Bengaluru – Confronting the threat of plastic has perhaps been the biggest challenge of rapid urbanization. Plastic has become a part of everyone’s daily life and hence getting rid of it completely has always been a challenging task. However, cities that have not contributed to this important task have also geared up to complete it.
Bengaluru, the capital of Karnataka, is one of the cities that has adopted innovation to rid people’s daily lives of plastic use. Under the Swachhata ii Seva campaign, the Bruhat Bengaluru Municipal Corporation (BBMP) has launched the “No Straw Coconut Challenge” as an unprecedented effort to tackle the widespread problem of plastic waste associated with coconut vendors in every nook and corner of the city. . Despite continuous efforts to control single-use plastics, BBMP officials found that many coconut sellers are continuously using plastic straws. It turned out that paper straws were less harmful but not easily available and expensive, making it difficult for vendors to stop using plastic.
Keeping this challenge in mind, BBMP decided to adopt a proactive approach. The “No Straw Coconut Challenge” was started not only to discourage the use of plastic straws but also to encourage the concept of “bring your own cup”. Through a series of awareness campaigns, BBMP aims to inculcate environment-friendly working practices among both sellers and consumers. Vendors were not only urged not to use plastic straws, but also encouraged to adopt sustainable alternatives such as selling coconut water to customers without straws or offering eco-friendly alternatives. This innovative step created a sense of responsibility among the coconut sellers as well as the public. Highlighting that even the smallest changes in our daily routine can collectively make a remarkable impact in the fight against plastic pollution on the streets of Bengaluru. This challenge was organized at various places in the city involving about 50 coconut vendors. The challenge was voluntarily participated by participants from Indian Ploughmen and Copmen (NGOs) and BBMP Marshall Units. A long journey always starts with the first step and BBMP has taken that step.
