Odisha Cafe Offers Free Meal In Exchange Of Half Kg Plastic Waste

Plastic pollution is one of the grave concerns around the world right now. From mountains to oceans, our surroundings are strewn with plastic waste. Not only humans but plastic pollution has become a threat to animals and wildlife as well.

People, at an individual level, are trying to curb plastic pollution. One such initiative includes cafes, dhabas and local eateries offering free food in exchange for plastic waste.

A few days back, we came across the news of two dhabas from Hisar which offered free meals for anyone who could deposit 20 plastic bottles. In a similar attempt, a cafe from Odisha is offering free food in exchange for half a kilogram of plastic waste, reports Odisha local, Kanak News.

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The cafe has collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the state government’s Aahar Scheme to begin ‘Meal For Plastic’ initiative. Accordingly, the facility will be made available at all the state-government-run Aahar Centers in Bhubaneswar City.

“This is kind of a Plastic Collection campaign, plus (provides) food security. There are a lot of people who collect plastic and there also the people who throw plastic, which creates a problem. So we thought there should be some mechanism to collect this plastic waste, where both the objectives can be achieved,” BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary said.

“So now anyone can go to any of the 11 Aahar Center in Bhubaneswar and by giving half a kilogram of plastic waste, they can get the meal,” he added.

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Tarana Shayad, Project head Plastic Waste Management, UNDP told Business Standard, “This Project is a small step to protect the environment and to create awareness among the people regarding Plastic waste. We will collect all the plastic from the Aahar Centers and will recycle it in a proper manner.”

“BMC wants to aware the people through this that plastic may feed you, so don’t throw plastic on roads, just collect it and get food,” Shayad added.

This is truly a great initiative that will not only help to keep a check on plastic pollution in the state but will also help poor people score a free meal. More and more states should certainly take inspiration from Odisha!

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