Formally termed as ‘bartering,’ this exchange of goods and services, has been used as a trading tool in ancient times. One of the reasons why this system flourished was the advantage of giving up an item that you no longer needed and getting something useful in return. Incorporating the same logic to address the problem of plastic waste, government and non-government organisations across the world are coming up with the barter system to help curb plastic pollution.
Here are some awesome places in India that are helping barter system to boom in India to erase plastic pollution-
Pamohi Village, Assam
Plastic Waste As School Fees – Parmita and Mazin Sarma decided to accept plastic waste as fees in ‘Akshar’ a school started by them in 2016. The school has over 100 kids, and each child brings in around 25 items of plastic items, including polythenes, bags, cups, bottles, etc. The waste deposited by the students is regularly segregated and recycled to improve the infrastructure of the school.
Ambikapur Municipal Corporation, Chhattisgarh
A one-of-its-kind café that will give a free meal and breakfast to a ragpicker in exchange for one kilo and 500 grams of plastic waste respectively exists there. The collected plastic will be used to construct roads.
Siliguri, West Bengal
Started by the alumni of Goethals Memorial School and Nishkam Khalsa Sewa in West Bengal’s Siliguri district, this barter system gives free food to anyone who brings 500 grams of plastic.
Kumbh Mela, Prayagraj
With an aim to cut down on the menace of plastic pollution that takes place every year during the mega Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, the mela association and a popular tea brand installed multiple kiosks in several areas this year as per the Times of India. Each kiosk worked with a vending machine to dispense a free cup of tea every time recyclable waste items like wrappers, plastic bottles, tetra paks were fed in the kiosk with sensors fitted inside them. Following this, the Prayagraj Nagar Nigam collected the waste every evening and gave it to recycling companies.
There are 160 plastic bottle crushing machines at 128 railway stations across India, and the Indian railways will soon install 400 more. The newly installed machines will recharge a passenger’s phone in exchange of a plastic bottle, as per recent reports by the Press Trust of India. The commuter will have to feed in his or her mobile number and deposit the plastic bottle. The number will act as a key to charge the phone. Efforts like barter-system can go a long way in cutting down plastic waste.
