Garbage in our waterbodies, garbage by the roadside, and garbage on the bridges indicate that we are failing at managing the waste we create.

The quantity of waste increases with the rise in pollution and our aspirations.  If we cannot cope with the waste today, how do we manage more quantity tomorrow?

A look at the garbage heaps tells us that most of the waste was avoidable in the first place. When waste is created, it is already too late. The only option then is to MANAGE IT. The resources are utilized, energy is consumed, and pollution has happened to make some products discarded as garbage.

 
What if we focus on waste reduction along with waste management measures? How about we adopt measures to prevent waste at the source?

 
Mission City Chakra project focuses on the REFUSE and REDUCE options to create a zero-waste city.

A Zero-Waste Model

A forest is a complex system with many processes, interactions, and exchanges. A forest is like a city in its complexity and multitude of interactions. The difference is that while our cities are drowning in waste, a forest does not produce waste.

To achieve the zero-waste goal, we need the following for our materials,

All materials should be biodegradable i.e. they should return to the soil safely.
OR
The material should be infinitely recyclable so that it is a resource and never becomes waste.

If we achieve these two criteria for our materials, then we have the circular design that exists in nature.

If a material does not satisfy either of the criteria, then it is best to refuse and reduce its use.

Mission City Chakra School Program

Achieving zero waste is not as impossible as it seems. Let us look at the materials in our everyday products – a plastic tiffin box.

The material- plastic does not decompose. It can be recycled only two to three times. (NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ARTICLE)
Plastic does not satisfy our conditions for circularity.

What if we replace a plastic tiffin box with a stainless steel one?

Stainless steel is an alloy of iron, carbon, and chromium. It is not biodegradable. Stainless steel and all other metals are infinitely recyclable. That’s why we do not find them in garbage heaps. Unlike plastic, the quality of stainless steel does not degrade with recycling.
Hence, a stainless steel tiffin satisfies our zero waste criteria.

Metalware is also more durable than plastic. We all have stainless steel, brass, and copper utensils from our grandparents’ time with us, don’t we?

A shift from a plastic tiffin to a stainless steel one will bring waste to zero.
Similarly, if we use a stainless steel bottle instead of a plastic one, we reduce waste to zero.
The best part is these changes are in our control. We don’t need to wait for government to buy these products. We can implement them immediately.
Adopting these measures by a few people is an encouraging thing, but they are not sufficient to solve the waste problem for the city.
We need this change to happen on a large scale for a perceivable impact.

We are all policymakers for our household. A school principal is the policy maker for the entire school. Zero waste measures adopted by a person for the household, a principal can do the same for 500 to 1000 students and their parents.

There are around 1200 schools in Pune City. IMAGINE THE IMPACT of working with 1200 principals. The total number of students and their parents in these 1200 schools make up more than half of the city’s population.
IMAGINE THE IMPACT!!!

A school principal is a more powerful policymaker than us individuals.  We collaborate with the school principal to bring about positive change for the entire school through policy intervention and targeted awareness generation. 

The process to be part of Mission City Chakra

PHASE I

We collaborate with the school principal to implement the following 3 as the rule in the school,

  1. No Plastic Tiffin Box
  2. No Plastic Water Bottle
  3. No Plastic / Laminated Textbook covers

Just like the school uniform, the steel tiffin box, steel water bottle, and no-cover or paper covers, when they become part of the school rules, we ensure their continuity.

Once implemented, the rules will prevent these 3 plastic products at the entry point for the new students. Phasing out will happen for the existing students.

The Steps

  • Meeting with the principal
  • School onboarding in the program
  • The session for the students (if requested by the principal) – Targeted Awareness Generation
  • The session for the parents (if requested by the principal) – Targeted Awareness Generation
  • Pledge (where the school commits a date from which the rule is made) – Policy Implementation
  • Rule Implementation – Policy Implementation

The school receives the following

School onboarding letter

Impact Certificate for the school

Impact Certificate for the principal

Letter of recognition for the school

PHASE II

After completion of phase I, i.e. when the rule is made by the school, it starts its zero-waste journey.