Making a big change: Ramdas’s plastic walks

The world may be divided on climate change, but Vypeen native Ramdas is all about less talk and more action when it comes to preserving the environment.

Ramdas during one of his morning strolls. He takes the route between Vypeen Jetty and Estuary in Fort Vypeen regularly | Albin Mathew

KOCHI: The world may be divided on climate change, but Vypeen native Ramdas is all about less talk and more action when it comes to preserving the environment. Ramdas has been collecting plastic bottles for recycling for the past six years. What started as an earnest effort for a sustainable tomorrow has now become a habit for this 76-year-old. He combs through the walkways of Fort Vypeen at dawn and collects plastic bottles that wash up on the shores.

“Collecting a few of these bottles just might save whatever flora and fauna are remaining on our shores,” he said. Ramdas hands over the collected plastic materials to an agent close to his home for recycling. “On average, I collect two kilograms of plastic materials everyday. I walk from Vypeen jetty till the estuary and collect every piece of plastic on the way. Forget the waste that washes up on the shore, the amount of garbage callously strewn over the pathway is appalling,” he rued.

Living with his wife, son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren, Ramdas does not consider the activity a source of revenue. “I collect plastic bottles worth Rs 30 everyday. With that, I can manage the expenses of my daily tea,” he quips.