From Cartons to Community Parks: Mumbai Launches Citywide Recycling Relay on World Environment Day
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 5: To mark World Environment Day, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Rotary Club of Bombay Mid City, and Tetra Pak India have joined forces to launch a citywide sustainability campaign--the Carton Recycling Relay--designed to turn used beverage cartons into durable benches for Mumbai's public parks.
In its first phase, the initiative aims to collect 2.5 lakh used cartons from across the city, which will be recycled into 25 garden benches to be installed in selected public parks. This collaborative effort brings to life the principles of recycling, circular economy, and community participation, with citizens at the heart of the transformation.
"This is a brilliant example of how partnerships can bring sustainability into public spaces, and how the public can actively participate in this transformation," said Jeetendra V. Pardeshi, Superintendent of the Gardens and Tree Office, BMC. "We're not just recycling--we're creating something useful and lasting for the community. This initiative represents the kind of smart, sustainable thinking our city needs."
To kick off the campaign, a set of benches made entirely from recycled cartons were donated to Patwardhan Park, Bandra, a popular green space in Mumbai. The event was attended by Mr. Dinesh Pallewad, Assistant Commissioner, Ms. Swapna Mhatre, Ex Corporator, Mr. Dnyandev Mundhe, Dy. Supdt. of Gardens Zone 3, Mr. Kamlesh Kholiya, Sustainability Manager, Tetra Pak South Asia; Ajay Mishra, Rotary President; and Ms Monisha Narke, Founder, RUR Greenlife.
"At Tetra Pak, we believe that sustainability is a shared responsibility," added Kamlesh Kholiya, Sustainability Manager, Tetra Pak South Asia. "The Carton Recycling Relay turns citizens into changemakers. By transforming used cartons into public assets, we're fostering circularity and strengthening community engagement."
A life-size, carton-shaped collection bin will now travel across prominent locations in the city, encouraging schools, housing societies, businesses, and individuals to deposit their used beverage cartons. More than 50 drop-off points are already available across Reliance Retail and Shakari Bhandar stores across Mumbai up to make participation easy and accessible for all.
Over the next few weeks, the relay will travel across key Mumbai locations, mobilizing schools, RWAs, and workplaces. As the city works toward the 2.5 lakh carton target, 22 more benches will be created and donated--transforming waste into symbols of community action and environmental stewardship.
"Sustainability is one of the 7 pillars of Rotary thrust area and always work around related to protection of environment. We are working with MCGM and corporate to set up street furniture made from recycled waste for awareness since long time. We are happy to see that Tetra Pak came forward to support the cause and create awareness. We are glad to work as bridges between benefactor and donor," added Ajay Mishra, President, Rotary.
The initiative is being implemented on-ground by RUR Greenlife, a long-standing Tetra Pak partner known for its work in waste management and citizen-led recycling. Media outreach is being supported by Free Press Journal.
This campaign is part of a program called 'Go Green with Tetra Pak' launched in 2010 by Tetra Pak, in collaboration with Reliance Retail and RUR Greenlife. The program encourages Mumbaikars to drop off their used beverage cartons at over 60 Reliance Smart and Sahakari Bhandar outlets, and over 100 other drop-off points across Mumbai. These cartons are then recycled into useful items like desks & garden benches and donated back to the society. Tetra Pak cartons are paper-based, recyclable, and increasingly being recycled through a robust ecosystem nurtured by Tetra Pak over the last 20 years, working closely with various stakeholders such as urban local governments, NGOs, brand owners, academia, and consumers.
A complete list of carton deposit points is available here.
Tetra Pak is a global leader in food processing and packaging solutions, ensuring safe and nutritious food reaches millions in over 160 countries. With a strong commitment to sustainability, the company continually innovates to protect food, people, and the planet through impactful community programs and advanced recycling initiatives.
With over 24,000 employees worldwide, Tetra Pak remains dedicated to making food safe and available, everywhere, while upholding its promise to protect what's good: food, people, and the planet.
