Plastic is a part of everyday life and is widely used for multi-purposes. It does more harm to the environment every day than we could ever imagine. Because we misuse plastic and don't regularly recycle it, plastic has turned into a threat to the environment. Therefore, the best method to deal with plastic is to recycle and reuse it, which will reduce the need for more plastic production.

Human needs are highly dependent on plastic. From cell covers to shopping bags, it is used everywhere. The worst thing is that it is non-biodegradable and hence becomes most detrimental to our ecosystem. The best approach to handle it is to reuse it as often as we can to permanently stop the manufacture of new plastic.

Single-use plastic is made to be used just once and then discarded, such as plastic bottles. Plastic packaging used for fresh vegetables and meats is also an example of single-use plastic that contributes to nearly half of the world's plastic pollution. Multi-use plastics, which may also contribute to pollution but accumulate less frequently because of their versatility, are different from single-use plastic products.

To combat this, there are a few companies and individuals who are trying to contribute to solutions while they find ways to cut the use of plastic. One of the leading non-profit organisations - Karwaan Mission, founded in 2018 by Mr Dhaniram Yadav aims to address the critical issues of sustainable consumption, health, and waste management. Inspired by the Swachh Bharat Mission, the organization attempts to solve the crucial challenges of sustainability, health, and waste management. Karwaan Mission has collaborated with prominent people and organisations from different walks of life to make significant progress in promoting environmental sustainability.

To reduce the negative effects of plastics on the environment, Karwaan Mission is developing a novel platform for different cities in India. Mr Prabhjot Singh Sodhi, Senior Programme Director CEE, Ex-Head of Circular Economy UNDP, and Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), launched the project known as "Plastic lao Thaila/Mask Pao (PLTP)". This initiative intends to provide a platform towards responsible behaviour through the collection, segregation, and recycling of all dry waste. It also stimulates sensitivity among all stakeholders- nearby area shops, small street vendors and other informal sectors. The initiative encourages people to collect their dry waste, including plastics and takes masks and Thaila in return. All plastics should be recycled to develop a circular economy, which is in line with the Swachh Bharat (Clean India) Mission of the Indian government, the Plastic Waste Management Rules of 2016, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Karwaan Mission envisions a world in which marginalised groups may live better lives through the sustainable use of resources. They try to enable disadvantaged populations to have a satisfying life by granting them better access to resources and services. Karwaan Mission, along with its partners tries to lower the world's carbon footprint and protect the environment through awareness campaigns and other joint initiatives.

The goals of the initiative "Plastic Lao Thaila/Mask Pao” is to:

1. Reduce CO2 Emissions, and minimized the consumption of plastic on climate.

2. Create and spread citizens' awareness of the importance of plastic litter collection, segregation & recycling, and the need for safe disposal.

3. Strengthen and encourage informal sector workers' (Safaii Sathis) collection mechanisms of plastic waste through engagement, local markets, vendors, and municipality citizen shops, support.

For six months, Karwaan Mission (KM) successfully ran the "Plastic Lao Thaila/Mask Pao " (PLTP) initiative, making an impact in the Connaught Place (Charkha Museum), Sarojini Nagar Market, and Khan Market regions of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC). For the funding support, the organisation is looking forward to working with NDMC and Corporate Social Responsibilities (CSR) committees for financial and technical assistance to continue with the initiatives. Additionally, they are working with regional recycling companies to manage the material that has been gathered for additional recycling.

With the support of NDMC, and HDFC, Karwaan Mission took the Plastic Lao Thaila/Mask Pao (PLTP) project to a partnership with CEE in Delhi with an intent to recycle plastic waste and make them into use. As of now a total of 6,954 Participated in the PLTP initiative, 16,305 kgs of Plastic waste recycled, and 40.27 (MT) of Carbon emissions were saved. Karwaan Mission requests people to come forward and donate their plastic waste to their nearest drop point and get cloth bags/masks in return for their plastic.