25 April 2024: To promote environmental sustainability, the OneEarth Foundation is giving study tables and benches to a poor school in a slum close to Old Goa. These items are made from separated low-value plastic waste that was gathered during the 30-day Drive Against Plastic Pollution (DAPP) campaign.
In addition to raising awareness among over 1300 people and students about the issue of plastic pollution and encouraging sustainable practices, the campaign also collected 1.4 tonnes of waste, held 59 workshops and clean-up drives, and paddled 120 km along the Goa coastline.
This initiative, beyond being a symbolic gesture, embodies OneEarth Foundation’s core principles rooted in circular economy practices. Through environmentally responsible waste management, it aspires to close the loop and make society more ecologically aware.
The OneEarth Foundation will continue to concentrate on government schools, schools for students with disabilities, and impoverished establishments where opportunities and resources are scarce. To equip these communities with the knowledge and resources they need to conserve the environment, the Foundation strives to provide dynamic workshops and programs on climate education.
“We strongly believe in the power of conscious communities and holistic systems, which is evident in every action we take,” stated Ferdin Sylvester, the founder of the OneEarth Foundation. We are proud of what we have done today, giving these young brains benches made from zero-value waste that would have otherwise ended up in landfills or the ocean. After realizing the negative effects of waste on their lives, they went from not having even a simple trash can to actively sorting waste in their school. Knowing that our organization has genuinely improved their lives gives me great satisfaction. Our future priorities include restoring mangroves, teaching youth about climate resilience, recycling as a means of putting a circular model into practice, and working with fishermen and other coastal communities to eliminate ghost gear and other plastic waste.”