Chhattigarh to introduce 'Garbage Cafe', food in exchange of plastic waste

Raipur, July 24: With an extraordinary initiative towards a better and more 'Swachh Bharat', the Ambikapur Municipal Corporation (AMC) will start 'Garbage Cafe' to provide food to citizens in exchange of plastic waste.

Ajay Tirkey, Mayor says, "We are providing free food to those who bring 1 kg of plastic to us, it will help us in keeping the city clean."

A city of less than 2 lakh, Ambikapur had jumped 15 positions to become the second cleanest city in the country in Swachh rankings, and is looking to take it a notch higher.

Ambikapur Municipal Corporation (AMC) will open India's first 'Garbage Café' in 10 days at the city's main bus stand. Free breakfast and lunch will be provided to the poor and ragpickers in exchange for half a kilo or 1kg of plastic waste.

A budget of Rs 5 lakh has been allotted to the Garbage Cafe Scheme. Under this initiative, there are plans to branch out to the provision of free shelter to the homeless who collect plastic waste.

The collected plastic waste will be reused for the construction of roads in Ambikapur, the second cleanest city, after Indore. The first such road in the state was made by mixing over 8 lakh plastic bags with asphalt, the durability of these roads are more since plastic doesn't absorb water.