Cafes that accept waste instead of money are becoming popular in India
Their social aspect is also providing free food to the needy or poor
A unique trend is becoming popular in India where cafes serve food by accepting waste instead of money.
In one such cafe started by the Municipal Corporation of Ambikapur, 500 grams of plastic waste is given as a snack, and 1 kilogram of plastic is given as a full meal such as rice, dal, curry and papad.
The aim is to provide food to the needy while reducing the use of plastic in the city and to use the collected plastic for recycling.
Similarly, a cafe in Junagadh, with the help of the local administration and a women’s organization (Sakhi Mandal), has started a chain of such cafes where lemon or fennel juice is given for 500 grams of plastic, while a healthy breakfast is given in exchange for 1 kilogram of hot plastic.
The food here is sourced from rural farmers and the process of accepting plastic involves the use of eco-friendly utensils i.e. earthenware.
All such cafes help reduce unnecessary use of plastic and promote recycling and the collected plastic is used in road tiles or green development.
Their social aspect is also to provide free food to the needy or poor people.
