Over the weekend, Gurgaon's public landscape took a big green step as the city saw its first public park renovated with recycled plastic. The park, situated along Arjun Marg in DLF Phase I, now boasts of everything – from tiles to playground equipment and benches – that are made of recycled plastic. The initiative has been led by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and executed by confectionery firm Perfetti Van Melle India (PVMI), which is headquartered in the city.
The public park, which is popular among the local populace, has been renovated with tiles, playground equipment, benches and other amenities using recycled and reprocessed MLP/ post-consumption packaging. This way, it not only serves to offer innovative solutions to deal with plastic waste but also has been aesthetically designed for the residents staying in the vicinity. The park was inaugurated on Friday by SDM, Badshahpur Manisha Sharma, and Councillor R S Rathi in the presence of residents from nearby and representatives from Perfetti Van Melle India.
MCG officials say that the park's design and renovation is an effort on their part to find eco-friendly and practical solutions to the challenges of plastic recycling, while utilising the public-private partnership model. Speaking about their role in the initiative, Rajesh Ramakrishnan, Managing Director, Perfetti Van Melle India, says, "As a responsible corporate, we have always believed in bringing about a positive influence in our society. Reduce, reuse and recycle are the core tenets of our operations and we have consistently made efforts towards optimising our operations to this end."