Service Design Team : ecoBUY

Service Theme : Social innovation, Design & Smart Urban living

LOCATION : Gandhinagar city, Gujarat

Our team focus on the Plastic waste management in the vegetable market in Urban Gandhinagar context.

Context

Environmental pollution is on the rise. Major percentage of pollution is caused by plastic. After its revolution around the 20^th century, plastic quickly became the hero of materials, reigning over natural and other eco friendly man-made materials by the minute. The rise of plastic happened within no time, thanks to its flexibility.

India loved plastic just as much as the world, consuming around 12 million tons of plastic every year. Though banned, the laws have failed miserably in India. A 2016 report by the Central Pollution Control Board indicated that most Indian states have not yet implemented the Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2011, which mandate proper systems to ensure the segregation and disposal of plastic waste as well as crackdowns on unregistered plastic manufacturing units.

Disposing plastic is a major challenge in today’s world given that plastic is composed entirely of chemicals that would not decompose naturally and incinerating plastic emits unspeakable amount of pollutants into the air. It sticks around, in various forms around us, not perishing, not vanishing.

The plastic consumed in Gandhinagar ended up in the landfill and in roadsides which is then consumed by the stray animals. This affects their health. A decent percentage of plastic pollution is caused by carry bags and in Gandhinagar it is majorly used in street food and by vegetable vendors. This service aims to address, in particular, the issue of carrying vegetables by introducing eco friendly alternatives with no strings attached.

Gaps, needs and opportunity in context to Urban living

Gaps

• Less involvement of the community and society towards waste management.
• Ignorance or over usages of the plastic products.
• No proper practical education regarding the hazards in schools and institutes.
• No proper management and action taken towards plastic consumption.
• Loop holes in the management system.
• Lack of time and proper guidance in urban lifestyle.

Need

• To understand the responsibility towards the surroundings and environment.
• To provoke people to take initial step to eradicate plastic from their life.
• To educate the Generation X about the ill effects of plastic consumption to animals and earth.
• Proper management control on plastic production and consumption .
• Healthy collaboration of public and private bodies in management.
• To evoke healthy mindset of the vendors who sold vegetables in the market towards use of alternative eco-friendly bags.

Our Service

• To provide eco-friendly bags to the customers in the vegetable market on returnable basis to eradicate the use of plastic bag.
• To make people aware of the hazards of plastic bag and its consumption.
• Awareness through small promotional activities in the market space such as using quotes written on the bags.

TEAM: ecoBUY

Rakhi Menon

Rohit Kumar