Ever heard of barter exchange of food for plastic bottles? Neither did we. Climate change is real and so is plastic pollution. With this increase in awareness, many places are doing their bit to curb plastic pollution. Recently Tirumala Tirupathi temple in Andhra Pradesh went plastic-free, where the prasad of laddoos will be distributed in jute bags rather than plastic covers. And now the latest news is that 2 dhabas in Hisar, Harayana are offering free meals in exchange for 20 plastic bottles.
Unique Initiative Taken By The 2 Dhabas In Hisar
This is a unique initiative by the Hisar Municipal Corporation which has tied up with two dhabas in the city. The dhabas named Hounda Ram and Janata Bhojnalaya dhaba will be offering food to customers in exchange for 20 plastic bottles, thus doing their bit for the environment and also making sure that there are no hungry citizens in Hisar.
Ramji Lal, the superintendent engineer said that he got this unique idea when he spotted ragpickers who couldn’t find any buyers for the plastic bottles, they collected. He further stated that plastic bottles have been piling up in the city due to the ban on polythene. Junk dealers too have stopped accepting plastic bottles in several areas of the city.
Also Read: Tirumala Tirupati Temple Goes Plastic-Free! Prasad To Be Distributed In Jute Bags Now
Ramji Lal and his team then approached dhabas, who were ready to provide a simple meal consisting of chapathi, daal and salad to anyone who offered them 20 plastic bottles. Once the dhabas receive these 20 plastic bottles, they, in turn, give it to the municipal corporation, who use it to prepare polythene compost and even grow plants in the plastic containers. The mayor of Hisar, Gautam Sardana too confirmed this initiative and said that the plastic bottles are used to grow plants in it and make compost, over and above this, they also collect empty coconut shells. On similar lines, did you know India’s First Garbage Cafe In Chhattisgarh Will Give Meals In Return For Plastic Waste?
What’s More?
Hisar Gautam, the mayor of Hisar, also appreciated the sincere efforts of the dhaba owners, who are doing a noble deed of feeding the hungry and poor people of the city. The dhaba owners, in turn, are proud to feed the needy of their city and also happy to play a crucial role in environmental conservation.
The owner of Hounda Ram dhaba, Radhey Shyam informed a reputed news agency that his dhaba witnesses around 20 people in a day, visiting them with plastic bottles. He further added that it’s not a big deal for the dhaba owners to provide free meals to 20 to 30 people. He said that for 10 empty plastic bottles, people will receive a free cloth bag. And for 20 empty plastic bottles, a person can have a free meal at his dhaba. The owner of the Janata Bhojnalaya dhaba, Vinod Kumar said that he is glad to feed the underprivileged who help to keep the environment neat and clean.
Well, we are really proud and happy to know that citizens of our country irrespective of their caste, creed, job, economic status or gender are doing their bit to help the society. It’s important to eradicate plastic from our day to day lives in any way possible. Plastic pollution is real, you guys! To combat this very plastic pollution, Goa Tourism Bans Single-Use Plastic, Wants To Be Plastic-Free By 2022