Discarded Plastic Bottles Put in Good Use This Christmas!

December brings with it many joys of holidays and festivities. The eagerness to welcome the new year and the delight of celebrating Christmas is ecstatic. And everyone tries to celebrate it in their own special way.

The members of St. Michael’s Church located in Mumbai, India celebrated ‘green’ Christmas. They made a Christmas tree out of used plastic bottles. The 12-feet huge Christmas tree stood near the church on the intersection at L.J. road, Mahim Causeway. It was a delight for the passersby to witness such a unique view. The Christmas tree was built using 500 discarded plastic bottles which were collected around the area with the help of the church volunteers. People came together and planned the environment-friendly initiative, keeping in mind the positivity of the festive environment.

The preparation and implementation of the tree took about a week’s time. Once it was ready, it was placed right at the entrance of the church to give the visitors a clear view. The initiative was headed by Deacon Ashwin Castellino, the leader of the young volunteers. According to deacon, the project inspiration was a message given by Cardinal Oswald Gracias during the Green Diocese initiative. This initiative was launched on 1st September 2018 for the Archdiocese of Bombay. It was in order to produce a broad approach to bring together education, spirituality, and the development of consciences.

The young volunteers had also prepared a well-built crib which had an inter-religious theme. The Jesus’s Manger, at St. Michael’s is located right at the centre of the locality. The background consists of a miniature version of the railway station, a playground, a temple, and a mosque. This act added more positivity and beauty to the festive atmosphere.