‘Food for plastic waste’, SDMC’s initiative to better manage plastic waste

NEW DELHI: In a first for Delhi, the City Centre Mall of Dwarka Sector-12, has come up with ‘Garbage Café’, which exchanges single-use plastic waste for food. The ‘Garbage Café’ is a combined initiative of South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) and the mall authorities and was inaugurated on December 21.

Nilesh Modi, Mall manager, told Urban Update, “It is a significant initiative of SDMC. Although, sanitation and cleaning is one of the major responsibilities of the civic bodies but this initiative to clear up plastic waste which was very much required is a commendable step taken by the Corporation. Similar models have been already existing in a few foreign countries but this is the first for the Indian capital. Suresh Anand, Director, City Centre Mall, Dwarka supported the cause and partnered with the SDMC to open the Garbage Café.”

Regarding the administering of the meals, Kuldeep Rathi, Administration In-Charge, City Centre Mall told Urban update, “We already have a decide proportion on how much food will be given in return of how much plastic. As per our menu, in exchange of 1kg plastic waste we serve a complete meal. In return of 250g of plastic one can get snacks like Samosas and pakoras.”

Regarding the operation of the café, Modi said, “The concept is simple. Any person who wants to eat has to do nothing but bring us plastic waste. We, in return of the waste, provide food in proportion of the waste. We have a specific bin where we collect the plastic waste that is brought to us. Our staff members are also available and a banner is placed right above the bin displaying our contact number so people who have collected the waste can contact us. We take the waste they’ve brought keep it in the bin and provide them with a food coupon which is color coded according to the amount of waste submitted.” As per the mall authorities, the Garbage Café opens at 11:00 am and closes at 11:00 pm.

When asked about the fate of plastic waste collected by the café Rathi said, “We are working with the SDMC’s official vendors and we handover all the waste collected to them for recycling of the same.” Further, Rathi told Urban Update about the change in people’s attitude especially the sweepers sweeping the road nearby and rickshaw pullers near the mall. He said, “Earlier when the sweepers used to broom the roads, a lot of plastic bottles were seen lying around which they used to collect and dump at the nearest dumpsite. But now, with this initiative in place, these people and a lot of rickshaw pullers, rag pickers collect these plastic bottles while doing their routine jobs and then come to us with the waste to have food.”

This step taken by the SDMC is basically making people not to litter but to collect their plastic waste and have food in a proper food court in a mall, added Rathi. The behavioral change witnessed among people will help keep the streets clean and will also help the corporation recycle more and more plastic so that this plastic waste menace can be reduced significantly, improving the areas solid waste management.

The mall authorities have placed small banners outside the mall and near the entrance to make people aware about the initiative. But, no banners near road side, metro station or anywhere else advertising the café on a bigger scale were seen. On this Kuldeep Rathi said that the authorities are planning to advertise the Garbage Café in a better manner to get more eyes on the initiative. “We are planning to place a few more banners to spread awareness about the café and also pamphlets will be distributed in the nearby residential areas for spreading awareness about the cafe, Rathi added.