Ceylon Tobacco Company celebrates World Environment Day 2017

Ceylon Tobacco Company PLC (CTC) has long since established itself as a benchmark for corporate excellence in Sri Lanka. With over 100 years in business, the organization prides itself on being one that drives the Sri Lankan economy in a responsible and sustainable manner. As a vocal supporter of environmental sustainability and in celebration of World Environment Day 2017, CTC recently hosted a series of educational activities for its employees in order to promote sustainability at an organizational and individual level. In keeping with this year’s global theme of ‘Connecting People to Nature,’ CTC organized a photography competition for employees, with the aim of encouraging them to engage with nature in a personal way and expressing their connection through photography. The enthusiasm from staff was high, with over 160 photos submitted and showcased through an exhibition. As a company that employs an end-to-end supply chain, it is important for CTC to educate employees on the significance and positive impact of caring for the environment. This message was communicated through educative workshops on urban agriculture, composting, recycling and energy saving. Because CTC believes in strengthening communities and working together towards a more sustainable future, the organization also implemented an employee pledge, where every individual pledged to be caring, responsible citizens who embrace the concepts of reuse, reduce and recycle. Dimuthu Tharanga, Environmental and Health Services Manager, CTC said, “As a responsible organization we value sustainability and care about our natural environment. Our effort through organizing this World Environment Day celebration is to further strengthen our employees’ commitment toward protecting Mother Earth by establishing positive behavioral change at organizational and individual levels.”   As a part of their ongoing activities to reduce their environmental footprint, CTC has implemented a water saving initiative called “Every Drop Counts.” The initiative has yielded positive results since its inception, with a 30% overall reduction in water consumption.   CTC employees pledge to reuse, reduce, recycle and promote a sustainable future. Saplings were distributed and CTC employees joined hands to plant trees in their communities. Employees engaging in an educational workshop on composting