The Cow That Started a Way Of Life

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My NoSmalltalk session with Akshay C S Deshpande

by Albert Schiller

Commitment often evolves, but sometimes a single, stark event acts as a powerful catalyst, fundamentally reframing perspective and sharpening mission focus. Akshay Deshpande, already involved in environmental work for over a decade through corporate EHS (Environment, Health, Safety) and CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) frameworks, described such a turning point. While his manufacturing business focused on sustainable products, it was a visceral, almost gruesome discovery during a forest cleanup that acted as an undeniable catalyst, transforming his approach and solidifying his now two-pronged initiative on plastic pollution.

The Pre-Catalyst Landscape: EHS, CSR, and Latent Concern

Akshay detailed his journey through the evolving terminology and focus of corporate environmental responsibility, from the compliance-driven EHS era to the broader scope of CSR. He acknowledged this background but noted a significant mindset shift occurring more recently, around three years ago, where sustainability became less a job function ("not just a job for me") and more deeply integrated as a "way of life". While the concern was likely always present, stemming from his manufacturing work with eco-friendly alternatives, the specific, aggressive focus on plastic appears to have crystallized later. His work prior to 2021, while significant, perhaps lacked the urgent, public-facing intensity catalyzed by the incident he described.

The Trigger: Reality Laid Bare

The catalyst occurred during a forest cleanup initiative near a tribal community in early 2021. A cow belonging to the community died unexpectedly, and a mandatory autopsy revealed the shocking cause: "around 9.25 kgs of plastic in the cow's stomach... the cow died, because it was choking." This wasn't an abstract statistic or a distant news report; it was a direct, tangible consequence of human behavior impacting the immediate ecosystem in a fatal way. For Akshay, present during these cleanups, this discovery connected the dots irrevocably.

This direct confrontation with the physical result of plastic waste seems to have provided an emotional and intellectual anchor point far stronger than years of EHS/CSR reports. It moved the problem from a systemic issue to be managed into an immediate crisis demanding direct action.

The Post-Catalyst Mission: A Sharpened Two-Pronged Strategy

The impact of this catalyst was immediate and strategically defining. "That was the day I took a call," Akshay stated, "that yes, from this day onwards, let's start working on 2 things." This marked the formalization of his now clearly articulated two-pronged approach:

Providing Alternatives & Reducing Generation: Leveraging his manufacturing core, focused on creating and promoting sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives to reduce future plastic use.

Cleaning Up Existing Pollution: Directly tackling the legacy problem through organized cleanup drives (forests, lakes) and ensuring collected plastic is properly recycled, encapsulated by the phrase "Phenko mat recycle karo" (Don't throw, recycle it.).

This framework directly addresses both the source and the symptom of the problem revealed so starkly by the autopsy. It combines his existing manufacturing capability with a more urgent, visible commitment to remediation and public education (now reaching over 350,000 people). The 9.25kg of plastic wasn't just a statistic; it became the focal point crystallizing years of background work into a clear, actionable, and publicly communicated mission.

While Akshay Deshpande had long operated in the environmental space, the visceral encounter with the direct consequences of plastic pollution appears to have been the critical catalyst that sharpened his focus, solidified his two-pronged strategy, and likely fueled the transition towards the more vocal advocacy and activism he now embraces alongside his manufacturing work. It serves as a powerful example of how direct experience can transform understanding and galvanize mission-driven action far beyond theoretical knowledge or regulatory compliance.

What I Learned From This Encounter