Rural & Urban Landscapes Free of Dry & Plastic Waste

HDFC Bank and Centre for Environment Education (CEE) are implementing a project 'Rural & Urban Landscape Free of Dry & Plastic Waste' in 6 Urban Cities and 3 Rural Districts across India. This initiative is designed to partner in Urban (cities and towns) and Rural (village-panchayat-block-district) areas to synergize the efforts with the Urban/Rural Local Bodies, State Pollution Control Boards, Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department (MoEFCC), Safai Mitras, Service Providers, Recyclers, Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) and Swachh Survekshan (an initiative of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) & other stakeholders to minimize negative impacts and risks to the environment and the citizen's health. The project desires to encourage all stakeholders in the waste value chain and to promote processes for improving material use efficiency, and a sustainable and safe environment across all forms of dry and plastic waste fractions collection and processing.

The project enables approaches and courses by enhancing sustainable non-biodegradable (dry) waste management practices through an interdisciplinary, integrated, multifaceted, and holistic model (segregation, collection, optimizing transportation, processing, sustainable recovery, recycling, and safe disposal) with a strong emphasis on the different elements of circular economy approaches refuse, reduce, reuse, recover, refurbish, and recycle. .

The project’s concept is to encourage all stakeholders in the waste value chain to promote processes and approaches for improving material usage efficiency across all forms of plastic waste segregation and to create a sustainable and safe environment. The project introduced innovative management techniques such as establishing drop-off stations (Plastic Lao-Thaila/Mask Pao) in markets and cities, promoting reverse logistics and efficient vending methods (Reverse Vending Machines), and pushing the development of deposit return systems. More the materials collected at Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) processed at Material Recycling Centre (MRCs) more carbon emissions checked through recycling and reducing the virgin materials generation. This cyclic approach finally results into meeting climate change commitments. The project is inspired by the Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) approach that involves the strategic use of communication approaches to encourage changes in knowledge, attitudes, and practices of citizens toward sustainable and environment-friendly behavior. The project also emphasizes on mainstreaming the inclusion of informal sector performers (Safai Mitras; small aggregators and informal recyclers); and amicably figuring out a low-carbon sustainable path ahead with the plastics industry.

The project aims to promote dry waste & plastics recovery and recycling facilities as SWACHH CENTRES. Wherein recovery, recycling, and product making are intertwined in comprehensive spaced area within adequate distances to optimize transportation costs, safety standards, product efficiencies, and better productivity during implementation. The Swachh Centre (MRF & MRC) emphasizes its role in better business decisions with inventory tracking, operational efficiency, material flow analysis, comprehensive planning, and material resource efficiencies. Swachh Centre is a step to reduce carbon emissions, address climate change mitigation, and move to a NET ZERO Circularity approach. The project attentions on 'segregation at source' as once the waste is mixed then it cannot be fixed. Sensitizing all citizens for ownership, to segregate at homes, workplaces, and institutions for a low carbon economy-lifestyle as waste segregated at source is a resource. Recyclables will be segregated through semi-automatic processes at SWACHH CENTRES, which will provide greater livelihoods to marginalized informal waste pickers & small aggregators, and reduce landfills/dumping sites. The project leverages on the Government of India’s notification on Green Credits, RRR Centres, and Lifestyles for Environment (LiFE) Program.

The figure shows the project’s aims to reach out to a range of stakeholders for a more inclusive approach ensuring more collections of all types of materials.

This project contributes to mitigate climate change adversaries by contributing towards 14 of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of United Nations

CEE is National Thematic Lead for Plastic Waste Management & State Lead for Goa, Gujarat, Odisha under Ministry of Jal Shakti Rural Wash Partner’s Forum. From the start until May 2024, our project team has made nearly 86 presentations at national and international forums, sharing lessons, challenges, processes and best practices.

Mr. Prabhjot Sodhi, Sr. Program Director (Circular Economy) along with CEE team has provided need-based training sessions, to various states including Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Gujarat, Telangana, Jharkhand, Assam on Plastic Waste Management, Material Recovery Facility, Circular Economy. Team conducted sessions on the use of plastic waste in road construction; monitoring and reporting systems for traceability at SPM Niwas Kolkata. CEE has provided guidance & shared with state Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen of Bihar, Punjab, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Odisha, Goa. CEE has given presentations on the real-time monitoring systems and reporting formats that has been developed under HDFC Bank-CEE project to the National level team in the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Best practices of social mapping with communities resulting in more trust-worthy relationships, mutual agreements for taking responsibilities in the plastics ecosystem.

Glimpses

Sh. Kartikeya V. Sarabhai, Director- CEE, providing guidance to the project team regarding the efficient execution of the HDFC Bank-CEE project, during a team meeting held at the CEE Delhi office.

Sh. Prabhjot Sodhi, Sr. Director, Circular Economy, CEE addressing the officials of Samastipur Administration & SBM team, Samastipur during the orientation workshop

Sh. Yogendra Singh, DM, Samastipur with Sh. Hem Pande, Former Secretary, Govt. of India, & Sr. Advisor, CEE and Sh. Prabhjot Sodhi, Sr. Director, Circular Economy, CEE during the signing of the agreement at Samastipur

HDFC Officials; Mr. Ritesh Sinha, and Ms. Jahnavi visited the MRF & MCC operated by BMC in partnership with the HDFC Bank-CEE

MRF established in Bastar, Chhattisgarh under HDFC Bank-CEE, in partnership with Zila Panchayat Bastar, and Shrishti Waste Management Agency

Stakeholders’ consultation workshop with more than 50 officials on Baseline Development for Waste Management was organized in Jammu

HDFC Bank- CEE in partnership with Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Human Matrix organised a Capacity Building training on effective management of Dry & plastic waste in Guwahati and its impact on Swachh Sarvekshan’ 2023. Over 40 officials from six divisions of GMC, along with the officials from SBM, CEE, and Human Matrix attended it.

