Rice for plastic initiative successful

Rice for plastic initiative successful at Ramakunjeshwara school

In a unique attempt to awareness on the ill effects of plastic and indiscriminate dumping of plastic waste on the road among schoolchildren, Amara Sanghatana Samithi of Patnuru and Amara Patnuru villages of Sullia taluk has launched an initiative of providing one kg of rice in exchange for one kg plastic.

Under the pilot project to tackle the scourge of plastic waste, rice was provided to students in exchange for their trash. The students of Sri Ramakunjeshwara Kannada Medium High School by handing over 280 kg of plastic waste, collected from in and around Ramakunja village, received 350 kg boiled rice (one kg of boiled rice costs Rs 40) in return.

Ramakunja Gram Panchayat also joined hands with the Amara Sanghatana Samiti in this novel initiative.

Pradeep of Amara Sanghatana Samithi told DH, “Rice was an incentive to educate children about plastic waste and the ban on single-use plastic. Though the authorities try to maintain cleanliness, the plastic menace still thrives. The drive is also a part of Swacch Bharath, to create awareness among schoolchildren. Through the children, the message on ill-effects of plastic is instilled in members of each family in the
village.”

Honorary president of the Samithi Rajanikanth, an engineer in Bengaluru, came up with the idea of rewarding the students with rice for every kg of plastic waste
collected.

Pradeep said, “We want to launch similar initiatives at Patnuru village to ensure that plastic waste is not thrown haphazardly. Such discards endanger the lives of domestic animals and birds. The initiative in Sri Ramakunjeshwara School has received an overwhelming response. Children collected plastic waste from their houses, from neighborhood and from the roads in Ramakunja. This drive will also be extended in other
schools.”

Scientifc disposal

The plastic will be disposed off scientifically, said Ramakunja GP PDO Jerald Mascarenhas said. “The initiative has a huge impact on the schoolchildren and they are now aware about waste segregation,” he said.

Plastic collection by students

The children who had collected plastic less than a kilogram were rewarded with one kg of rice. Hrithik, a student of class 10, single-handedly collected 27 kg plastic, the highest in the group. He went home smiling with 27 kg of rice. Likhith Gowda, a student of class 8, collected 23 kg of plastic waste.