Delhi's first garbage cafe opens in Dwarka; get food in exchange for plastic waste

Garbage cafe at Dwarka.

In a move to make Delhi plastic-free, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) opened a first Garbage cafe in the city. Located at the City Centre mall in Dwarka Sector 21, one can exchange plastic waste for free food at the shop. Visitors can also avail discounts in return for plastic waste at other food outlets in the mall.

The cafe offers snacks in exchange for 250 gms of plastic and a full meal in return for 1kg of plastic waste. There are posters all around the mall to inform the maximum number of people about the initiative and so that people don't throw away plastic as waste but can collect it to exchange for food. 

Kuldeep Rathi, manager at the garbage bank claimed that the uniqueness of the outlet is that it is situated inside a mall and insisted that special attention is paid to the quality of the food. 

"For snacks, we serve samosas, tea, burgers, sandwiches, parathas and for meals there is butter roti with curry or rice and dal whatever they want. In exchange for plastic waste we are also giving out discount coupons which can be availed at other food outlets inside the mall," said Rathi.

Bhupinder Gupta, Chairman of the standing committee at SDMC said that around 8-10 kilos of plastic waste are collected at the cafe every day which is sent to the processing plant for recycling purposes. 

"The first garbage cafe was opened at Chhattisgarh and now another one here in Delhi to make it a  plastic-free city. If it is successful then we can open more such cafes."