Safai Mitras conducting morning prayer before initiating the work in MRF, Bhubaneswar

Safai Mitras segregating waste on the Conveyor belt at MRF, Bastar, Chhattisgarh

Hon’ble Mayor, Samastipur, along with the officials of Samastipur Administration, Nagar Nigam Samastipur, Nav Jagriti (service provider), taking an over-view of the MRF during the HDFC Bank-CEE’s MRF inauguration in Samastipur

An orientation meeting has conducted with government officials to orient them about the HDFC Bank-CEE project, and also to seek their extended support for organizing multiple activities to sensitize communities

CEE and HDFC Bank officials during the meeting at the HDFC Bank office in Mumbai, Maharashtra

MRF established in Samastipur, Bihar under HDFC Bank-CEE, in partnership with District Administration Samastipur, Municipal Corporation Samastipur, and Nav Jagriti

The project conducted a exposure visited for the Hon’ble Mayor of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), and RUDA wherein the officials visited to the Material Recovery Facilities (MRF) and Micro Composting Centres (MCC) run by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) at Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Swachhta Rally organised in partnership with Guwahati Municipal Corporation, and Human Matrix, to sensitize citizens about managing dry & plastic waste

To commemorate International Waste Pickers Day (March 1, 2023), HDFC Bank-CEE, in partnership with Zila Panchayat Bastar, Chhattisgarh, and Shrishti Waste Management (the service provider), provided a safety kit (reflective jackets, gloves, masks, and others) to the 15 SHG women

Save Tawi campaign organised at ‘Har ki Paudi’, Jammu, wherein 1150kgs of the plastic waste have been collected, and over 30000 people have been sensitised

In partnership with Zilla Panchayat Bastar, the HDFC Bank, Centre for Environment Education (CEE) project, distributed 30 E-Rickshaws and uniforms to each woman-led SHG group in 30 village panchayats of Bastar, Chhattisgarh

The District Administration, Bastar organized a ‘Stakeholders Consultation Meeting’ on the waste management system in Bastar wherein CEE provided an opportunity to introduce the HDFC Bank-CEE project

Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), in partnership with HDFC Bank and CEE, laid the foundation stone for establishment of Swachh Material Recycling Centre in Jammu

Glimpses

Reverse Vending Machine inaugurated by Sh. Yogendra Singh, District Magistrate, Samastipur at Collectorate, Samastipur, Bihar, along with the officials from Samastipur Administration, Nagar Nigam Samastipur, Nav Jagriti and CEE

Village meeting conducted at Dhobadi village, Hinjlicut, Odisha wherein over 50 women were oriented about source segregation & managing plastic waste responsibly

During the Swachhta-Rally, the ward councilor of Ward no. 5 and 6 along with over 120 women with various awareness messages about no-littering, using alternatives to single-use plastic joined the rally to create the awareness

Under ‘My School- My Pride’ campaign, an awareness session for more than 250 students was organized for Girls Higher Sec. School, Jammu

A three day Badlaav campaign has been organized in Sanjay Market, Jagdalpur, and Tirathgarh, Bastar wherein more than 22,000 citizens were sensitized and nearly 32 % were women, and many showed interest in adopting low-consumption lifestyles, and less use of packaged food in their daily lives.

PLTP at Brahmapur inaugurated by the officials of Brahmapur Municipal Corporation (BeMC), and other officials from DRDA, HDFC Bank and CEE

Bhubaneshwar project team sensitizing the community regarding managing plastic waste responsibly

Village orientation meeting being conducted with village women. The objective of the meeting was to create awareness about source segregation, managing plastic waste responsibly, etc

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) being conducted in Ganjam

A clean-up drive was conducted at Tirathgarh waterfall in Bastar, in which more than 1100 volunteers including officials from Zila Panchayat Bastar, the team of Rajiv Gandhi Yuva Mitan, Nature Bodies, CEE, and volunteers from gram panchayats of Bastar, participated and collected 743 Kgs of Non-biodegradable waste in 2–3 hour, and disposal to responsible recyclers for a value of Rs 12,000 plus

The HDFC Bank- CEE project team distributed the trunks to the SHG women group to encourage savings

Woman dropping-off the segregated wet waste in the waste transportation vehicle

Citizens of Ganjam using the RVM installed at Brahmapur, Odisha

Medical check-up organised in Samastipur, wherein approx. 52 safai mitras and their family members were given medical consultation

An awareness session in school has been organized wherein over 50 students were made aware about managing plastic waste responsibly, no littering, etc.

People being sensitized through Door-to-Door awareness campaign in Samastipur, Bihar

Training of Safai Mitras at the MRF, Bhubaneshwar

Plantation drive at Baxipali Village, Odisha

Self-help groups (SHGs) in Sikiri (GP) took a pledge by hand-imprint to manage dry and plastic waste responsibly, practice source segregation, and refrain from littering in the village

Rural & Urban Landscapes Free of Dry & Plastic Waste

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