During the installation of the furniture, a Nukkad Natak was also performed, demonstrating how following the three Rs — Reduce, Reuse, Recycle — can bring down the quantity of waste and create new useful items by recycling them.

Ankita Chamola, project manager, outreach and partnerships, Waste Warriors, said, “Based on our consumer research and baseline interviews conducted among waste pickers and scrap dealers, it was evident that there was no awareness among the masses about collection or recycling of used cartons. In the last few months, with the help of our collaborative efforts, we have raised awareness primarily at three levels — one with the consumers, second with the waste collectors/waste pickers, third with the govt bodies to leverage maximum support for the success of this project in Uttarakhand. When we show people the end products made from used cartons, they are amazed and excited to touch and feel something made so beautifully out of waste.”

The ongoing collaborative effort between Tetra Pak and Waste Warriors, launched in 2020 also aims at raising awareness among the waste-picker community, about the value they can derive from collecting used cartons and selling them to a recycler.

Tetra Pak cartons are primarily paper-based, with over 70% of the carton being made from paperboard. The cartons can be recycled into paper products, panel boards, industrial pallets, roof sheets, school desks, seats for autorickshaws and more. ​