More information about Tetra Pak is available at www.tetrapak.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
7 hours ago
- India Today
Plant trees with your mother, share a selfie, and join India's green movement
'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' is a symbolic campaign inviting students to plant a sapling in their mother's name, merging emotional tribute with environmental introduced in 2023, the initiative has been adopted as a nationwide effort under Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0, launched on World Environment Day by the Ministry of Education and integrated into Eco Clubs for Mission campaign urges participants to take a selfie with the sapling and their mother, upload it via the dedicated microsite, and receive an ecertificate. The multilingual web portal now facilitates this process for students across 14.7 lakh schools, each with a unique dashboard to monitor participation and upload MODULES AND ECO CLUB STRUCTURESpecial educational modules tailored for preparatory, middle, and secondary levels have been introduced to reinforce the campaign's modules include puzzles, QR codes for flora identification, nutrition garden mapping, and research assignments. They link the nurturing qualities of mothers with Mother Earth, fostering both emotional and environmental campaign is supported by Eco Clubs aligned with the seven themes of Mission LiFE, designed to foster sustainable practices among young learners in schools across TARGET AND EMOTIONAL ENGAGEMENTUnder the banner of Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0, India aims to plant 10 crore trees between June 5 and September 30, 2025, marking it as a mass environmental hospitals, RWAs, and industries are participating, with many trees gifted in memory of mothers, each accompanied by a handwritten 2024, over 5 crore trees have been planted. The expanded 2025 goal seeks greater momentum through community participation and emotional FOR GREEN TRACKINGThe microsite integrated into the Eco Clubs portal enables real-time monitoring of sapling planting across upload images, and the system generates ecertificates and aggregates data for campaign impact tracking. More than 29 lakh students have created over 50 lakh QR codes to trace the growth and maintenance of trees they allows for data-driven oversight and reinforces the emotional link between the act of planting and environmental here to be a part of 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam 2.0' and upload selfies plating saplings. - Ends
Hindustan Times
18 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Ganesha idols up to 6 feet must be immersed in artificial ponds, rules HC
MUMBAI: In a major step towards promoting environmentally responsible Ganeshotsav celebrations, the Bombay High Court on Thursday made it mandatory for all Ganesh idols—whether made of clay or Plaster of Paris (PoP)—measuring up to six feet in height to be immersed in artificial ponds provided by municipal corporations and local bodies across Maharashtra. Ganesha idols up to 6 feet must be immersed in artificial ponds, rules HC The order came a day after the state government informed the court that it had already made immersion in artificial tanks compulsory for idols up to five feet tall. Expanding the mandate, the bench of chief justice Alok Aradhe and justice Sandeep Marne observed, 'We have to make an endeavour that the impact of immersion of idols is bare minimum on the environment. Therefore, idols up to 6 feet should compulsorily be immersed in artificial tanks provided by local bodies.' The court also directed the state government to ensure its idol immersion policy is implemented 'in letter and spirit' and asked all civic authorities in Maharashtra to make appropriate arrangements to enforce the rule. The aforesaid guidelines of the state government for immersion of idols shall apply to all festivals wherein practice of immersion of idols is followed which are to be celebrated till March 2026. BMC flags scale of preparations, logistical challenges During the hearing, senior advocate Milind Sathe, representing the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), told the court that 85,306 Ganesh idols measuring less than 5 feet were immersed in artificial ponds across Mumbai last year. With the new directive extending the rule to all idols up to six feet, the number of idols expected to be immersed in artificial tanks this year would rise to approximately 1,95,306—an increase of over 110,000. Sathe added that in 2023, 3,865 idols between 5 and 10 feet in height and 3,998 idols above 10 feet—many of them made of PoP—were immersed in natural water bodies. He pointed out that arranging for the immersion of larger idols in artificial ponds had presented significant logistical challenges in the past, and the new policy would require substantial infrastructural and administrative planning. Alongside the immersion mandate, the court asked the state to constitute an expert committee to explore eco-friendly methods