The Garbage Cafe, located in Ambikapur, is India’s first cafe that encourages plastic waste collection in exchange for food.
This café was opened by the Ambikapur Municipal Corporation in 2019.
The cafe operates on a simple principle: bring in plastic waste, and you’ll receive a meal. Ragpickers, homeless individuals, students, and civic-minded people can participate.
For every 1 kilogram of plastic waste brought in, a full meal is provided. Those collecting 500 grams of plastic receive breakfast.
By incentivizing plastic collection, the Garbage Cafe contributes to making Ambikapur plastic-free.
It also addresses hunger among marginalized communities while promoting environmental awareness.
Chhattisgarh took this initiative to combat plastic pollution and provide a solution to hunger simultaneously.