Columbia Pacific Communities unwraps India's first LifeSizeSustainableSantaProject: seniors lead the way to a greener Christmas

Residents across communities compete to create life-size Santas using upcycled materials, inspiring a new wave of eco-conscious celebrations

As the season of joy and festivities approaches, Columbia Pacific Communities, India’s largest and most preferred senior living community operators, has taken a ground-breaking step towards sustainability with the launch of India’s first life-size Sustainable Santa Project.

Recognising the environmental impact of Christmas celebrations, which traditionally result in a significant amount of waste and particularly plastic waste, the initiative aims to inspire a shift towards eco-friendly practices during the holiday season.

Every year, Christmas festivities contribute to an estimated 2 to 3 billion kilograms of waste the world over, much of which ends up in landfills, exacerbating environmental pollution and climate change. In response to this alarming trend, residents of Columbia Pacific Communities decided to lead by example, spearheading India’s first #LifeSizeSustainableSantaProject.

The project seeks to emphasise the crucial need for sustainability, especially in the face of global climate challenges. It also challenges stereotypes around the older generation's environmental impact, showcasing the commitment and enthusiasm of senior residents in promoting conscious living.

Addressing the prevalent use of plastic in Santa Claus dolls that are sold during Christmas, residents of Columbia Pacific Communities engaged in a friendly competition to craft life-size sustainable Santas using upcycled and recycled materials, ensuring a zero-waste outcome. The goal was to create life-size Santas with a zero-carbon footprint, to urge more people to embrace recycling, reusing and reducing wastage, particularly during the festive season.

A video documenting the seniors' creative process, shared on Columbia Pacific Communities' Instagram/Facebook handles, showcases the residents employing their handicraft skills to fashion Santas from over 130 kgs of waste materials readily available at home, including upcycled plastic and recycled cloth, wood, PVC pipes, steel wires, sand, packaging material, coconut, cotton wool and newspapers. The top three Santa creations from across the communities were awarded gift vouchers, and the life-size Santas are prominently displayed at prominent locations across Bangalore and Hyderabad including The Oberoi Trident in Hyderabad, Nexus Shantiniketan Mall, Whitefield, Toscano Museum Road and The Biere Club, Lavelle Road in Bangalore, serving as inspiration to the younger generation to embrace a sustainable Christmas celebration. Columbia Pacific Communities has also partnered with NGOs such as The Little Sisters of The Poor in Bangalore and Society for Rural Development (SRD) in Hyderabad, to donate the life-size sustainable Santas.

Piali Dasgupta, Senior Vice President at Columbia Pacific Communities, expressed her enthusiasm for the campaign, stating, "Our senior residents have always challenged and broken stereotypes. With this campaign, they aim to showcase to the world that sustainability can be embraced in every aspect of life, even during celebrating festivals and important occasions. Their willingness to put in extra effort to make the holiday season sustainable and leveraging their talent to contribute meaningfully to the world, perfectly aligns with Columbia Pacific Communities’ brand philosophy of positive ageing."

By initiating the Sustainable Santa Project, Columbia Pacific Communities sets a powerful precedent for conscious and eco-friendly celebrations, urging individuals of all generations to adopt sustainable practices and make a positive impact on the environment. People are urged to take selfies with the Sustainable Santas in the locations mentioned above and tag the brand sharing it on social media to raise awareness on sustainability and climate change.

About Columbia Pacific Communities

Columbia Pacific Communities (CPC) is India’s largest and most experienced senior living community operator with close to 1750 residential units under management in 5 cities and 10 locations across south India. As the pioneer in this category, it is committed to reimagining the concept of senior living in India and creating world-class practices that exceed the expectations of all our stakeholders. It is part of the Columbia Pacific group, one of the foremost developers of senior living communities in the United States, Canada and South East Asia. Founded by Dan Baty, Columbia Pacific has more than 40 years of experience and expertise in designing, building and managing senior housing communities around the world. The team, with the expertise of their principals in the United States of America and our partners in India, brings together rich experience in senior housing design, development and management.

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