Agra, August 01, 2023. PepsiCo India, in collaboration with The Social Lab (TSL), has taken a significant stride towards promoting plastic circularity and environmental awareness with the expansion of their Tidy Trails initiative in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. With the valuable support of Agra Nagar Nigam, this initiative is poised to disseminate best practices among local businesses, bolstering efforts in plastic waste management and recycling within the city.
A distinctive mobile van has been deployed as part of the initiative, making its way to local shops across Agra to collect post-consumer plastic waste from more than 500 shopping establishments spanning five market associations. In a remarkable display of efficacy, over 50 kilograms of plastic waste were collected on average daily during the pilot month, subsequently sent for recycling. The initiative's launch was symbolically marked by the distribution of more than 500 specially branded dustbins across these shopping establishments.
The inauguration of the Tidy Trails Agra chapter was graced by the e-presence of Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change, Government of India. The launch event also witnessed the presence of distinguished dignitaries, including Shri Umesh Garg, Independent Director, IFCI Ltd., Smt. Nirmala Dixit, Member, UP Mahila Aayog, Shri Syed Areeb Ahmad, IPS, DSP, Agra Police, Shri Pankaj Bhushan, Environment Engineer, Agra, Mr. Sudesh Yadav, Swacch Bharat Mission Head, Agra, Shri A.K. Shrivastava, CMO, Agra, Ms. Garima Singh, Chief Government Affairs and Communications Officer, PepsiCo India, Mr. Sahil Arora, CEO, The Social Lab(TSL), and Mr. Adesh Gupta, Director (Advisory Board), The Social Lab (TSL).
Aligned with PepsiCo India's commitment to pep+ (PepsiCo Positive), the company has embarked on a series of initiatives focusing on plastic waste management in Uttar Pradesh. The Tidy Trails initiative ensures that plastic waste collected from local shops undergoes meticulous segregation by waste collectors, followed by recycling and conversion into practical items like benches and chairs. These eco-friendly creations will find their rightful place in the parks and offices of Agra. In commemoration of this impactful launch, PepsiCo India will also contribute 60 benches crafted from plastic, recycled using 21st-century Polymers, for installation across Agra.
Addressing virtually, Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Hon’ble Minister of State, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Government of India said, “The challenge of plastic pollution demands a collective effort, where public and private sectors work together for common good. By combining the innovation and resources of the private sector, the administrative strength of the government and public responsibility, we can forge a path towards a cleaner, greener India. We congratulate PepsiCo India and The Social Lab (TSL) for bringing an initiative like Tidy Trails to Agra, after its successful launch in Mathura, and wish them all the best.”
Commenting on the inauguration, Shri S.P. Singh Baghel, Hon'ble Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, "Aligned with our vision for 'Swachh Bharat Mission', we are consistently working towards implementing best practices for waste management across the country. It’s encouraging to see organisation like PepsiCo India and The Social Lab (TSL) come forward and launch initiatives like Tidy Trails initiative in Uttar Pradesh that will help create awareness and also help in further keeping the cities clean.”
Shri Syed Areeb Ahmad, IPS, DSP, Agra Police, “We appreciate PepsiCo India’s commitment to drive positive change and address the critical issue of plastic waste management in partnership with The Social Lab (TSL). We stand shoulder to shoulder with such proactive industry leaders fostering an environment that promotes best practices for plastic waste management. Keeping in mind the historical significance of Agra, we urge PepsiCo and TSL team to also support us in keeping the city clean and green.”
Commenting on the expansion, Garima Singh, Chief Government Affairs and Communications Officer, PepsiCo India said, “At PepsiCo India, we are guided by our ‘Winning with pep+’ philosophy and are consistently working to build a world where plastic never becomes waste by reducing, recycling, and reinventing. Aligned with this vision, we introduced ‘Tidy Trails’ - a special initiative to sustainably manage post-consumer plastic waste in Mathura Vrindavan in 2021. Following its success, we are excited to launch the program in Agra with the support of Agra Nagar Nigam, encouraging people to keep their local environment clean and foster ‘tidy’ness, thereby building on the remarkable milestones.”
Commenting on the partnership, Sahil Arora, CEO, The Social Lab (TSL) said, “We are proud to partner with PepsiCo India and Municipal Corporation, Agra for this noble initiative. TSL is committed to environmental preservation and promotion of circular economy initiatives like Tidy Trails. In today's world, plastic has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges but if re-used and recycled, plastic has many uses which have not been explored by communities. Through Tidy Trails, we aim to unite communities, businesses, and policymakers in a collective effort to promote recycling and reuse of plastic waste.”
The Tidy Trails initiative was first introduced in Mathura-Vrindavan in September 2021, with the overarching aim of empowering local citizens to maintain cleanliness and serve as inspirations within their communities. The program's impressive impact included the collection of 25,000 kilograms of plastic waste from 800 establishments across the city, reaching a broad audience of 6.2 lakh individuals through various awareness drives, events, nukkad-nataks, and competitions. All these efforts are geared towards instigating behavioral changes towards responsible plastic waste management.
