Plastinator
The ‘Plastinator’ at V.O.C. Park Grounds in Coimbatore. They have named it ‘Plastinator’, but assert that it should not be invincible like the fictional Terminator immortalised by Hollywood actor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In its fight against plastic carry bags, the Residents Awareness Association of Coimbatore has created a monster and named it ‘Plastinator’. The monster, dressed in plastic bags, has been installed at four places in the city, including the V.O.C. Park Grounds where a circus is on. The 30 ft ‘Plastinator’ faces Avanashi Road from the grounds. Each monster is in the custody of a college. Students from four colleges talk to people at these locations to explain the environmental hazards posed by plastic bags.
People can bring plastic bags and exchange 10 of these for one cloth bag. About 20,000 cloth bags will be available at the sites were the ‘Plastinators’ are on display according to RAAC vice-president G. Soundararajan. The association first called these just monsters. Later, it decided that the war would be fought better against an enemy with a name. “So, we hit upon Plastinator,” association vice-president Vanita Mohan said on Saturday at the launch of a door-to-door collection of plastic bags and distribution of cloth bags in the city.
Explaining to students the objective of this exercise, she said: “Terminator was fictional, only a character in a film. But, Plastinator is real,” she said, pointing out that plastics were a clear and present danger.“The Plastinator would show to the public that plastics were dragging mankind on to the path of disaster. So let us declare war against the menace,” Ms. Mohan said. Terminator said in the film “I will come back”, but the fight against plastic bags in the city must be tough enough to keep Plastinator away forever, she told the students.
