Go Green with Tetra Pak, an initiative by Tetra Pak in association with RUR Greenlife, Sahakari Bhandar and Reliance Fresh has made a magical impact in the Metropolis of Mumbai… Be it a child or adult, every eco-conscious Mumbaikar, knows that Tetra Pak cartons must be segregated and can be fully recycled.
Thrilled to share that ten years down the glorious Go Green journey, over 4 million post consumer Tetra Pak cartons have been recycled and over 300 school desks and 170 garden benches have been donated. Today, with enthusiastic support from Mumbaikars, there are 44 public collection centers at Sahakari Bhandar and Reliance Fresh stores and over 180 private collection centers at schools, residential complexes, corporate offices and more. Do you wonder how this unique program of recycling began in Mumbai? And how did the movement evolve from just an idea to a well branched network that engages more than a million Mumbaikars today?
There are 44 public collection centers across Mumbai to deposit used cartons.
Flashback 2010
Ten years ago, the seed of idea of Tetra Pak cartons recycling was sown between the Sustainability Project Team of Tetra Pak India, and Mrs Monisha Narke, Founder and CEO RUR Greenlife. They approached Mr Vinay Adhye VP Retail, Reliance Fresh and Sahakari Bhandar Stores. He being an environmental lover was taken in by the idea of sustainable retail, and that’s how the strong partnership has evolved over the years.
On June 5, 2010, world environment day Go Green with Tetra Pak program was initiated.
In an era much before Swachh Bharat and EPR (Extended Producers Responsibility) mandates , Go Green with Tetra Pak program set benchmarks on protecting the planet positively by doing your bit.
AN AMALGAMATION
All stakeholders at different stages were engaged to attain more sustainable and closer loop recycling, to ensure the shortest route towards circular economy. The value chain flows as follows:
Manufacturers-Retailers-consumer-retailer-aggregator-recycler-recycled product-consumer.
The project was designed in collaboration with Tetra Pak India (Manufacturer), RUR GreenLife (Knowledge & Implementation Partner), Sahakari Bhandar and Reliance Smart (Retailer) and Deluxe factory (Recycler), at Palghar. The program also engaged with the local government by involving them in programs and desk donation drives.
Madhuri Ma’am, a teacher of one such beneficiary school, Supari Tank at Bandra principal shares, “Tetra pak recycling program is an innovative initiative and an important one because of the message it imbibes. This program has far reaching results and we see our youth realizing the beauty of creating wealth from waste. Through this program, my students’ values of cleanliness, hygiene, empathy and care for the environment have all been reaffirmed. They also spread this message to their family. Once the habit has been cultivated at a tender age, it will last a lifetime and thus we can ensure the fate of our planet will be in safe hands.”
Go Green with Tetra Pak team also conducts workshops at schools, societies and corporates, holds eco bazaars and participates in exhibitions to spread the word of Tetra Pak recycling.
A HUB SPOKE STRATEGY
The program is designed on a unique “Hub and Spoke” model. Hubs are public collection centers (Reliance Fresh and Sahakari Bhandar Stores), to deposit used cartons. There are 47 different centers in Mumbai. Conscious individuals can thereby identify a safe, easy and convenient way to drop off their Tetra Pak cartons for recycling, cutting down on carbon emissions and travel time.
Spokes are registered mass generators of cartons like schools and corporates, who are given the facility of a pickup, thus making it convenient for them to deposit and store cartons at their premises.
This unique model has been featured in the Limca Book of World records 2013, since it has provided a network of recycling waste within the reach of every Mumbaikar who wishes to make a green change.
REACHING MILESTONES
Every year, Go Green With Tetra Pak has seen a steady rise in its carton collection. Key campaigns were launched on World Environment Day, with a lot of buzz around it.
Carton Campaigns:
Bin Se Bench Tak –this is a target-based campaign where spokes can “win” back garden benches made from Tetra Pak cartons. Over 300 garden benches have been “won” by spokes!
Cartons Le Aao, Classroom Banao – this campaign incentivizes winning a school desk, which the spoke can donate to an underprivileged school. Over 170 school desks have been donated so far to various schools!
2020 – UPWARDS AND ONWARDS
2020 is our tenth glorious year of the Go Green with Tetra Pak Program. This year, due to the Covid 19 pandemic, activities surrounding World Environment Day have been shifted online through contests, webinars, insta lives and more. Go Green’s Green doodle contest launched in March 2020 saw tremendous participation from schools across Mumbai where young students did a fabulous job of sharing their recycling message through innovative artworks. (Miss India Universe 2010, Ushoshi Sengupta announced the winners live on social Media on Earth Day, April 22, 2020.)
Similarly, the Cook n Click Contest, was a great success where participants shared delicious recipes with a message to “Cut, Clean and Flatten” used Tetra Pak cartons. Several webinars to enlighten viewers and students about Tetra Pak recycling and good green practices are regularly conducted as part of the program. Some of the experts who have joined us on our various webinars are Suneel Pandey from TERI, Jignesh Shah from Deluxe Recycling Factory, and Nikita Pimpale from Rishi Valmiki Eco School.
Today, with EPR has now entering the mainstream, we are confident that GO Green with Tetra Pak will see newer ways of making an impact, while keeping the journey of Tetra Pak recycling , alive and thriving in India.