In the narrow lanes of Bhandup’s slums in Mumbai, Sunday mornings have started to mean something different for children like 13-year-old Deepak Maru. Instead of spending the day aimlessly, Deepak wakes up at 6 am, gathers his friends, and heads out in search of discarded plastic bottles lying near drains, roads, and garbage dumps.
For the last few days, he had collected nearly 100 bottles. On Sunday, he proudly exchanged them for a hot meal through an initiative called Buy Food with Plastic Bottles, started by 23-year-old social entrepreneur Shakti Yadav.
“I was told the one who gets the maximum bottles gets a prize,” Deepak said excitedly. “There is so much garbage around the nallah nearby that collecting bottles is easy.”
That Sunday, Deepak won first prize and received a ration kit.
A Problem He Saw Every Day
Shakti Yadav, himself a resident of the Bhandup slums, grew up witnessing two harsh realities around him: mountains of plastic waste and families struggling for food.
“In monsoons, the drains used to overflow because plastic bottles clogged the nallahs. Dirty water entered our homes through sewer lines. I hated monsoons,” Yadav recalled.
In 2018, he came across a video on Instagram showing people exchanging plastic bottles for food. Inspired by the idea, he spoke to friends about starting something similar in Mumbai’s slums. Most laughed at him, saying such an idea would never work in India.
But Yadav continued researching and eventually connected with the founders of the international organisation Buy Food with Plastic. Though the idea remained on hold for two years while he pursued his MBA, the Covid 19 lockdown changed everything.
“During lockdown, I saw people struggling even for one meal a day. That is when I decided to implement this idea seriously,” he said.
Turning Plastic into Currency
The initiative officially began in September 2020. The concept is simple yet powerful: people collect plastic bottles from their surroundings and exchange them for freshly cooked hot meals.
What makes the initiative unique is that Yadav refuses to call it charity.
“We are not providing meals for free. People are buying meals with the plastic bottles they collect from their own surroundings,” he explained. “I want to make plastic bottles a currency in the future so that waste is removed from the environment, recycled, and people also get food in return.”
The collected bottles are sorted and sent for recycling. A part of the plastic is also transformed into useful products such as flower pots, coasters, decorative items, and recycled utility products through partner recycling units. According to the initiative, some recycled products linked to the project have also reached international buyers and supporters in countries such as Germany, the Netherlands, and parts of Europe through sustainability networks associated with Buy Food with Plastic.
During one Sunday event alone, over 4,615 plastic bottles were collected, while more than 233 people received meals.
More Than Just Food
The initiative has become much more than a meal distribution drive. It has also created environmental awareness among children living in the slums.
After meals are distributed, volunteers organise workshops where children receive colouring books and pencil colours. The drawings focus on environmental themes and plastic pollution. Children spend time colouring together before taking the books home.
Residents say the activity has positively engaged children in the community.
“Kids get so excited for this that they collect bottles for us as well,” said local resident Surekha Bodavade. “It is beautiful to see them so happy every Sunday.”
Another participant, Mangal Ingle, said the initiative spreads quickly through word of mouth. “Earlier they provided ration kits during lockdown, now they provide hot meals. Not just children, adults also wait eagerly for these events.”
Running on Community Support
Despite the growing impact, the initiative still faces funding challenges. Permissions and regulations are reportedly delaying formal financial support from the parent organisation abroad.
For now, Yadav organises events mostly through local donations, friends, and supporters who contribute food and supplies. Volunteer and logistics support is also provided by Happie Foundation, an organisation run by his college friend Vishal Sahani.
A Bigger Dream Ahead
Yadav’s vision extends far beyond occasional food drives.
By 2025, he dreams of opening a permanent Buy Food with Plastic restaurant where anyone can exchange plastic bottles for hot meals. The restaurant would also provide basic washroom and bathroom facilities for the underprivileged.
For a young man who once saw flooded drains and hunger outside his home every day, the dream is not just about food or recycling. It is about restoring dignity while cleaning the environment.
In a city struggling with both waste management and poverty, Shakti Yadav’s initiative shows how one simple idea can address two crises at the same time, one plastic bottle at a time.
