New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Madras has begun the "Punch the Plastic" campaign on the eve of World Sustainability Day, to educate the campus students about plastic pollution.
The staff, teachers, and students of IIT Madras have organised the "Sustainable Campus Collective" campaign to create awareness among the campus residents about waste segregation and conserving water and electricity.
Former bureaucrat Shanta Sheela Nair participated during the launch of the campaign. Ligy Philip, Dean (Planning), Nileesh J. Vasa, Dean (Students) and Indumathi Nambi, faculty adviser of the collective at the institute, students and faculty were also present.
Some of the major events launched by the institute are the Punch the Plastic Drive, the Monkey Proof Food Waste Dustbin Hackathon, and the Sustainability Champions Contest.
As a part of the events, the IITM students had designed two models of a simple hook device to collect clean and dry plastic packaging material for pyrolysis.
A hackathon was also planned to develop a user-friendly, monkey-proof model for disposal of wet and dry waste. The best design would receive funding to develop and test the prototype, sponsored by Carbon Zero Challenge 2022.
Commenting on the launch of the "Punch the Plastic" campaign, Prof. Indumathi Nambi, Faculty Advisor, Sustainable Campus Collective, IIT Madras, said that the institute believes that every member of the IITM community should contribute their part and strengthen the administration's efforts towards making the campus the best in the country in terms of practising sustainability.
AIM of Punch the Plastic Drive: Zero-waste Campus with Little Water Footprint
The key objective of Punch the Plastic Drive is to have a campus that produces zero trash and uses little water.
According to Nambi, the initiative intends to make IIT Madras a completely sustainable campus in three areas: zero waste, low carbon, and low water impact. Hostels, academic and residential areas, places of worship, businesses, and schools are all included in the effort.
The institute has also encouraged all members of the professors, staff, residents, young children, and contract workers to voluntarily take part, engage and make the drive a success, Nambi said.
Highlighting the significance of these initiatives by IITM, Prof. Ligy Philip emphasised the institute's initiatives in wastewater recycling and a potential bio-methanation facility for food waste.
As per the IITM release, the institute intends to extend its influence outside of campus by holding competitions in schools, dorms, academic areas, and residential areas. These contests will undoubtedly inspire all on-campus residents to internalise and apply the concept of sustainability in their daily lives.
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