CSR initiative to teach children importance of source segregation of waste

ITC's WOW initiative educates children on source segregation of waste and provides free stationery in schools in Andhra Pradesh.

“We have failed in our responsibility to protect the environment. This initiative is our attempt to teach the younger generations to appreciate and love the environment as early as they can, in the hope that they will not repeat the mistakes we committed,” says G. Gopalakrishna Murthy, Executive Director and Member Secretary of Tirupati-based Academy of Gandhian Studies (AGS) about WOW (Wellbeing Out of Waste), a CSR initiative of ITC Limited.

The ITC is implementing WOW in many places including Telangana, Karnataka, Delhi and Varanasi in tie-up with local NGOs. In Andhra Pradesh AGS is its implementing agency, trying to inculcate the habit of source segregation of waste among the citizens. “We consider waste as a resource and we have been working on this project since 2016 to education children of the future generation,” says Mr. Murthy, speaking to The Hindu.

The AGS coordinators active across Andhra Pradesh have so far reached out to 27,46,726 children in 4,114 schools and collected waste of 12,000 MT in the past seven years. “In the current academic year alone, we have educated 2,50,000 students and collected 1,900 MT of waste from 577 schools.

WOW coordinators approach school managements, explain to them the project and seek time during the morning assembly session to explain to students the importance of source segregation of the waste. “Then they go from class to class and explain in detail about the role and responsibilities of children,” he says. The children bring to school their used notebooks, textbooks and other waste material in bags given to them by WOW and take home free stationery such as new notebooks, pencils and erasers. “We have provided stationery worth ₹5 crore,” he says.

The AGS and the ITC’s Paper and Speciality Products Division (PSPD) have plans to organise a State-level function to felicitate best performing schools and students who stood out in the project implementation. The Governor will felicitate children who contributed maximum waste to the WOW under this drive at the function to be held tentatively in January-end.

“We collect everything except leather, cloth and wood, as they are not recyclable,” says Mr. Murthy, adding that as part of expansion of their project, the project volunteers now visit colleges, corporate offices and gated communities in residential areas.

Sharing facts about paper, he says India consumes 12.7 million MT of paper and paperboards a year, but unfortunately, only 2.5 million MT of paper and paper boards is being recovered.