On World Environment Day, take a pledge to keep the city clean and pollution-free.
With pollution rising each passing day, recycling of waste seems to be the way forward to keep the city clean and green.
“People have moved to the next step of recycling; they no longer ask us what is recycling but want to know how it can be done,” said Monisha Narke, founder of NGO Reducing Reusing Recycling (RUR) Greenlife Pvt Ltd, at a Go Green recycling road show. The event was held at different locations in the city over the weekend.
RUR is an environment organisation run by young mothers, with a vision to make families eco-conscious who will convert their waste into an useful form. Even the open green truck in which the members travelled was remodelled using recyclable materials with the roofing sheet made of tetrapak cartons. RUR members conducted an interactive question-answer round with people in Malad, Chembur, Matunga and Byculla.
Speaking to dna, Narke commented on the response she got from curious onlookers. “The purpose was that people can touch and feel the recycled materials and ask questions.
They were surprised to find out that 4,500 tetra pak cartons can be converted into a desk.
They wanted to know how they could also recycle products on their own.” Narke’s aim is to collect 4,00,000 tetra pak cartons by this year end by reaching out to stores, schools and clubs etc.
At Don Bosco school, Matunga, over 1,000 people gathered to watch the play, ‘Kachre ke Khiladi’, a 25-minute street play performed by RUR members to educate Mumbaikars about recycling. On the same day, at Bandra’s Carter Road live musical performances and skits kept the audience engaged.
Sahakari Bhandar chain of stores, a supporter of recycling, was one of the first stores to ban plastic bags. “Sahakari Bhandar have 22 collection points in the city where people can drop used tetra paks for recycling,” Narke explained. The paks are then transported by vehicles supplied by RUR to Delux Recycling Plant where they are processed.
Sweden-based Tetra Pak Pvt Ltd, one of the Fortune 500 companies, supports recycling and ensures that all the material used into making their product is recyclable. Several schools in the city like Jasudben School, Bombay Scottish and Campion School have become hubs of recycling and are collection points.
How recycling works
First, six layers of the Tetra Pakcartons, which comprise 70% paper, 20% plastic and 10% metal, are cleaned. The paks are then flattened and pulverised. This material is then converted into paper and paper products.
What can be recycled
Plastics, metal, tetra pak cartons, glass, paper and electronic waste
What can you do on World Environment Day
Join RUR’s Eco Carnival on June 5 at Sahakari Bhandar, Agar Bazaar store, Prabhadevi, to spread the message of recycling from 10am to 3pm.
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