Kick-starting the festive spirit on a positive note, Bottles For Change, a plastic recycling initiative by Bisleri creates further awareness among citizens to create a habitual change. Aiming to spread awareness and educating citizens about the importance of recycling plastic, the idea behind the initiative is to "Be The Change You Want To See" and to lead by example by disposing and recycling plastic responsibly.
Keeping this in mind, Bottles for Change program introduces the initiative to the churches across the city, kick-starting the activity with Mount Mary Church by installing plastic collection bins and placing plastic recycled benches. The initiative has also approached and installed bins at Our Lady of Health of Velankanni Church, St. Michel Church and St. Francis Xavier's Church in Mumbai.
Launched a year ago, Bottles for Change has been encouraging people to recycle plastic. The initiative has placed benches made from recycled plastic at Churchgate Railway Station, Santacruz Railway Colony and will be soon placing recycled benches at multiple churches in the city. These recycled benches is a gesture by the initiative to contribute to society for their involvement in Bottles for Change.
Having received tremendous response from the citizens of Mumbai, the people involved in the program are becoming responsive about the correct ways of using and disposing plastic through the awareness sessions. Stakeholders are offered doorstep service for the used plastic collections from their house, offices. People are gradually understanding the value of plastic by not treating it as a waste. Additionally, the program is helping to create a circular economy and value to the used plastic. This is resulting in more income generation for the rag pickers which is helping in improving their livelihood.
Inculcating this habit is easy, it's green, and it's a simple way to create a healthier environment today and for the future generations.
Bottles for Change has also introduced a Mobile App for the citizens of Mumbai which aims to bring the citizens and the Plastic Collecting Agents (Kabadiwallahs/NGOs) under one roof. The app provides a hassle-free option to the citizens to search and approach a nearby plastic agent to handover the clean plastic. The plastic agents will, in turn, sell the used clean plastic to the recyclers who will make recycled products from the same.