Want a free mobile recharge? Crush your plastic bottles at railway stations

Want a free mobile recharge? Crush your plastic bottles at railway stations
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New Delhi: In an effort to tackle the growing menace of plastic pollution, Indian Railways has introduced a novel method which encourages passengers to use the plastic bottle crushing machines installed at stations and in return recharge their phones.

This comes in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to eliminate single-use plastic and find alternatives to plastic water bottles on a priority basis during his Independence Day speech.

Railways have issued directions that from October 2 this year, single-use plastic will not be used on its premises.

Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav has said that railways will install 400 bottle crushing machines at stations in which a passenger wanting to use them will have to key in his phone number into the machine and his phone will be recharged. However, details of the recharge were not known immediately.

Currently, 160 bottle crushing machines are available at 128 stations, he said.

He also said that instructions have been given to railway staff to collect all the used plastic bottles at railway stations and send them for recycling.

Earlier, the ministry had issued instructions to all its vendors and staff across its network to use reusable bags to reduce plastic footprint.

A pledge will be administered to cut the use of plastic on October 2.

India generates approximately 26,000 tonnes of plastic waste daily, which makes it the 15th largest plastic waste generator globally.

(With inputs from PTI)

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