This document summarizes the efforts of 8 students from D.A.V. Public School in Berhampur, Odisha, India to reduce plastic pollution in their school and community. The students organized a week-long campaign from August 27th to September 1st, 2012 that included [1] appealing to classmates to refuse polythene bags, [2] requesting the canteen stop using plastic dishes, and [3] holding an anti-polythene rally. They worked with teachers, local organizations, and media to spread awareness about reusing plastic and proper disposal. Photos show before-and-after comparisons of reduced plastic litter on the school grounds and community members using polythene bags for planting trees.

1. Name Of The School D.A.V. PUBLIC SCHOOL, BERHAMPUR
Address Sadananda Vihar, Gosaninuagaon
Berhampur, Dist: Ganjam, Odisha
Pin: 760003. Phone: 0680-2115407, 2224548, 2223631
E-Mail: principal@davberhampur.org
Name Of The Students Epeesta, Ipshita Panda, Vidya Venkatesan, Shradha Dakua,
Shivasish Sahu, Digant Lathi, Sameer Padhy, Aditya Mahapatro
Name Of The Mentor Ms. Swapna Rani Panigrahy & Mrs. Amruta Parichha
Title Of Story Of Change ”Polythene Hatao . . . . . Parivesh Bachao”
FEEL
Today the world has been turned into a garbage bin, more than population being the single most
significant factor responsible, it’s the use of Polythene & Plastics that’s littering our houses, our
schools, our cities & the earth as a whole. The material of convenience has become the reason of
causing the maximum inconvenience. We, the team of 08 Students from Std. IX & Std. X of D.A.V.
Public School, Berhampur, Odisha were always pained by the ugly site of Polythene littering our
Playground, our Canteen, Drains, inside as well as outside classrooms. We felt, not only School it’s
the Town as a whole suffers from this acute malady.
First, we had a talk with the support staff of the school as they were the worst affected. They had to
clean the ground and unblock the drains repetitively to keep the school clean. Whereas they were
able to burn the rest of solid waste & dispose it off, plastic waste was sordidly accumulated around,
adding to the problem. As we discussed this problem with our Mentors – Social Studies Teacher Ms.
Swapna Rani Panigrahy & Science Teacher Ms. Amruta Parichha we felt, we strongly needed to do
something about it.
IMAGINE
Our team could foresee, if we wish to see our School really clean & make it green, we had to first
make it free from Polythene so we called our mission “Polythene Hatao, Parivesh Bachao”. We
thought of many ideas – Sensitizing Students, Ban Polythene at least in School & teach ourselves &
the rest of the school how to reuse Polythene bags since they are non-biodegradable. So we
decided in favor of a four step solution (4R’s): -
(i) Refuse (ii) Reduce (iii) Reuse (iv) Recycle
DO
Our team put the plan of action in place with the week long activities from 27th Aug to 1st Sept 2012
a) Shivaish Sahu (Std. IX) addressed the School assembly & appealed to all the students: -
i. Refuse to take Polybags while bringing things from the market.
ii. Don’t bring Tiffin etc in Polythene bags.
iii. Learn how to use the thick plastic bags for various other purposes such as converting
them into shopping bags, using them as thick Book Marker, use as Notebooks / Books cover
and reuse for various purposes till it is rendered absolutely useless.
iv. Then reduce it considerably in size before dumping it so that a small pit can work as a
landfill for thousands of them at a time.
b) We requested the Canteen Manager not to serve food in poly based materials & insisted on

2. using leaf plates instead.
c) On 30th Aug 2012, we all took out an Anti-Polythene Rally starting from School Assembly thereby
once again spreading the message in the school itself. Then we went to the main areas of the
Town generating awareness against the use of Polythene.
d) Shivaish Sahu (Std. IX) once again displayed in the assembly how to use Polybags for
plantation. Same was message was carried out in the community. Finally we are today able to
see the change in our friends as well as the community which has not only started using
Polybags for plantation but have also made their environment clean & green adding to the
aesthetics of their residence.
We acknowledge with thanks the help & guidance rendered to us by our Mentors Ms. Swapna Rani
Panigrahy & Ms. Amruta Parichha, Department of Forest, Govt. Of Odisha, EcoClub Coordinators &
NGO’s – LIPIKA & ATMA, Police Authorities & Electronic & Print Media for helping us in spreading
the message.
PHOTO GALLERY
Feeling the intensity –
The Poly garbage presenting
the ugly site.
Demonstrating the use of
Polybags fro Plantations

3. Collecting Polybags from the
School’s Playground
Using leaf based garbage
for compost pit.
Reducing the size of
Polybags before dumping.

4. Vermicompost
Anti Polythene Rally on
31st August 2012
Encouraging the use of dry
leaves for serving food in the
Canteen.

5. Use of Polythene for Plantation
Results form the
Community –
Plantation in Polybags.
We - The Team for Design
for Change 2012

6. PRINT MEDIA REPORTS

7. ******************