City schools turn a new leaf with ‘zero waste’ goal

A casual visit to the Government High School at IRC village, located in the heart of the city, reveals a remarkable journey of transformation.

- Sudarsan Maharana

The school that turned smart with digital classrooms last year, has now taken another major leap – embracing the zero waste concept to shape environmentally conscious citizens of tomorrow.

In the classrooms, plastic bottles have been replaced by steel. There are designated waste segregation bins where children are taught to dispose of waste through colour-coded containers – green for wet waste, blue for recyclable items like paper and plastic and red for electronic or hazardous waste including battery and glass. The students also follow a strict routine during the midday meal (MDM) – avoiding food wastage, with the objective of maintaining hygiene and respecting food and resources.

“Within five months of this practice, more than half of our 2,000 odd students have stopped using plastic bottles. They are also using separate bins for trash and keeping their classrooms clean,” said school headmaster Pradipta Kumar Behera.

Behera said practising zero-waste was also of much significance for them as a majority of students, who are from the nearby settlements, will replicate the practice in their surroundings. “The zero waste is not just a practice, it’s a mindset. We are proud to be among the first few schools to follow this concept,” he said.