AHMEDABAD: Mahua municipality in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, has launched a one-of-a-kind initiative to make the town plastic-free. By dumping plastic bags, milk, and buttermilk packages, citizens can earn money and incentives. They can earn Rs 10 for every kilogramme of plastic, and Rs 23 for every kilogramme of plastic bottles. Additionally, a kilogramme of plastic can also be traded for two kilogrammes of manure.
The municipality has established fourteen plastic collection centres spread across nine wards, where residents may actively discard their plastic waste. The municipality has also developed a recycling factory with the help of private industry to recycle the gathered plastic garbage. In order to contribute to a greener and cleaner Gujarat, Rajiben Vankar, president of Sakhi Mandal, is leading a drive to rid villages of plastic garbage in conjunction with 60 other females.
Women from Kuldevi Krupa Sakhi Mandal in Bhuj taluka’s Avadhnagar village, along with others, visit residences to collect discarded plastic bags. These ladies are not only earning a living by weaving inventive goods out of plastic garbage, but they are also helping to save the environment. This movement has gained traction among other women in the region.
Currently, 60 women are involved in the initiative and are paid to collect, wash, and chop plastic. The women who pick plastic are paid Rs 15 per kilogramme. They also weave plastic trash into a variety of items such as purses, bags, wallets, and other accessories. Each lady is compensated based on her labour. Rajiben, Rajiben was recently honoured with the President’s Award in New Delhi for her services to biodegradable and plastic trash.
Such campaigns are becoming increasingly important in Gujarat for environmental protection and green growth. Similarly, Gujarat’s plastic recycling initiative in Dhoraji taluka is critical to environmental protection and green growth. It has emerged as the state’s largest plastic recycling cluster, with over 450 enterprises involved in the recycling process. These companies manufacture a diverse range of items, including ropes, box bars, pipes, and cotton, which are not only used locally but also exported to countries such as the United States, Bangladesh, and African nations.
These campaigns are making contributions by highlighting the state’s commitment to sustainable development. The state’s efforts to achieve green growth have become an encouraging model for other regions to emulate. Its green growth narrative will serve as a model for other states.
Recycling factory and plastic collection centres
The municipality has developed a recycling factory with the help of private industry to recycle the gathered plastic garbage. In order to contribute to a greener and cleaner Gujarat, Rajiben Vankar, president of Sakhi Mandal, is leading a drive to rid villages of plastic garbage in conjunction with 60 other females. It has established fourteen plastic collection centres in nine wards.