Athletes bag a solution for kids

City discards thousands of tonnes of flex banners daily, especially during festivals, elections, and VIP visits, defacing the city; duo upcycles them into schoolbags and study mats for poor children

- Dhairya Gajara

In Bhiwandi, athletes Ramesh Dhami, 29, and Shriyans Bhandari, 30, are surrounded by piles of flex banners. At first glance, one might think they manufacture them, but the duo collects discarded banners nationwide, upcycling them into schoolbags and study mats for underprivileged children, transforming trash into dignity.

Mumbai discards thousands of tonnes of flex banners daily, especially during festivals, elections, and VIP visits. These non-biodegradable banners deface the city while in use and pollute landfills when discarded. Political banners, once proclaiming promises, are now stitched into tools of real change.