A foundation working towards environment protection and climate change along with Tata Steel utility arm created awareness among students of Jamshedpur on waste recycling through a drive which began on Earth Day (Saturday).

Koru Foundation, which has been working in Jamshedpur for the past two years towards environment projection and climate change through sustainable solutions, joined hands with Tata Steel Utilities and Infrastructure Services Limited (utility arm of Tata Steel providing urban services in Jamshedpur formerly Jusco) in organising waste collection drives through 26 schools across the city.

“This year’s event is called Five Days Five Recyclables. Students were supposed to bring those items which we consider waste or what go to waste because of the lack of usefulness like, plastic bottles, broken toys, used pens, oil and milk packets etc.

“After the collection of the recyclables it was directly channelised to the authorised handlers of waste and recycling agencies. From lastyear 10, this year saw 26 schools participating in the event on the occasion of Earth Day,” said Koru Foundation director and co-founder Madhulika Singh.

Students show the recyclable waste in their school in Jamshedpur. Bhola Prasad

According to the official, over 2000kg of recyclables from landfills were collected by the students.

“We hope that the impact of this event would help students teach the difference between waste and recyclables, diverting the waste filling the landfills directly to the recyclers and authorised handlers, students can help us reach many households into the system of recycling and reducing waste generation,” said Madhulika.

She further said that the events were aimed at living up to the goals and guidelines of Swachh Bharat, Swachh Vidyalaya.

“We hope to enable our children and the youth into changemakers that can help us all in solving the environmental degradation and climate crisis we are heading towards and achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

"The Earth Day 2023 theme is ‘Invest in Our Planet’. The theme is designed to persuade our children and youth to invest in our planet to improve our environment and give our descendants a better and safer future and recycling waste can help immensely in achieving the objectives,” added Madhulika.

“It was good to see students participating in the drive. We have been hearing about the zero waste concept and decided to be part of the solution and not a part of the pollution,” said principal of Kerala Public School, Mango, Rupa Ghosh.

Incidentally, the foundation has already set up recycling stations in several schools in Jamshedpur with the school’s support wherein students can bring recyclables on scheduled dates and be collected in the designated bins.

The foundation members will be channelising the recyclables to respective vendors like plastic pet bottles, other plastic bottles, stationery items, oil/milk packets, metal cans and e-waste.