In its effort to promote the central government’s flagship initiative, the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Indian Railway Western Railway zone, has installed three benches made of recycled plastic in the premises of Churchgate station in Mumbai.

According to a senior WR official: “It is perhaps the first time that recycled plastic is used in a core passenger amenity on Indian Railways. Following innovative and eco-friendly ways to curb the menace of plastic pollution, three benches made of recycled plastic have been installed at platforms 2 and 3 at Churchgate,” he said on Thursday. He also specified that these benches are strong and can bear a lot of weight.



These benches are made from the collection of plastic in a drive held at Western Railways under ‘Bottles for change’ Program in association with M/S Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd. They have been made from post-consumer mix plastics such as multi-layered plastic (MLP) and plastic bags/pouches.

Nearly 109 tonnes of plastic waste was collected during a fortnight-long cleanliness drive carried out by the Western Railways at its stations.

As an appreciation gesture, M/s Bisleri International Private Limited placed three benches made by recycled plastic as a part of its CSR initiative. Almost 40 to 50 kg of soft plastic went in the making of one bench, the official said, adding these seats are waterproof and ideal for outdoor locations.

The ‘Bottles for Change’ is aimed to educate the public about the importance of sending plastic objects for recycling and not to treat it as waste which leads to a cleaner environment.

“These benches are strong and heavy which will help in protecting the environment from contamination,” the ministry tweeted on Wednesday.