18 July 2022

Sonia Pradhan from Bhubaneswar, Odisha, has been campaigning against the use of thin black polythene bags used for tree seedlings. They can only be used once and pollute the atmosphere when burned. Where she lives, coconuts are abundant. Her idea was to grow saplings in coconut shells. No one believed it was possible, but she proved them wrong and is now on a mission to persuade local nurseries, and others in her neighbourhood, to use coconut shells instead of polythene bags.

Sonia has also been promoting the reuse of plastic bottles among friends and neighbours and has experimented with making innovative products using plastic waste.

She mapped the recyclers in her area and conducted discussions to understand the supply chain of waste. She also conducted awareness campaigns with 25 shops and three local schools regarding the negative impact of single use plastics and ways to minimize their usage.

Sonia has been making shopping bags out of old clothes to help reduce the use of plastic bags. “We can't suddenly completely stop using plastic but together we can reduce our use of plastic and find alternatives,” she says.

See all young plastic pollution change-makers from Africa and India

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