New Delhi: Mother Dairy aims to collect 1,000 kg of used plastic from over 4,000 households in the Delhi-NCR by October 2 and recycle it, its managing director Sangram Chaudhary said on Friday.
The company, a leading milk supplier in Delhi-NCR, has urged consumers to deposit plastic waste at their selected milk booths in the region.
To discourage consumers' use of packed milk, the company is also promoting 'token or loose milk' from its automated vending machines by selling cheaper by Rs 4 per litre than the packed milk, which will help each consumer save 6 gram of plastic consumption daily.
"We have been selling token milk for over four decades and it was only in 1990s when packed milk started. After the clarion call of Prime Minister (Narendra Modi), we have started plastic collection and recycling drive," Chaudhary told PTI.
About 1,000 kg of plastic waste will be collected from 4,000 households across Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad by October 2 and recycled, he said.
By 2020, the company aims to collect and recycle about 832 tonnes of used plastic across 25 states, he added.
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The campaign of collecting plastic waste from its consumers began in the NCR early this month and will culminate by creating an effigy of 'Plastic Ravan' which will be dismantled on October 2 by not burning but recycling the remains of it.
For encouraging consumers to buy token milk and reduce plastic usage, Chaudhary said Mother Dairy is selling loose milk cheaper by Rs 4 per litre, lower than its average procurement rate of Rs 44-45 per litre.
Currently, the company is selling about 6 lakh litres per day token milk in the NCR, while it has a total capacity of 10 lakh litres per day.
Mother Dairy Director Saugata Mitra said, "We are trying to give price differential to encourage more consumers to buy token milk. This will help save six grams of plastic every day provided consumers to become responsible and concerned about the environment."
It is costing Rs 90 crore annually to sell token milk at a subsidised rate. If consumers shift to token milk in the NCR, the company will be able to reduce 900 tonnes of plastic packing annually, he said.
Since modern households do not want to carry containers to the vending machine to draw milk, purpose of the campaign is to create awareness and encourage them to make an effort to reduce the use of plastic in their daily life, thereby protect the environment, he added.
In addition, Mother Dairy has commenced research to develop alternative packaging and delivery system to avoid the use of plastic altogether.
Mother Dairy was commissioned in 1974 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board.
It is a leading dairy player that manufactures, markets and sells milk and milk products under the Mother Dairy brand.
The company sells edible oils under the Dhara brand, while fresh fruits and vegetables, frozen vegetables and snacks, range of unpolished pulses, honey, pulps and concentrates are marketed under the Safal brand
