Building with purpose: CREDAI Kolkata's bold stand against plastic waste

Time of India

30-06-2025

Building with purpose CREDAI Kolkata's bold stand against plastic waste
As the sun rose on the final day of Rice for Plastic, CREDAI Kolkata's powerful grassroots initiative in partnership with The Times of India and recycling partner Paving+, a quiet but determined energy filled the air.
More than just an environmental drive,
Rice for Plastic
wove together sustainability and social impact—raising awareness about plastic pollution while offering a lifeline to underprivileged communities. In exchange for collected plastic waste, participants received rice, turning discarded material into nourishment and dignity. With each bag of plastic handed over, the message was clear: small acts can spark big change.
Launched on World Environment Day, the initiative set out with a dual purpose—to incentivize plastic waste collection and simultaneously support workers and families at over 20 CREDAI Kolkata construction sites. For every 2 kilograms of plastic or e-waste collected, 1 kilogram of rice was distributed, turning waste into a tangible token of care and survival. Over 2,500 kgs of plastic were collected in just 10 days, and more than 3,500 people benefitted from the rice distribution.
Redefining waste as resource
As emcee Kunal reminded the audience during his opening remarks, India generates over
20 million tonnes
of plastic annually, of which a mere 16% is recycled. 'Initiatives like this help rewrite that statistic,' he said. 'We are all used to seeing plastic as garbage—but what if it could serve a greater purpose? What if it could feed a family or build a better road?'
Indeed, the event offered a vision where discarded materials no longer represent negligence but instead, opportunity.
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Voices of change
Taking the stage were key dignitaries including Firhad Hakim, cabinet minister of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs; Sidharth Pansari, President of CREDAI Kolkata; Apurva Salarpuria, Senior Vice President; Ashok Saraf, Vice President; and Sanjucta Ghosh Dastidar, Secretary General CREDAI Kolkata. Each speaker echoed a commitment to sustainability not just as an industry responsibility, but as a moral and social imperative.
Welcoming the audience, Apurva Salarpuria outlined the campaign's intention, 'As builders, we are deeply embedded in nation-building, but we must also build responsibly. '
Rice for Plastic
' champions two goals—greener construction zones and the well-being of our workforce.' He noted the sector's significant 9 per cent contribution to India's GDP and emphasised that future growth must go hand in hand with sustainability.
with sustainability.
A community effort
Pansari, reflecting on his journey in real estate, acknowledged the vital role of public trust and governmental support: 'We do ₹100–200 crores of CSR every year in Bengal—be it cyclone-resistant homes, COVID support, or heritage conservation. This campaign is another meaningful step.' CREDAI has also significantly donated ₹17 lakhs to the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) for community development.
.
Repurposing waste for a resilient future
Hakim, taking the mic next, praised the simplicity and brilliance of the initiative. 'Instead of simply giving waste away, you're exchanging it for sustenance. It's dignified and practical. Construction sites produce a lot of plastic packaging, and this is a clever way to reuse it.' He also pointed out how this plastic is being converted into road materials—improving durability and weather resistance. 'This kind of reuse makes our city stronger and cleaner.
'
A grassroots movement
But it was Saraf, who tied together the goals of the campaign with the broader environmental cause: 'Our idea was to make people aware of the harmful effects of plastics and the benefits of recycling. We are trying to spread awareness at a grassroots level, and I am happy to report it was a very successful venture.'
His words not only served as a call to action but reminded everyone that real change starts with awareness.
Planting seeds for tomorrow
Sanjucta stressed the importance of sustained awareness: 'What matters most is that people are beginning to understand how plastic should be handled and disposed of. Word-of-mouth and community participation can turn this into a national, even global, movement.' The campaign also recognised the participation of local clubs and MLAs as an added layer of community goodwill to an already impactful initiative.
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A greenprint, not a blueprint
As the dignitaries wrapped up the event and planted symbolic saplings on stage, the message was clear: Rice for Plastic is not just about a trade-off between waste and rice—it's about a shift in collective consciousness.
From educating workers on plastic segregation to proposing alternative waste cycles, the initiative models how urban development and sustainability can—and must—coexist.
In a world battling climate change, rising landfills, and resource scarcity, Rice for Plastic stands as a working prototype of action-oriented environmentalism. It shows that when civic bodies, industry leaders, and communities come together, even something as everyday as plastic can become a tool for change.
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