Mumbai Man Turns Plastic Waste Into Meals; ‘Buy Food With Plastic’ Feeds Thousands In Slum Areas
Mumbai Man Turns Plastic Waste Into Meals; ‘Buy Food With Plastic’ Feeds Thousands In Slum Areas
Founder Shakti Yadav’s initiative allows people to exchange 20 plastic bottles for a hot meal while helping clean Mumbai’s neighbourhoods
Overflowing drains, flooded roads and plastic waste are common problems in many of Mumbai’s slum areas. For 27-year-old Shakti Yadav, these issues were a part of everyday life while growing up. Today, he is working to solve both hunger and plastic pollution through his unique initiative, ‘Buy Food With Plastic’.
Under this initiative, residents can collect and submit 20 plastic bottles in exchange for a freshly cooked meal. The idea not only helps reduce waste in crowded communities but also supports families struggling to afford food.
Yadav says monsoon seasons in slum areas were especially difficult during his childhood. Plastic waste often blocked drains, causing dirty sewage water to flood streets and increase the spread of diseases like dengue and malaria.
Wanting to improve the situation, he started looking for a solution that could address both environmental pollution and hunger together. His inspiration came from a similar project in the United States. After speaking with its founder, Yadav developed a community-based model suited for Mumbai.
An MBA graduate and the first person in his family to complete higher education, Yadav launched the project in 2020 while continuing his corporate job. As the initiative started growing, he eventually left his job to focus on the cause full-time.
The working model is simple. Residents hand over 20 plastic bottles and receive a hot meal in return. The collected plastic is sent for recycling, while local people are also given work opportunities in waste collection and recycling activities.
The recycled plastic is later converted into useful products such as flowerpots and tea coasters. These eco-friendly items are sold to companies, including international businesses, helping the initiative continue its operations.
Initially, convincing his family was difficult. Yadav’s mother was unsure about his decision to leave a stable job for social work. However, over time, the visible impact of the initiative helped change opinions.
Apart from providing meals, the project also focuses on spreading awareness about sustainability and waste management. Yadav and his team regularly organise sessions in schools and housing societies to educate children and young adults about recycling and environmental responsibility.
So far, ‘Buy Food With Plastic’ has served more than 42,000 meals, supported around 4,500 people and educated over 1,000 students about sustainability.
Yadav’s work has also received international recognition. He represented India in Germany for sustainability and climate change research and was awarded the 2023 Cross-Cultural Program Fellowship for his efforts.
Although the initiative currently operates in selected slum areas, Yadav hopes to expand it across Mumbai in the future to create cleaner neighbourhoods and help more people access food.
