• 25 schools across Varanasi to join hands to create awareness on plastic waste management
• Pledge taken by 500 students to become green warriors at a special event
• Special dedicated plastic collection zones to be set up in schools and collected plastic to be repurposed into useful products like school table and chair
Nepra, one of India’s leading waste management company, will set up special dedicate plastic collection zones in schools. Students would be urged to donate dry plastic waste each week. The collected plastic will be segregated and eventually repurposed into useful products like School table and chairs to be subsequently donated to leading NGOs working in the city.
To create awareness and sensitise students and faculty, NEPRA will be conducting special workshops around plastic waste management. PepsiCo India and Nepra will also develop ‘Eco-Clubs’ in schools to drive awareness amongst students through competitions and paper presentations. Every month the progress of each school will be tracked, and schools leading the drive will earn rewards and certificates. The program will also involve developing a live dashboard for participating schools which will record the amount of dry plastic waste collected from each institution.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Mukesh Shelat, Principal, DPS, said, “Varanasi is one of the holiest cities in India and such initiatives will ensure it remains cleaner and greener. We are pleased to be a part of such an interesting and engaging awareness program around waste management which will help in managing the issue of waste and channel it into an asset for Varanasi. “
Viraj Chouhan, Chief Government Affairs and Communications officer at PepsiCo India, said “At PepsiCo, we have been striving to build a world where plastic never becomes waste. The dry waste management program is unique as it will not only create awareness but also in the process help collect plastic that will be repurposed for social good. We are delighted with the kind of support received from the schools of Varanasi and we will work towards on-boarding more and more schools in the coming months.
He further added “As a company, we have been actively working with government and waste management partners across multiple states to collect, segregate, and sustainably manage the equivalent of 100 per cent plastic packaging by 2021. Apart from that, we are also in the process of transforming 100 per cent of our packaging recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable by 2025.”
Sandeep Patel, the CEO, NEPRA, said, “Nepra is glad to associate with PepsiCo India on this first of its kind, waste management education school program in Varanasi. It’s encouraging to see the initial response of schools toward this cause. Over the next few months, we aim to work towards solving the larger issue of dry plastic waste disposal in Varanasi through our collaboration with schools. Nepra is delighted for its association with PepsiCo in such a transformative program.”
· Dry plastic waste to be deposited by students every week at dedicated collection centres in their respective schools.
· Nepra will collect the waste from each school on a fortnightly basis.
· Dashboard will feature each school with the amount of plastic collected each week.
The program will help form an intracity community of students from different schools, working towards efficient waste management and an effective socio-economic-environmental impact.
