Mega Campaign Launched To Promote Zero-Waste Ecosystem

Championing the practice of reduce, reuse and recycle (RRR) of waste management, Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launched the three-week mega campaign ‘Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shahar Initiatives’ on Monday.

The campaign is aimed at giving an impetus to the overall zero-waste ecosystem under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban 2.0.

Urban India is increasingly adopting the principles of making ‘wealth’ from waste with citizens actively refurbishing old items for reuse.

Reuse and upcycling of common household goods has been an integral part of Indian culture.

Taking a cue from this shared habit, Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Puri launched the mega campaign ‘Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shehar’, in the presence of MoHUA Secretary Manoj Joshi and other senior officials of MoHUA and Environment Ministry.

The 3Rs form the backbone of ‘waste to wealth’ and have empowered many craftsmen, recyclers, self-help groups, entrepreneurs, startups, etc, to recycle waste into a host of products

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) further encourages individual and collective action towards the same.

Mission LiFE aims to protect and preserve the environment and bring about a pro-planet behavioural change that can be instilled through individual action in day-to-day life.

This nationwide campaign aims to highlight cities to set up RRR centres, one-stop collection centres, for citizens to contribute clothes, shoes, old books, toys and used plastic to be reused or recycled.

The three-week campaign will strengthen citizen’s resolve under SBM-U 2.0 — to reduce, reuse and recycle — and will also champion Mission LiFE’s objective of taking collective action for the protection and conservation of the environment by adopting sustainable daily habits.

The RRR centres are scheduled to be launched nationwide on 20 May 2023 and will serve as a one-stop solution for citizens, institutions, commercial enterprises, etc, to deposit unused or used plastic items, clothes, shoes, footwear, books and toys.

After collection, these items will be given to different stakeholders to be refurbished for reuse or would be made into new products, thus truly taking forward the government’s vision of a circular economy.

The Union minister also launched the RRR theme song contest. The contestants can write, compose, sing and submit a theme song and win attractive prizes. The contest opens on the MyGov platform from 20 May till 18 June 2023.

The Meri LiFE, Mera Swachh Shehar campaign will culminate on 5 June, 2023 with the Pledge for LiFE, that will be undertaken by everyone on the occasion of the World Environment Day as well as large scale cleanliness drives across all cities.