Navi Mumbai: Over 4000 students collect 1200 kg of plastic waste under 'Zero Plastic Starts With Me' initiative

Around 4000 students from 51 schools across the city collected over 1200 kg of plastic waste during “Zero Plastic Starts with Me” initiative. The purpose of the initiative is to create an early awareness among school students. As part of the initiative, students collect chocolate wrappers, wafers rappers, single-use plastic bags or non-degradable plastic waste, and plastic bottles.

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) had started the “Zero Plastic Starts with Me” initiative in November's first week for students.

The top three students who collected the maximum quantity of waste plastics are Mahi Eknath Patil from Chartered English School Airoli, Nainesh Khandare of Ryan Christian School, Vashi, and Harman Singh Poddar International School, Nerul. They were awarded by the civic body.

Under this initiative, students were directly involved in collecting plastic wastes like chocolate wrappers, biscuit plastic wrappers and water bottles of half a liter and one liter that people throw at public places after using.

The civic body had expected more than 50,000 to participate in the initiative. However, due to Covid restrictions and fear of infection, only 4134 students participated. The initiative was executed with the Heart Foundation, a charitable organization working in the field of education. Students from class second to tenth participated in the activity.

Similarly, NMMC School number 94 in Koparkhairane, Anchorwala Education Academy Vashi, Euro High School Airoli and three other schools were awarded as the best performing schools in the collection of plastic bottles under the NMMC jurisdiction.

Apart from this, a total of seven schools from each ward received the ‘Zero Plastic Waste School’ award.

Plastic is very harmful, and through this initiative, students and their parents knew the ill effects. The initiative "Zero Plastic Starts With Me" has created huge awareness among the students and their families. The teachers and students echoed that the habit should continue as cleanliness is an ongoing process and they also took a collective oath of cleanliness.