On World Environment Day, Mumbai is bringing ‘recycling’ to life through a campaign that transforms cartons into creative installations and animal figures. It was a colourful city-wide campaign on the occasion of World Environment Day held at a neighbourhood park in Dadar.

The “Go Green with Tetra Pak” initiative, which involves a partnership between Tetra Pak India, RUR Greenlife, Reliance Smart and Sahakari Bhandar, caught the attention of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to kick off an interactive environmental campaign at Veer Baji Prabhu Udyan. The project aims to bring recycled materials out of industrial spaces and into public areas to change perceptions of waste and highlight its potential to contribute to urban renewal.

Yogesh Desai, Assistant Commissioner for G North Ward, led the official launch and unveiled a novel, environment-friendly walkway, which was built over a regular concrete surface. This innovative route was built of a high-strength and weather-resistant paver tile that was developed from discarded beverage cartons using polymer-aluminium, a material developed by a QUT engineering student. The pathway was built using specialised paver tiles made of polymer-aluminium, an innovative material developed from waste beverage cartons). Such light and weather-resistant tiles provide an on-the-ground example of circular infrastructure. Remembering the pioneering role played by Mumbai in creating an environmentally progressive city, Yogesh Desai said, “The innovative pathway made using recovered paver tiles from used beverage cartons is a strong example of how waste can be converted into sustainable infrastructure. Installations like ‘Cartons to Creatures’ help make this concept visible and engaging for citizens and raise awareness about the potential of waste materials. Mumbai is proud to support this initiative, and we urge all Mumbaikars to participate in building a sustainable city,” said Desai, adding, “A chain is as strong as its weakest link.”

For the campaign, the organisers launched an interesting and engaging series of large[1]scale sculptures, animals created out of recycled aseptic cartons: "Cartons to Creatures". Aligned with the theme of World Environment Day, Inspired by Nature- For Climate- For Our Future, these life-sized animal figures are not only picturesque representations of the animals themselves, but also provide a great family photo opportunity for park visitors. The playful activities will be set up in areas where many people visit the park with the expectation of simply enjoying themselves, and organisers expect this to foster a more active involvement in the city's recycling system.

Kiran Singh Patil, Assistant Engineer, Solid Waste Management Department, BMC, said, “Cultural programmes with such displays have an educational impact as it helps educate citizens about the importance of waste management and how to segregate their waste in a responsible manner to help build up Mumbai's recycling market. We hope these steps will inspire more citizens to take part in the city's recycling initiatives.” The large carton recycling relay collection bin is a behemoth, larger-than-life, and is right next to the whimsical installations, providing inspired visitors with an immediate opportunity to responsibly get rid of their used beverage packaging. However, we believe that sustainability is more powerful when it goes beyond concepts and is experienced by people in their daily lives and with these installations, we hope to take the subject from the realms of recycling and bring it to the wider circular economy. Those who recycle cartons effectively are investing in the conservation of resources, in the reduction of waste and in building a more sustainable future for our cities"

RUR Greenlife, Tetra Pak’s long-standing recycling partner, is working closely with BMC’s waste management and garden departments to manage the campaign. RUR volunteers are still stationed at the park to meet park visitors, give them information about how the polymer/aluminium tiles are processed, and direct visitors to local disposal sites. Mumbaikars seeking to contribute can avail the tremendous recycling network offered by over 50 recycling points at regional.

Collection points include Reliance Smart and Sahakari Bhandar supermarkets, with over 200 recycling locations across the city. The initiative, which has been running since 2010, has diverted thousands of cartons from landfills and repurposed them into community assets such as classrooms and park benches. The project serves as a bright spot to remind children and adults that a greener tomorrow begins with everyday actions and decisions.