Do you know plastic giant, Coca-Cola was recently named as the world’s largest plastic waste producer in a global plastic audit? The company produces about three million tons of plastic packaging each year which is equivalent to 200,000 bottles per minutes, according to the BBC. The company has refused to make plastic bottles, they now want to create single-use plastic. But it’s the customers “who still want those plastic bottles”, which is reusable and resaleable. They don’t want the company to replace their plastic bottles with something else like aluminium or glass.

Though the company has pledged to use at least 50% recycled material in its packaging by 2030 and to partner with NGOs to improve waste collection, they are obligated to the demands of its customers.

The company’s head of sustainability, Bea Perez speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos saying that their customers liked their light-weight and resalable bottles. She also said that replacing plastic bottles with aluminium or glass would ‘increase their carbon footprint’ and affect sales.

“Business won’t be in business if we don’t accommodate consumers,” she said. “So as we change our bottling infrastructure, move into recycling and innovate, we also have to show the consumer what the opportunities are. They will change with us.”

The reality is that neither recycling nor switching to another material like aluminium or glass will be a cure-all for all the mess generated by the single-use products. The continuous use of single-use plastic packaging will translate to pumping more throwaway plastic into the environment. It will leave behind an even bigger environmental footprint than plastic.

What we want is to lessen up the use of plastic in any form, as it is the major cause of creating pollution. We wish that the company should work towards ending up its use and not to produce anymore even if it’s the customer wants. As we wish to create a pollution-free and sustainable planet.

In a bid to make women feel safer while entering the national capital region, Delhi airport has started a new initiative i.e. a private all-women cab service especially for women from the Indira Gandhi International Airport. The all-women cab service is known as ‘Women with Wheels‘. This service can be availed for any part of Delhi. It operates from a kiosk near pillar number 16 at the airport. I think that’s a great initiative taken to ensure the safety of women in Delhi and it has a long way to go.

Who drives these cars?

via: sakhaconsultingwings

The cabs are run exclusively for women commuters and are driven by women drivers only who are hired from an NGO named Azad Foundation, said Arvind Vadera, the CEO of Sakha Consulting Wings, the company that is running this service. Men are allowed to enter the cab only if they are accompanied by a woman.

What does this Azad Foundation do?

Azad Foundation is an NGO that trains women belonging from the economically weaker background to become professional drivers among other things.

One of the women drivers said, “Now that I am standing on my feet. I feel I can do anything. I’m living my life freely now,”.

Until now, the company has a fleet of 20 cars with 10 drivers said Vadera. They are further trying to expand their fleet.

From where did this idea come?

The CEO if the company added that this idea came from seeing women who feel uncomfortable while travelling in city cabs. “Normally women who land at the airport in the late hours feel uncomfortable while hiring taxis. We decided to provide them with cabs driven by women to make them feel safe,”.

‘Women with Wheels’,cab service operated by women for women has started at Delhi’s IGI Airport. A Vadera,CEO, Sakha Consulting Wings Pvt Ltd, says, “We give driving training&self defence training to women.We’ve cab services, provide women chauffeurs on demand&for short duration”. pic.twitter.com/6VsGY5Q1je

— ANI (@ANI) January 23, 2020

Vadera further added, “The cabs have GPS and a panic button installed. So, if either the driver or commuter feels the need, they can call for help. We have a tie-up with a company called 24 Response that will send help within 30 minutes”.

Sakha Consulting Wings provide the all-women cab service in other cities as well including Indore, Jaipur, and Kolkata as well. If we talk about the rates, the rates of the cabs are equal to the rates of other city cabs.

What do you have you to say about this unique idea which is aimed at protecting the women from facing any mishappening while travelling?

China is grappling with a new coronavirus called the ‘Wuhan Virus’. The virus has taken away the lives of many peoples. Now, everyone is just afraid about the spread of this virus as the Chinese Lunar Year is approaching ahead. During this holiday, hundreds of millions of people prepare to travel to their home for a family reunion. Chinese Lunar New Year period is the largest annual human migration on Earth.

Last year also, approximately 7 million Chinese tourists have travelled abroad for Lunar New Year, as per the media sources.

via: CNN

The holiday has come at the worst possible time where the health authorities are racing to face such a challenge and to get rid of it. The spread of the virus has put the rest of Asia on alert.

The risk of the spreading of the virus and affecting the number of people has been increased as Chinese authorities confirm the virus can spread by human to human contact.

Over 52 crore people are expected to be across China undertaking close to 3 billion trips to celebrate the Chinese New Year which is beginning from January 24, which could spread the virus at an alarming rate and thereby putting at risk the lives of so many people.

via: Independent

The disease was primarily originated in Wuhan and has affected other cities as well including Beijing and Shenzen. The disease has also made its way to Thailand, South Korea, and Japan.

Until now, more than 200 people have been diagnosed with this disease. The disease has pneumonia-like symptoms including high fever, difficulty in breathing, among others.

The main center for this outbreak was the local seafood market at Wuhan as the initial patients were mostly vendors and buyers at the market. The market was home to not just seafood but also a variety of other creatures like snakes and other amphibians. The market has also been shut now because of the fear of decontamination due to the spreading of the virus.

via: CNA Photo/ Taiwan News

The Chinese medical authorities have confirmed that the disease will get spread by a human to human contact and the thing will become worse while celebrating the Chinese Lunar Year.

To prevent this situation and help people from getting affected by the Wuhan virus, the government should provide guidelines to the people who are entering the areas prone to this virus and also to the people who are living in the city and how one can seek medical help in case they feel sick.

Featured image source: US News & World Report