The district unit of the Kerala State Suchitwa Mission (sanitation mission) has launched a programme to educate children about the importance of handling plastic waste in a proper manner and relying more on traditional, healthy food habits rather than taking frequently to fast food.
Three-day summer camps are being held for schoolchildren in all panchayats in the district between April 20 and May 20 to give children an idea about the use of plastic and their proper handling, Suchitwa Mission sources said.
The most important thing in plastic usage is reduction and recycling. Students will be taught how to reduce plastic use, and, if they have to use it, to handle it properly. Handling plastic properly involves its recycling. Scrap collectors have been identified in various locations so that plastic that reaches homes can be carefully collected and handed over to scrap collectors, the sources said. Besides, children attending the camps will also be given lessons in turning family and social functions into green events by avoiding disposable products like plastic tumblers and plates.
Local resource persons are involved in the programme. Successful farmers, volunteer workers and NSS volunteers are involved in the awareness programme, the sources added. Along with awareness about the dangers posed by plastic, children attending the camps will be taught about the importance of traditional food habits.
Meanwhile, the Suchitwa Mission has started a programme to enlist scrap dealers and provide them identity cards so that they are able to deal with local government bodies directly with the help of their affiliation to the sanitation mission.
The empanelled scrap dealers will play a big role in collecting plastic and other materials that need to be disposed of properly, sources added.
