” on a leaf and take home a complimentary sapling. They don’t even have to step inside the bakery. At no cost, they just need to reiterate their promise to conserve Earth’s resources.
“We hope to instil a thought about climate change and pollution in people,” says Vichitra; this exercise runs the entire month. In the beginning not many turned up, but over the last few days, more than 100 saplings were taken each day, she says and feels happy to see many in the age group of 18 to 25 signing up. This weekend, she is preparing to give away more than 250 saplings. “It is a nice way of generating awareness as we are also giving away fruit bearing trees in the hope people will plant them in their homes,” she adds.
This month, their newly-launched Awesome shakes that come in glass bottle with a new theme embossed on it every month, also carries an Earth Day pledge. The signature drink is available across all Puppy’s stores in Madurai, Sivakasi and Dindigul.
“When people drink from this bottle, they inevitably pledge themselves to guard the planet’s resources. The bottle remains with them as a souvenir and while they can keep reusing it at home, it will keep reminding them of their responsibility towards Nature,” says Vichitra.
