Environment Day: Checking CO2 emission – one glass bottle at a time

The orthodox recycling of used glass bottles needs more energy consumption and results in carbon emissions, claim the founders of a Noida-based firm that has devised a creative way to bring back such used items among consumers.

The 'Kavi – The Poetry-Art Project' has so far up-cycled over six lakh bottles, putting them back for users in new, designer avatars like planters, palettes, key chains, and other home décor items through eco-friendly, sustainable processing.

June 5 is celebrated across the world as Environment Day since 1973, to raise awareness towards a sustainable lifestyle to check global warming and climate change that threaten life on earth.

"Our initiative began around 2012. It was largely inspired by our inclination for all things art and poetry. Eventually, we got into eco-friendly, sustainable recycling of glass bottles like liquor, ketchup, and others used in houses," co-founder Amit Singh (39) told PTI.

Co-founder Madhuri Balodi (34) said, "through the initiative, we have so far up-cycled more than six lakh glass bottles, recycled 22 tonnes of reclaimed wood, and saved 1,500 trees." Citing scientific studies, she claimed for six tonnes of glass recycling, one tonne of carbon is emitted into the atmosphere.

Singh said the used bottles from across Noida, Ghaziabad, Delhi, and Gurugram in the national capital region (NCR) reach their Noida Sector 6-located facility through their network of scrap dealers and rag-pickers.

"Sometimes, we even have the bottles sorted like wine bottles, scotch, or beer bottles separately, depending on the situation and the requirement," he said.

The art-inspired commercial venture has also found takers well beyond the NCR with people from far-off states like Gujarat and Karnataka now shipping used glass bottles to them.

"We are now getting up to 500 bottles daily from not just the NCR but other states as well. The word of mouth seems to have caught the attention of people who want their used glass bottles up-cycled into a designer new avatar," Baladi said.

While the duo is leading the initiative, their environment-enthusiast team members engaged in the up-cycling work cycle to their workplace, Singh said.

"We have a team of 15 people at the Sector 6 facility. 90 percent of the cycle works from within Noida, while some even come from Delhi. Every day they ride for 10 km to 15 km to work. A couple of them have very expensive bicycles also," he added.