Navi Mumbai civic body ropes in 50K students for its Zero Plastic campaign

More than 50,000 students have joined hands with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation for its Zero Plastic Starts With Me campaign to create awareness on curbing the use of plastic

More than 50,000 students have joined hands with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) for its `Zero Plastic Starts With Me’ campaign to create awareness on curbing the use of plastic.

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation has already received response from 50,000 students for its Zero Plastic campaign in the city. (BACHCHAN KUMAR/HT FILE PHOTO)

The innovative programme conceptualised by municipal commissioner, Abhijit Bangar, is being implemented in all the schools of Navi Mumbai. The programme is being supported by Heart Foundation, an NGO working in the educational field.

Bangar said, “We have appealed to all schools in the city to participate and we are getting very encouraging responses from them. We are confident of the participation of over 50,000 students from Classes 2 to 10 in this campaign. Through the students, the awareness will reach their families and neighbours as well.”

Students will have to collect non-degradable plastic waste like chocolate wrappers, wafer packets, single-use plastic bags, etc. and put them in a one-litre plastic bottle. These bottles have to be deposited with the school.

Deputy municipal commissioner (solid waste management), Babasaheb Rajale, said, “The student submitting the most number of bottles in each ward will be given the `Zero Plastic Waste Champion’ award. Similarly, the student who submits maximum bottles in the city will be awarded with ‘Zero Plastic Waste Navi Mumbai Champion’ title.”

Each student will get a participating certificate from NMMC. The school in each ward that will submit the maximum number of bottles will be awarded as ‘Zero Plastic Waste School’. There will also be an award for the school that performs the best in the city.

The plastic articles collected will be given to a recycling agency that would convert them into fuel. The plastic bottles would be given to artists to make sculptures that would be displayed in the city.

Jaykar Ellis, founder president, Heart Foundation, said, “Plastic is very harmful for the environment and human life. Hence, it is important that its use is curbed on a large scale. Along with implementing the rules in place for such prevention, it is equally important that there is awareness. The next generation needs to understand it early and hence we are involving them through this campaign.”