A youth-led, school-based movement to make plastic-free living a daily habit — not a one-time lesson.
India generates more than 3.5 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, and the number keeps rising. Single-use plastics — bags, wrappers, cutlery, bottles — are used briefly but stay in the environment for decades, clogging drains, polluting rivers, harming wildlife, and contaminating soil and water.
A lot of this waste is actually recyclable — if it's segregated properly at the source. But once plastic mixes with food or wet waste, it becomes contaminated and often ends up in landfills instead. The real gap isn't recycling infrastructure. It's everyday behaviour: littering, not segregating waste, and over-relying on single-use plastic.
of plastic waste generated in India every year (CPCB estimates).
Segregation, littering habits, and reuse of alternatives are the real levers for change.
Children pick up habit-based learning quickly, especially with peer influence and repetition.
Schools offer assemblies, classrooms, and clubs — a ready-made space for consistent reinforcement.
Children carry environmental messages back to parents and siblings, especially mothers as key household decision-makers.
To promote plastic-free habits, environmental awareness, and responsible waste management practices among school-going children across Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
1. Build awareness among students and parents — especially mothers — about the impact of single-use plastics.
2. Encourage practical plastic reduction and waste segregation habits at school and at home.
3. Promote cleaner, plastic-free school environments through student participation.
4. Strengthen environmental stewardship among children.
5. Build a scalable behaviour-change model that can be replicated in other regions.
HARIT is designed in the spirit of the Hon'ble Prime Minister's Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), which turns environmental protection into everyday micro-habits — shifting from "mindless consumption" to "mindful utilization." It also supports the Swachh Bharat Mission and India's circular economy goals.
Designs and implements HARIT on the ground — recruiting and training Paryavaran Youth Leaders, running school and community activities, and managing monitoring & evaluation across both states.
A long-standing leader in plastic waste reduction and circularity in India, including its flagship Well-being Out of Waste (WOW) programme. HARIT extends ITC's sustainability agenda into schools and young communities.