Tetra Pak, Coca Cola India and GIZ in partnership with Saahas, a not-for-profit organisation have launched a large campaign in 2017 on implementing “Source Segregation of waste” in Gurugram.
After successful completion of the first phase of Alag Karo – Har Din Teen Bin programme, the second phase of the source segregation programme – Alag Karo 2.0, was launched in Gurugram recently. With the support of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), Coca-Cola India along with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Tetra Pak India, has once again joined hands with SAAHAS (a not for profit organization), to extend the programme reach in Gurugram as also to select locations in New Delhi.
Marking the commencement of Phase 2 of the Alag Karo program, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram and SAAHAS have signed an MoU to create awareness and implementation of source segregation of waste at Ward levels, including Ward No. 32. While Alag Karo Phase 1 had targeted high-rise residential societies, commercial complexes and institutions, the focus of Phase 2 is directed towards other settlements like independent houses, slums, small shops and street markets in the city.
Commenting on the launch of Alag Karo 2.0, Divya Tewari, CEO, SAAHAS, said, “We’ve certainly come a long way. Alag Karo, the programme initially kicked off at a city level, on a smaller scale, say in a single colony or a village. Today, it has branched into a systematic source segregation program with clear and transparent outcomes. Each activity undertaken as a part of the program has brought in new learnings for us and has helped us evolve a detailed step-by-step approach for implementing and sustaining Source Segregation. We are confident that much alike the first phase, Alag Karo 2.0 will also be very successful and rewarding. We appreciate the support provided from our program partners, Coca-Cola India, Tetra Pak, GIZ and the local authority – Municipal Corporation of Gurugram.”
Ishteyaque Amjad, Vice President, Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability, Coca-Cola India & South West Asia said, “At Coca-Cola India, we are driven by our vision of creating a ‘World Without Waste’- recycling every bottle or can that we sell by 2030. For this, we have a three-pronged strategy- Design, Collect & Partner. We are proud to once again liaise with our implementing partner SAAHAS to drive, create and accelerate waste collection and segregation at the source level. The amount of waste that is being generated today and its subsequent ramifications are alarming, and the onus is on each one of us to drive a behavioural change at the individual level. This will help us not only contribute towards the Indian government’s Swachh Bharat Mission but also create a green, clean, healthy, safe and sustainable environment.”
Speaking on the occasion, Jaideep Gokhale, Sustainability Director, Tetra Pak South Asia said, “At Tetra Pak, we have long believed in Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposition to start looking at waste as wealth. Our cartons are paper-based, recyclable and have the lowest carbon footprint among all other packaging materials used for similar food products. So, when we choose carton packaging, we are already making a positive choice. And when we segregate used cartons from our waste, we ensure that waste pickers earn an additional livelihood, and the used cartons get recycled into many useful items like benches, desks, notepads and roofing sheets.
But it all begins with waste segregation at source and its recovery – which is precisely what Alag Karo aims to drive across communities. After the successful completion of Phase 1 of the program, we look forward to continuing on the journey and taking this message to more citizens.”
