Bengaluru schools turn waste into wealth

BENGALURU: All that is waste is not necessarily binned. Waste papers, blank pages and used books are recycled and used by many students.
With a paper recycling unit on its campus, Vidyashilp Academy, Jakkur, generates 800 sheets every day. The school has given recycled paper to 7,453 underprivileged children till date and in the process, saved close to 4,223 trees and 59,62,560 litres of water over the past one year.
On the school campus, a stationery store sells files, carry bags, envelopes, notebooks, calendars, tissue boxes, pencil holders and gift boxes and many such things made from recycled paper.
Vidyashilp Academy principal Kala Selvi said: “Our annual report cards and newsletters are made from paper recycled inside the school. We also use such paper to print school brochures and invitations for events held on the campus.”
At Greenwood High, waste paper is collected from dustbins and handed over every week to a paper recycling unit outside the school. “This paper is recycled and converted into notebooks for underprivileged students,” said principal Aloysius D’mello.
Art from waste paper
At CMR National Public School, HBR Layout, the reception desk is decorated with art pieces made of paper, cartons, cans and bottles. “When we held our marathon last year, students segregated waste into papers, plastic and other stuff. We used them to make art pieces,” said Swathy Soni, vice principal, CMR NPS.
Last year, Kendriya Vidyalayas across India saved 51,677kg paper under an initiative where students donated old books to juniors after completing their academic session. Over 50,000 students studying in KVs in Bengaluru region were part of the initiative.
At NPS Koramangala, Towards the Green initiative (TAGE) initiated in 2016 had students removing blank sheets from their old notebooks and converting them into new ones for underprivileged students. Over 6,000kg of used paper was collected under the project and 150,000 sheets of blank paper and 800 handmade notebooks were made out of it.