Dehradun: In a groundbreaking collaboration, the Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation based in Dehradun is teaming up with Airbus India to establish 300 Plastic Banks across the city.
This Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative by Airbus, a global aerospace industry leader, marks a significant step towards effective plastic waste management in the Doon.
It will be a trend setting move for other industries and the twons and cities in the Himalayan states which can take similar collaboration to tackle the trash crisis there.
The SDC Foundation, an environmental action and advocacy group, has been actively involved in sustainable development and citizen engagement in Uttarakhand.
The collaboration aims to tackle the rising issue of plastic waste by setting up Plastic Banks at various locations including schools, colleges, hostels, showrooms, government offices, hospitals, religious places, hotels, and apartment blocks.
The primary objective is to collect, segregate, and process plastic waste, with a focus on converting it into energy, specifically transforming plastic waste into fuel.
The collected plastic will be brought to the Plastic Waste Storage and Segregation Center of SDC Foundation, where it will be processed for the plastic-to-fuel project of CSIR-IIP and other authorized recyclers.
The initiative targets the opening of 70-80 Plastic Banks in the next six months, with a long-term goal of reaching 250-300 Plastic Banks by March 2025.
To enhance community involvement and awareness, on-premise capacity-building workshops, clean-up drives, and rallies, particularly for students and schools, will be organized regularly.
Anoop Nautiyal, the Founder of SDC Foundation, expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership, stating, "With increasing disposable incomes, changing lifestyles, and a larger influx of tourists, plastic waste has surged significantly in the last several years.
Apart from inculcating the practice of segregation, the collected plastic waste will be recycled in a scientific manner.
This initiative promotes circularity while reducing littering and the waste burden on open spaces and waste collection centers in the city."
This collaborative effort between SDC Foundation and Airbus is set to make a positive impact on Dehradun's environmental landscape, fostering a more sustainable approach to plastic management.