The Sustainability Triangle: A Simple Suggestion, A Receptive COO, and a Team That Turned Trash to Art
How Niraamaya Resort Lives Its Environmental Values Through Action and Innovation
We see things that need fixing every day, don't we? The overflowing trash can in the office kitchen. That dangerous pothole on your street. The broken printer everyone works around but nobody reports. The restaurant that still gives plastic straws automatically. The poorly designed form on your company's website that frustrates customers.
We notice. We sigh. We work around it. We complain to friends. But how often do we actually speak up to someone who could make a change?
I'm guilty of this silence too. But recently, I witnessed what can happen when three essential elements align: someone speaks up, someone in leadership listens, and a creative team is empowered to solve the problem.
At Niraamaya Resort in Kerala, I noticed something that didn't fit the otherwise pristine experience - plastic bottles dotting the shoreline, washing in with each wave.
My first attempt at action? Asking a guard for a bag to collect them. His response was classic human rationalization: "They don't go into the sea, the waves just bring them to shore."
I explained about marine life impact and collected as many bottles as i could, but honestly thought that was the end of it.
Fast forward a few days. I'm doing yoga and happen to meet the COO, Gourav Deb. Post yoga, I casually mentioned how much I was loving my stay but dropped in: "You know what would be great? A bin on the beach for those plastic bottles."
That's it. No lengthy presentation. No petition. No "let me speak to your manager" moment. Just a simple suggestion.
What happened next genuinely surprised me.
A few days later, I received a note from Gourav describing what my casual comment had sparked:
A creative team had taken a leaking water tank destined for the scrap heap, supported it with a discarded wooden window frame, and set it on a base made from an old car tire. The result wasn't just functional - it was an eye-catching, curiosity-provoking statement piece on the beach that actually encouraged people to use it.
Here's what struck me about this experience:
Speaking up matters. That solution wouldn't exist if someone (in this case, me) had stayed silent.
Leadership that listens is rare and valuable. Gourav didn't dismiss the suggestion or file it away for "future consideration." He saw it as an opportunity.
Creative implementation makes the difference. The team didn't just place a standard bin - they created something meaningful that tells its own sustainability story.
This triangle of action - speaking up, receptive leadership, and creative implementation - can transform problems into opportunities in any setting.
Our world has massive environmental challenges, yes. But this experience reminded me that solutions often emerge when these three forces combine: someone notices and speaks up, someone in leadership positions listens and acts, and creative minds are empowered to implement in thoughtful ways.
That upcycled bin will probably collect thousands of bottles that would have otherwise ended up back in the ocean. Not bad for a triangle of collaboration that started with a two-minute conversation!
So what small thing have you been noticing lately that needs a solution?
Is it the confusing signage at your local grocery store? The lack of recycling options at your apartment complex? The unnecessarily complicated process for submitting expense reports at work? The missing bike rack outside your favorite coffee shop?
Who could you mention it to? You might be surprised at what happens next.
