A total of 300 volunteers participated in a 75-km walkathon covering five roads and collected 500 kg of plastics as part of the Payanam 75 organised by Walk For Plastics on Sunday.
The plastics were handed over to the Greater Chennai Corporation.
The walk covered major roads, including Rajiv Gandhi Salai and Jawaharlal Nehru Salai, and concluded at Kathipara junction at 5.30 p.m.
The walkers were mainly youngsters including those working in the IT industry. Mohammed Ashfar, a YouTuber and volunteer, said he had been walking daily and collecting plastics. “What we collect is usually sold off to the Kabadiwallahs and that amount is used to support families of rag pickers,” he said.
B. Sivanesan, who works in the IT industry, said they have been walking and picking plastics for over 200 days now.
“The aim of our walk is to make people understand that garbage should be segregated and plastics responsibly recycled. There are many people who have started segregating after they see us picking plastics from the roads,” he said. Walk For Plastics has recycled a total of 6.5 tonnes of reusable plastics in 237 days during which volunteers collected waste from major roads. The value of plastics collected was ₹45,000. Artist B. Gowtham , founder of the Walk for Plastics initiative, said that their vision was to create a litter-free world thus protecting nature and create a world with good human values.
