In the city of Ambikapur in India’s Chhattisgarh state, there is a unique initiative known as the “Garbage Café.” This innovative concept encourages disadvantaged individuals to collect plastic bottles and other waste in exchange for free meals. Not only does this program help fill their stomachs, but it also contributes to improving the street environment, making it a win-win situation.
According to a report by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on August 19, 2019, Ambikapur pioneered the “Garbage Café” project. Vinod Kumar Patel, representing the Ambikapur Municipal Corporation responsible for managing the city’s infrastructure and services, opened a café near the primary bus station where people can exchange 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of plastic waste for a hearty meal. The meal includes rice, two vegetable curries, lentils, Indian flatbread, salad, and pickles. Half a kilogram of plastic waste can be exchanged for breakfast items like samosas or vada pav.
The concept aims to address two existing issues in Ambikapur – plastic waste and hunger. This initiative incentivizes low-income groups, especially homeless individuals and waste pickers, to collect plastic waste from the streets and garbage dumps in return for hot meals.
The café serves over 20 people daily, most of whom come from impoverished families, including Rashmi Mondal, a local woman.
Every morning, Mondal sets out early to collect plastic waste on the city’s streets and delivers it to Patel’s café. For her, collecting this waste is a means of survival.
Mondal shared that she has been doing this work for many years. Previously, she would sell the collected plastic waste to local recycling centers for a meager 10 Indian rupees (0.12 dollars) per kilogram, barely making ends meet. She expressed, “But now, I can exchange the plastic I collect for food for my family. This has brought about a significant change in our lives.”
The city’s sanitation and waste coordinator, Ritesh Saini, mentioned that the café has also had an impact on the amount of plastic waste entering the landfill. Since its establishment in 2019, the café has collected nearly 23 tons of plastic waste.
Saini highlighted that this is only a small fraction of the city’s total plastic waste. In 2024, Ambikapur generated 226 tons of plastic waste, with almost all of it being recycled.
Nevertheless, the café’s aim is to target the “missed waste” and encourage public participation. This aligns with the city’s goals of reducing and recycling plastic waste through stricter plastic usage regulations and improved waste sorting and management methods.
Thanks to these initiatives and similar efforts, Ambikapur has been recognized as one of India’s cleanest cities. Saini noted that the city produces 45 tons of solid waste daily and previously struggled with garbage issues. However, now, the city practices waste recycling. The collected plastic is recycled into pellets used for road construction or sold to recyclers, generating income for the local government. Organic waste is composted, and only a small amount of non-recyclable waste is sent to cement factories as fuel.
Due to these and similar efforts, Ambikapur has earned the title of a “zero landfill” city.
The “Ambikapur model” has since been replicated in all 48 administrative districts of the state, serving as a governance model for other medium-sized cities to follow. However, not all cities have been successful in replicating it. Some cities have faced challenges due to low public participation, poor waste sorting, and inadequate infrastructure.
Experts assert that while plastic waste collection programs have made an impact, they cannot address the widespread issue of excess plastic and non-recyclable waste in most Indian households. Nevertheless, these initiatives raise awareness about plastic pollution and serve as a good starting point for improvement, offering valuable assistance.