Making Informed Choices for a Cleaner Environment.

Waste is a resource in the wrong place. One mans waste is another mans resource. So if each of us can dispose the waste we create in a responsible manner, the planet would get a new lease of life! Everyday a huge amount of waste is generated at School in the form of tetra packs and other recyclable wastes. The primary factors affecting waste quantity and quality are population, urbanisation, industrialisation and the changing lifestyles. Keeping environmental sustainability in mind, The Energy and Resources Institute ( TERI) in collaboration with Tetra Pak India Pvt. Ltd. has initiated Project SEARCH ( Sensitisation, Education and Awareness on Recycling for Cleaner Habitat) to conduct awareness and sensitisation drives in schools in order to instill a habit of recycling amongst children. The aim is to educate students about the problems related to waste and the virtues of reusing, reducing and recycling. [gallery ids="1842,1847,1845"] The main objectives of the programme are as follows: To raise awareness amongst school students on the environment in general and recycling in specific. To instil among children good waste management practices. To educate students on the benefits of carton packaging that keeps the food safe and nutritious and which can be recycled easily. To inculcate the habit of recycling of waste amongst students thus indirectly help mitigating climate change. To set up collection centres in schools for recycling used tetra-pack cartons. The program was kicked off at The Indian School-Second Shift with an interactive workshop on 13 May14 for the students of Class II. The workshop conducted by TERI , explained the importance of recycling tetrapak cartons. A documentary film showed how tetra packs are made in factories and how the packaging is done. The film was followed by an activity in which the children were taught how to bin their tetra-pack cartons by making sure the bin is clean and free of moisture. The kids cut the cartons, cleaned them with water and then collected them in a bin. The collected cartons will be recycled into furniture for the needy. It was an overwhelming learning experience for the children to know how a tetra- pack can be recycled and put to entirely novel purposes. As we take this initiative forward at TFS, the students will, in their families and communities encourage people to recycle for a cleaner environment. A day in the week will be called SEARCH DAY, during which students will bring in the cleaned post consumer tetra-paks from their homes and neighbourhoods and thus promote the importance of the good practice. Report by Ms. Susan Thomas, Head Teacher, TFS.