to recycle PoP material. The committee will be expected to examine scientifically viable ways of dissolving PoP idols without harming the environment. The legal tussle over PoP continues The high court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Thane resident Rohit Joshi, seeking implementation of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)'s guidelines prohibiting both the manufacture and immersion of PoP idols. The PIL raised concerns about pollution in rivers, lakes, and other natural water bodies caused by immersion practices. In contrast, Ganesha idol makers and artisans challenged the CPCB ban, arguing that it threatened their right to livelihood and impacted traditional practices. Taking a balanced view, the court allowed the continued manufacture and sale of PoP idols but barred their immersion in natural water bodies without specific court permission. 'It will be open to the petitioners and artisans to make PoP idols. However, the same shall not be immersed in natural water bodies without the leave of the court,' the bench clarified. The question of whether PoP idols should be banned from natural water bodies has been under judicial scrutiny since 2003, when the NGO Janhit Manch filed a PIL on environmental grounds. This prompted the CPCB to issue guidelines in 2009, which were updated in 2020 to ban immersion of PoP idols in natural sources while stopping short of prohibiting their production. A new scientific proposal adds nuance In April this year, the Rajiv Gandhi Science and Technology Commission (RGSTC)—a statutory body under the Maharashtra government—submitted a report recommending the conditional use of PoP idols. Commissioned by Cultural Affairs Minister Ashish Shelar, the report proposed that PoP idols painted with eco-friendly paints be allowed for immersion in large water bodies such as the sea and major rivers—provided these sites are far from drinking water sources and animal habitats. The report also recommended exploring 'retrievable immersion' methods that would allow PoP idols to be reused, thus minimising waste and damage to aquatic ecosystems.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
VK drawing competition raises environmental awareness among kids
Mangaluru: The Vijay Karnataka Environment Drawing Competition not only provides information and awareness to participating children, but also to their parents and those around them. The effort by a media outlet like 'Vijay Karnataka' (VK), a sister concern publication of TOI, to work towards environmental conservation is commendable, said H Lakshmi Kantha, environmental officer at the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Mangaluru regional office. Speaking at the prize distribution ceremony for the district-level drawing competition organised by VK and the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Mangaluru, on the occasion of World Environment Day celebrations on Thursday, he emphasised that while environmental conservation might seem trivial, it has gained significant importance. Children expressed whatever came to their minds through art. Along with children, it is imperative for adults to also be aware of environmental conservation, he said. Manju Rajanna, deputy environmental officer at the KSPCB, Mangaluru, mentioned that students should plant and nurture a tree on their birthdays for the benefit of the environment. Planting many trees over a lifetime is a significant contribution to the environment, he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Top 15 Most Beautiful Women in the World Undo Maheshwari Singh, deputy environmental officer, stated that VK has raised awareness about the environment, reaching millions with the message of environmental conservation, which is commendable. Parents of participants also spoke on the occasion. It is gratifying that VK has instilled environmental awareness not only in children, but also in adults through such competitions, said parent Kavitha from Panja. Winner First Prize: NilIshka K (10th grade) Vivekananda English Medium School, Puttur, Ajith S Kamath (9th grade), Sri Vyasamaharsi Vidyapeetha, Kilpadi, Mulki, Ashni Rajesh Jogi (8th grade) Sri Vani School, Pavanje, Mangaluru, Sanvi NS (7th grade) Government Model Higher Primary School, Panja, Aaradhya (6th grade) Holy Family English Medium School, Surathkal. Second Prize: Keerthan (10th grade), Ankur English Medium, Kulai, Deepti D (9th grade) St Rita English Medium School, Jeppu, Y Hansika (8th grade) Canara School, Urva, Mangaluru, Shashwat VA (7th grade), Saraswati English Medium School, Kadaba, Sushanth J Shettigar (6th grade) St Lawrence English Medium School, Bondel, Mangaluru. Third Prize: Mohal Santosh Devadiga (10th grade) Sri Vyasamaharsi Vidyapeetha, Kilpadi, Mulki, Sonali KS (9th grade), Ladyhill Victoria High School, Bhavesh V Sawant (8th grade), Bharathi English Medium School, Kulai, Kushith Mallar (7th grade) Kumaraswamy Vidyalaya, Subrahmanya, Anvitha Shetty (6th grade) St Anne's English Medium School, Panja, Kadaba.
