Plastic for Plants: Ramgarh Couple's Green Initiative

In Ramgarh district, a dedicated couple has been championing environmental protection for 13 years through an innovative exchange program. Upendra and Satbinder Pandey incentivize residents to hand over plastic waste in return for a plant of their choice. This initiative began in December 2013 after the couple witnessed alarming pollution levels in Delhi.

Initially, their program resonated mainly with ragpickers and domestic helpers. However, as awareness grew, more residents joined, leading to the distribution of over two lakh ornamental plants. The Pandeys ensure all collected plastic is transferred without charge to the Ramgarh Nagar Parishad for recycling, where it is utilized in road construction.

The couple nurtures most of the saplings at their home, which has become a makeshift nursery. Beyond waste exchange, they also promote cloth bag usage with their 'selfies with jhola' campaign, making over 45,000 cloth bags with students. Recently, they were honored as 'green warriors' in Ranchi for their environmental contributions.