After creating ripples in the state of Gujarat and Chhattisgarh, the concept of garbage cafes has now come to the capital city of Delhi. In an innovative move by the municipal corporation, people can exchange their plastic waste for meals at these garbage cafes. In a world waking up to the alarming damage that plastic waste can have on the environment, this move is seen to be a major step towards eliminating some. This one-of-a-kind café was first launched in Chhattisgarh, where the Municipal Corporation will provide food to the poor and homeless in exchange of plastic waste.
The concept then moved to the other states such as Gujarat, and now to Delhi where the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) opened the first garbage cafe in Dwarka. Located in Najafgarh area, the Garbage Cafe has been started by the municipality in Vardhman Mall in Dwarka. The cafe will serve snacks or breakfast in lieu of 250 grams of plastics and a full wholesome meal for 1 kg of plastic! Isn't this the best way to grab the attention of all the foodies of Delhi?
SDMC has been coming up with novel ideas to have an eco-friendly environment with initiatives such as 'Waste To Wonder Park' which is home to replicas of some of the most visited monuments in the world, created from trash. An official from South Delhi Municipality shared how plastic is a huge problem and how such unique schemes can draw more attention and action. The official said, "To cater to a huge section of the society and help make Delhi a plastic-free zone, the municipality decided to kick-start a unique scheme of garbage cafe, wherein people will get breakfast, lunch, and dinner in exchange for plastic waste and not cash."
According to the official, SDMC plans to open more of garbage cafes across Delhi in order to cover as many localities as possible. The scheme was inspired by the city of Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh that initiated the concept of garbage cafe by giving free meals and shelter to the poor and homeless in exchange of plastic. Other cities like Koraput district of Odisha, Bhubhaneswar, Gujarat and now Delhi soon followed.
The plastic waste collected at the garbage cafe in Delhi will be recycled effectively instead of piling it up in the landfills. The SDMC official added that the corporation is trying their hands at initiatives like making roads using plastic waste, up cycling plastic waste in gardens, to name a few.
Guess it's time to channelise the foodie in you for an eco-friendly environment!
What: The Garbage Cafe
Where: Vardhman City Mall, Dwarka Phase 1, Sector 23, Dwarka, New Delhi, Delhi 110075