The ‘Bottles for Change’ initiative, promoting source level segregation and scientific recycling of plastic waste, was launched today by Mayor Smt. Meenal Choubey by Municipal Corporation Raipur in collaboration with Young Indians, CII Raipur Chapter under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative of Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd.Under this initiative, six plastic banks will be set up at key public locations across the city. These plastic banks will be located at the following locations: Municipal Corporation Headquarters, Azad Chowk, Budha Talab near Sheetla Mandir, outside Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University (next to the university gate), Anupam Garden, and Mahadev Ghat.The objective of this initiative is to create awareness among citizens to segregate plastic waste at source and send the collected plastic for recycling through proper channels.Under this initiative, Bisleri will recycle approximately 46,000 plastic bottles collected to create a bench, which will be provided free of charge to the Municipal Corporation. This activity will inspire citizens to recycle plastic waste and protect the environment.The next phase of this initiative will involve collecting plastic waste from residential colonies, educational institutions, commercial establishments, hotels, restaurants, and other bulk waste producers and sending it for recycling through appropriate channels. Regular plastic waste collection drives will also be organized in coordination with various stakeholders.It will encourage waste segregation at source as well as promote recycling of plastic. Mayor Mrs. Meenal Choubey stated on this occasion that proper management of plastic waste is not solely the responsibility of the Municipal Corporation, but is possible only with the participation of every citizen. Initiatives like “Bottles for Change” will encourage citizens to separate plastic waste from general waste and send it for recycling, thereby reducing the amount of waste going to landfills. Furthermore, this initiative will also help in following the instructions given by the Honorable Supreme Court regarding scientific management of plastic and solid waste, source segregation, and effective compliance with regulations.Mayor Meenal Choubey appealed to citizens to separate plastic waste from other waste and make it available for recycling through designated plastic banks or collection systems. She said that this CSR initiative will further strengthen public participation in making Raipur a clean, conscious, and environmentally friendly city.Present on the occasion were Municipal Corporation Additional Commissioner Mr. Vinod Pandey, Swachh Bharat Mission Executive Engineer Mr. Yogesh Kadu, Deputy Engineers Mrs. Krishna Rathi and Mr. Sanskar Sharma, SWM Specialist Mr. Prameet Chopra, and other officials. Present were Mr. Bala Saidababu and Mr. Santosh Kumar Sahu from Bisleri International Private Limited’s CSR team, and Mrs. Aditi, Mr. Shahid, and Mr. Deepen from Young Indians, CII Raipur Chapter.
