CSR: IndoSpace establishes Cutlery Banks to promote sustainable waste management in two villages in Maharashtra

Mumbai, India: IndoSpace, India’s leading developer and owner of Grade A industrial real estate, has launched a sustainable solution to promote zero waste events by establishing a reusable Cutlery Bank each in the Gram Panchayats of Mahalunge Ingale and Bhamboli villages, near Pune’s Chakan area. The initiative, conceptualized in alignment with recent government reforms against single-use plastic, is an extension to IndoSpace’s steadfast commitment to reducing waste generation stemming from community events.

Plastic cutlery used during events is typically discarded after a single use, following which it ends up in landfills – adding to the rising landfill crisis. This can impact the environment in numerous ways, including potential groundwater and soil contamination which then leads to adverse health effects.

The cutlery bank initiative is aimed at minimizing waste generation during community events by replacing single-use items with reusable ones made of steel. Cutlery made from stainless steel can be reused for decades before it needs to be replaced. Even then, these can be melted and molded to create new steel items. Encouraging the use of reusable cutlery not just aligns with the principles of a circular economy, but also embodies the organization’s goal of raising awareness on the detrimental effects of single-use plastics/disposable waste.

Rajesh Jaggi, Vice Chairman – Real Estate, Everstone Group said, “As a company, we are dedicated to practicing and promoting sustainable waste management, which is a core focus area for our CSR activities. The cutlery bank initiative marks a significant step in our sustainable waste management project being run at Chakan over the last 2.5 years. We hope that this initiative will serve as a model for other communities and villages to adopt sustainable practices and promote zero-waste events. We believe that this launch will create acknowledgement towards today’s pressing issues and help generate well-adapted solutions for the future.’’

The cutlery will be stored in the Gram Panchayat offices managed by the villages’ temple staff. For maximum utilization, the cutlery will be used for all village events.

To raise awareness on the importance of adopting a sustainable lifestyle among villagers, they will be given the utensils from the bank free of cost, while being encouraged to donate to the Gram Panchayat. In addition to bringing about a behavioral change, this initiative will work towards reducing almost 1 tonne of plastic waste from events held in both villages.

As part of the campaign, 1200 cutlery sets were donated to the Gram Panchayat in Bambholi and 2000 in Mahalunge Ingale. IndoSpace continues to be a torchbearer of community building and sustainability through its environmentally conscious decisions.