You Can Now Exchange 1Kg Plastic Waste To Get 1Kg Rice In Telangana’s Mulugu District

In order to curb environmental pollution caused due to plastic use, many places have decided to go plastic-free. Recently, Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport went 100% plastic-free and banned the used of single-use plastic. They also imposed a fine of Rs. 5,000 on violators of the no-plastic rule.

Joining the plastic-free club, Telangana’s Mulugu district has come up with a unique solution to reduce pollution. According to a report by The New Indian Express, Mulugu has set up plastic collection centres across the village where people can submit 1kg plastic waste and in exchange take home 1kg fine rice.

This plan was suggested Mulugu District Collector C Narayana Reddy. The aim of this initiative is to reduce and ultimately ban the use of single-use plastic and spread awareness of the pollution caused by it. As many as 250 plastic collection centres have been set up across the district.

The Mulugu district is a tourist attraction for its many wildlife sanctuaries. However, plastic pollution is affecting forests and compromising on its natural beauty. Thanks to this program, villagers are willing to clean their surroundings in exchange for rice.

According to another report by Telangana Today, district tax officials are looking after the collection of donation required to run the initiative. Donors have been requested to give cash or rice for this special program.

District officials have also conducted meetings with villagers urging them to stop using plastics. Even shopkeepers and street vendors have been requested to stop using plastic covers. TNIE revealed that the plastic collected in the centres will be handed over to cement manufacturing companies.

This is such a brilliant and thoughtful initiative. On the one hand, plastic waste gets cleaned and on the other, poor villagers get to have rice without buying it!