{"id":18333,"date":"2026-09-04T19:07:28","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T23:07:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/?p=18333"},"modified":"2026-09-04T19:07:29","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T23:07:29","slug":"season-of-creation-the-fight-against-litter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/season-of-creation-the-fight-against-litter\/","title":{"rendered":"Season of Creation: The Fight Against Litter"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On a pleasant drizzly morning in August, a group in Kothamangalam, southern India, prepared for a steep climb to the pilgrimage site of Nadukani Kurisumala, or St. Thomas Mount. The monsoon had not quite left the state of Kerala, but it had lost its ferocity, leaving breezy and misty weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not a single plastic bottle or bag of chips littered the route. Father Robin Padinjarekuttu, the parish priest of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church in Nadukani, led the trekkers, with church volunteers Christo Jojo, on break from his shipping job, and Steve Jase John, a student on a school break.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ve been raising awareness against littering,\u201d Father Padinjarekuttu said. \u201cIt was and still is a huge problem, especially with thousands of tourists from Kerala as well as across India not giving a thought to our environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Nadukani parish is part of the Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Kothamangalam. This year, volunteers from 12 parishes hiked up the hill the week after Easter to collect the waste left by tourists who visited during the Easter break.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt was a lot,\u201d Father Padinjarekuttu said. \u201cEvery year, despite our efforts, people don\u2019t take care with litter. But things have definitely gotten better since we started the awareness drive post-COVID.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"576\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_009H-Blog1-576x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_009H-Blog1-576x1024.jpg 576w, https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_009H-Blog1-169x300.jpg 169w, https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_009H-Blog1-768x1365.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_009H-Blog1-864x1536.jpg 864w, https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_009H-Blog1-1152x2048.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_009H-Blog1.jpg 1320w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 576px) 100vw, 576px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The church is raising awareness against littering by the banks of the river Periyar. The small boat, known as a vallam, anchored<br>by the banks of the river is used for locals to move from one side of the river to the other. (photo: Anubha George)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Kerala, littering and accumulating plastic waste is a huge environmental problem. Even though the state banned single-use plastics in 2020 \u2014 ahead of the rest of the country \u2014 government statistics show banned single-use items such as straws, plastic bags, food packaging, wrappers, and water and soft drink bottles still make up nearly half of Kerala\u2019s plastic litter.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe problem is so big that even in quaint tourist areas, such as Kothamangalam, local waste collection facilities and recycling plants can\u2019t cope with the volume of waste,\u201d Father Padinjarekuttu said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The church has stepped up its efforts to help the local administration deal with the problem. The priests educate parishioners about keeping their surroundings clean and about the dangers of using plastic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As trekkers descended, a Christian family sold lemonade. The family sells the drink to visitors during the October to March tourist season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe encourage them to serve the lemonade in glasses rather than single-use paper or plastic cups,\u201d Father Robin said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t seem like much, but when you look at the amount of waste it saves on a daily basis, that\u2019s when you realize how the smallest steps make a difference in the bigger scheme of things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The church is also promoting plastic-free cemeteries. Plastic flowers, wreaths and ornaments cause near burial sites cause surface pollution. At the St. Thomas Church cemetery, parishioners are discouraged from taking plastic flowers or wreaths to decorate graves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cDuring the monsoon season, plastic flowers and wreaths can wash into local canals, rivers and eventually the ocean. This causes havoc for marine life,\u201d Father Padinjarekuttu said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe encourage green burials and visits to graves,\u201d he said.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/season-of-creation-commences\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The church is aware of its responsibility to the environment<\/a>, he said, and the Eparchy of Kothamangalam has instructed all its parishes to adopt environment-friendly practices.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"558\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_008H-Blog1-558x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-18336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_008H-Blog1-558x1024.jpg 558w, https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_008H-Blog1-164x300.jpg 164w, https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_008H-Blog1-768x1409.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_008H-Blog1-838x1536.jpg 838w, https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_008H-Blog1-1117x2048.jpg 1117w, https:\/\/cnewa.org\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/09\/george202608_008H-Blog1.jpg 1259w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 558px) 100vw, 558px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Teak wood from fallen trees around the area is used for boxes such as these. The local church teaches that no natural product should go to waste. (photo: Anubha George)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Periyar River flows through Kothamangalam. On its path, it softens rocks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe church encourages the use of these stones and pebbles in the grottos,\u201d Father Padinjarekuttu said. \u201cIt\u2019s not just easy on the eye, but also sustainable and friendly to the environment.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Grottos in Kerala are a popular tourist attraction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMost grottos, especially in Catholic churches in Kerala, are shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary,\u201d Father Padinjarekuttu said. \u201cRoadside grottos attract travelers and pilgrims. So, the church is keen for us to use natural rocks rather than ones made from concrete.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kothamangalam, a city of about 38,000 situated in&nbsp;the foothills of the Western Ghats mountain ranges,&nbsp;remains relatively untouched by urbanization and industrialization. It survives on domestic and international tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur reputation relies on what visitors see,\u201d said Father Padinjarekuttu. \u201cWe want them to go away feeling they came to a clean, green place where the river flows gently, people are welcoming and there\u2019s not a trace of unwanted waste.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Throughout the Indian state of Kerala, churches are helping to raise awareness of the problems caused by plastics, including in cemeteries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":70080,"featured_media":18334,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3087,66],"class_list":["post-18333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-india"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the 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